Susceptible Tennessee coach Jeremy Pruitt’s attorney threatens suit that can ‘cripple’ UT athletics ‘for years’

The attorney representing frail Tennessee football coach Jeremy Pruitt gave UT an ultimatum this month: Both attain a settlement with Pruitt by Oct. 29, or face a lawsuit that the attorney claims has the aptitude to “cripple UT’s athletic programs for years.”

The college intends to stand its ground, with no plans to resolve, promising a “lively defense” if Pruitt chooses to head to court docket. A lawsuit is a certainty if there is no settlement, said Michael Lyons, Pruitt’s Texas-based fully attorney, in an interview Tuesday with the USA TODAY Community.

“On behalf of my consumer, I’m in a position to voice you that he’s no longer cheerful that right here is the one preference they’ve left him with,” Lyons said, “however he’s no longer going to gallop away with out getting his day in court docket.”

“He’s going to file a lawsuit,” Lyons added. “They’re no longer leaving him remarkable preference.”

Lyons sent a letter Oct. 7 to UT’s general counsel inquiring for a gathering to talk about a settlement.

UT fired Pruitt for cause Jan. 18, announcing it had uncovered evidence that contributors of Pruitt’s football staff engaged in behavior possible to end result in extreme NCAA rules violations and Pruitt did not visual display unit their actions or promote an atmosphere of compliance. On story of UT fired Pruitt for cause, he did not receive any of the $12.6 million buyout that used to be half of his contract.

Lyons’ letter made no try to protect Pruitt, however in its set up threatened a lawsuit that can map to embarrass the college and unmask widespread rule-breaking behavior Lyons alleges extends above and former Pruitt’s football staff.

University general counsel Ryan Stinnett wrote Monday per Lyons that UT has no map of settling and is willing to protect its actions.

“Your letter contains no denials of your consumer’s actions,” Stinnett wrote. “As any other, you raise imprecise and unsupported allegations of alternative violations by the University and threaten to embarrass the University publicly by revealing these alleged violations.

“The University emphatically denies these allegations and must no longer be intimidated into settling alongside side your consumer per your unsupported assertions.”

The United States TODAY Community obtained Lyons’ letter and Stinnett’s response by means of a public recordsdata set up an relate to. UT officers did not observation Tuesday.

Pruitt possible would catch a settlement that is lower than his corpulent buyout, however the college’s stance since firing a coach who went 16-21 in three seasons and is accused of extreme NCAA violations has been it intends to pay him no severance.

Stinnett wrote to Lyons that “evidence already gathered is satisfactory to book any factfinder that your consumer’s termination for cause used to be fully justified.”

Who’s Jeremy Pruitt’s attorney, and what attain his allegations entail?

Lyons made several vast assertions in his letter to UT that are no longer supported with details in his letter, writing that his regulations firm unearthed “startling recordsdata” that aspects in opposition to NCAA rule-breaking behavior dating assist several years and all over extra than one sports activities.

Lyons alleges that college directors unnoticed or lined up NCAA violations taking place forward of and all around the Pruitt generation, and he wrote that UT’s administration used to be troubled with or inspired impermissible recruiting tactics. Lyons wrote that his firm has learned of impermissible booster involvement in recruiting all over extra than one sports activities.

“If Coach Pruitt is forced to file a lawsuit,” Lyons wrote, “it’s miles inevitable that this recordsdata will turn into public, embarrass UT and these associated with it, alongside side its ideally suited donors, and end result in debilitating NCAA sanctions.”

A possible lawsuit, Lyons wrote, is a “no-take field” for Tennessee.

Lyons followed the allegations with a set up an relate to to take documents from infamous novel and frail UT directors, coaches and athletes so that he can peek them. Lyons’ letter would not straight hyperlink these folk to his allegations or provide any evidence of wrongdoing by any of them.

The dearth of specifics in Lyons’ letter suggests that either the attorney is bluffing, or he is deliberately withholding evidence of rule-breaking behavior to force UT to resolve with Pruitt to preserve Lyons’ findings corked and out of a court docket filing. Within the latter case, Lyons’ letter supplies a leer at his cards with out revealing his corpulent hand.

Amongst the folk whose recordsdata Lyons desires preserved are: Phillip Fulmer, Tennessee’s frail football coach and later the athletics director who hired Pruitt; frail football coach Butch Jones; novel football assistant coach Willie Martinez, who also worked for Jones; frail football assistant Tommy Thigpen, who is now on staff at North Carolina; frail affiliate AD Carmen Tegano; males’s basketball coach Rick Barnes; Chancellor Donde Plowman; donor Larry Pratt; and AAU basketball coach and frail Vols player Bobby Maze.

“We’re no longer right here to bluff,” Lyons said Tuesday.

“I’m in a position to deliver you that we’ve investigated it very rigorously,” he added, when requested referring to the shortage of particular details referring to the allegations and folk referenced in his letter, “and I’m no longer going to give them and break the surprise of what we possess, however you would possibly possibly possibly rest assured that we’ve completed our homework.”

Lyons has represented Pruitt since his firing. On the day of Pruitt’s termination, his attorney vowed to protect the coach against allegations of NCAA wrongdoing. His letter to UT’s general counsel this month suggests Lyons’ defense of Pruitt will consist of a burn-down-the-home methodology in opposition to Tennessee.

UT has willing for the aptitude of a lawsuit since Pruitt’s firing.

“We have faith it would possibly possibly well be unwise and unfruitful, however we’ll possible be in a position to be willing,” UT Diagram President Randy Boyd said in January, alongside side then that an “overwhelming quantity of evidence” supports UT’s choices.

Lyons has represented other fired college football coaches, alongside side frail Kansas coach David Beaty. Beaty sued KU after it refused to pay him a $3 million buyout following his 2018 firing. Kansas reached a $2.55 million settlement with Beaty, and he’s now no longer half of the NCAA infractions case inspiring KU athletics.

The set up is Jeremy Pruitt now?

Pruitt, 47, is now a senior defensive analyst for the Current York Giants, and Lyons wrote that Pruitt intends to remain in the NFL.

Tennessee launched an inner investigation of its football program in November into allegations of impermissible recruiting advantages. The NCAA enforcement staff was concerned with the ongoing investigation in December. In January, Tennessee fired Pruitt and two of his assistants for cause, alongside with seven contributors of the football program’s recruiting, player personnel or give a eradicate to staff.

Within the termination letters, the college said that it expected the actions of contributors of Pruitt’s staff will end result in extra than one NCAA Stage I and/or Stage II violations.

Pruitt’s lone successful season got right here in 2019. He bought a two-twelve months contract extension forward of the 2020 season that integrated a scheduled raise and elevated his buyout.

Fulmer stepped down as UT’s athletics director on the day of Pruitt’s firing. The college described Fulmer’s exit as a retirement. He’s receiving a $1.3 million retirement kit, an quantity that matches what UT would possess owed Fulmer if it fired him with out cause.

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