Jacksonville State has made a notable addition to its football program, bringing on former Tennessee head coach Jeremy Pruitt as a quality control analyst. The move, confirmed by the athletics department, marks a significant development for a coach who’s been out of the college football spotlight for several years.
Pruitt officially joined the Gamecocks’ staff on December 9, 2025, but his path back to the NCAA ranks has been anything but straightforward. He’s still under a six-year show-cause penalty issued in July 2023, stemming from recruiting violations during his time at Tennessee. That order includes a one-year suspension from team activities should he return to an NCAA role - a detail that could still impact his involvement at Jacksonville State, though it's unclear how or if that suspension will be enforced.
Before landing in Jacksonville, Pruitt had been coaching at the high school level, returning to his alma mater, Plainview High School in Rainsville, under his father, Dale. He helped lead the Bears to the AHSAA semifinals, where they came up short on November 28. But even while coaching high school ball, the door to college football wasn’t fully closed.
Back in June, Jacksonville State took the formal step of informing the NCAA of its intent to hire Pruitt. In a letter dated June 12, the university laid out its case, emphasizing that this was a rare opportunity to add a coach of Pruitt’s caliber at a price point the program could afford. The letter even argued that if not for the show-cause, Pruitt would likely be serving as a defensive coordinator at a top-tier SEC program.
The NCAA didn’t respond immediately. The university said it would proceed with the hire on August 1 if it hadn’t heard back. Eventually, on September 12, the NCAA replied, requesting a meeting with university president Don Killingsworth, athletic director Greg Seitz, head coach Charles Kelly, Pruitt himself, and Misty Ray, Jacksonville State’s senior associate AD for compliance.
The NCAA ultimately gave the green light in a letter dated October 27, clearing the way for Pruitt’s return. Jacksonville State made it official in December, but the groundwork had been laid months earlier.
For Kelly, who has a long history with Pruitt, this hire is about more than just adding another set of eyes in the film room. The two coached together at Florida State, and when Pruitt landed the Tennessee job, Kelly was one of the first names he brought onto his staff. That familiarity and trust clearly played a role in this reunion.
“He is one of the best defensive minds I have ever been around in college football,” Kelly said during an October press conference, well before the hire was finalized. “He's been out of coaching four years now, so I did look into when I first got here the opportunity to bring him on in some capacity.
Let me say this - here at our university, we're about compliance. We do things the right way.
There's a process you have to go through in order to make hires.”
That process was long and deliberate, but Jacksonville State stuck with it. Now, with Pruitt officially on board, the Gamecocks are adding a coach with deep SEC experience, a national title pedigree, and a defensive mind that Kelly clearly values.
What remains to be seen is how active Pruitt will be in his analyst role, especially with the NCAA’s suspension still looming over his return. But even in a behind-the-scenes capacity, his presence could be a major asset for a program looking to elevate its profile.
For Jacksonville State, this isn’t just a hire - it’s a statement. The Gamecocks are betting that Pruitt’s experience and football IQ can help take the program to the next level, even if it comes with a few extra hurdles along the way.