Jeremy Pruitt just scored a major win off the field - and it could open the door for his return to college football in a much bigger way.
An Alabama judge granted Pruitt a preliminary injunction against the NCAA on Monday, effectively hitting pause on the six-year show-cause penalty handed down in 2023. That penalty, which typically acts as a massive roadblock for any coach trying to get back into the college ranks, forced schools to clear any hiring of Pruitt through the NCAA - and often came with major restrictions.
But for now, that penalty is on ice.
This development is part of a broader $100 million lawsuit Pruitt has filed against the NCAA, claiming the organization colluded with the University of Tennessee to make him the fall guy in the school’s high-profile recruiting scandal. Pruitt alleges that he was unfairly singled out as the scapegoat during the investigation into recruiting violations that occurred during his three-year tenure in Knoxville.
The timing of the injunction is notable. Just under two months ago, the NCAA gave a conditional green light for Pruitt to work as an analyst at Jacksonville State.
But there was a catch - he wasn’t allowed to be involved in recruiting. Now, with the injunction in place, that restriction is lifted.
Pruitt can be hired in any role, including those that involve recruiting, assuming a school is willing to bring him on board.
That’s a significant shift, especially for a coach whose reputation took a major hit following the NCAA’s findings. The investigation determined that Pruitt had provided impermissible benefits and payments to players during his time at Tennessee - a tenure that ended in 2021 when the university fired him for cause after launching its own internal probe.
On the field, Pruitt’s time at Tennessee was a mixed bag. He posted a 16-19 record over three seasons, going 5-7 in his first year, improving to 8-5 in 2019, and then stumbling to 3-7 in the COVID-shortened 2020 campaign - a season that turned out to be his last in Knoxville.
After his dismissal, Pruitt had a brief stint in the NFL as a senior defensive analyst with the New York Giants in 2021 but wasn’t retained beyond that season. By 2023, he was back in Georgia, working at Plainview High School as a physical education teacher and coaching junior high boys' basketball.
While it’s unlikely Pruitt will land another head coaching gig in the near future, this legal win reshapes his trajectory. He’s still regarded in many football circles as a sharp defensive mind - someone who could slot back into a high-level coordinator role if the right opportunity comes along.
With the NCAA’s show-cause no longer a barrier, at least for now, Pruitt’s path back into major college football is clearer than it’s been in years. Whether a Power Five program is ready to take that leap remains to be seen, but one thing is certain: Jeremy Pruitt isn’t out of the coaching game just yet.