Report: Tennessee turning to Peyton Manning for advice in coaching search
Jeremy Pruitt is out at Tennessee after three seasons as the head coach with the program. Now, the Volunteers are in a familiar position: searching for a new coach.
On Monday, KnoxNews.com reported that Pruitt had been fired and that athletic director and former head coach Phillip Fulmer has decided to retire. That means, for the fifth time since the end of the 2008 season, Tennessee will be looking for its next head coach.
This time, the athletic program is apparently seeking insight from one of its legendary players.
Bruce Feldman of The Athletic reported that Tennessee will look to Tennessee legend and NFL Hall of Fame quarterback Peyton Manning for advice during the coaching search. It’s not a bad idea, considering how poorly these things have gone before in Knoxville.
#Tennessee has fired Jeremy Pruitt. Once again, the Vols have a coaching search on their hands. Peyton Manning will have a big role in this decision, sources tell me. Here are the candidates we think they’ll consider: https://t.co/wyRhpYLrSq
— Bruce Feldman (@BruceFeldmanCFB) January 18, 2021
No indication has been given on a possible replacement for Pruitt. The firing comes one week after the college football season ended.
Pruitt was just 16-19 in three seasons as the head coach of the Vols, and he was 10-16 in the SEC. Tennessee appeared in just one bowl game during that stretch and had only one winning season, as well.
Tennessee closed out the 2020 season with a 3-7 record.