Pruitt's lawyer threatens fiery lawsuit as Tennessee refuses settlement with ex-Vols coach

[TRU]

Well I sure hope this and the mess from last weekend doesn't distract them on Saturday...

 

[NoNC4Tubs]

The idea of any football coach at this level being pure as the driven snow is laughable. But it could be possible that CJP jumped into a situation that was way over his head and, although he found about the corruption, was not really in much of a position to do much about it.

Said with no inside knowledge and limited knowledge of really what's going on/has gone on since he's been there.

Definitely possible...

 

[tlockwood]

I don't know if Pruitt has the goods on UTe or not.

I do know that I hope that UTe gets everything levied on them they tried to do to us.

(BTW...I hate Tenn!!!)

 

[bamaga]

I thought UT told the world about all the wrongdoing in the presser firing Pruitt, justifying the ‘for cause’! If he has worse than what was announced, it should crater the UT program!

 

[dathbama]

Fulmer foolishly could not help himself and said this today: "Jeremy has no one to blame but himself for his firing from UT," Fulmer said. "He had a great opportunity at a great university, and he simply screwed it up."

'He simply screwed it up:' Phillip Fulmer responds to letter from Jeremy Pruitt's lawyer to Tennessee

Phillip Fulmer retired Jan. 18, the same day that former Tennessee football coach Jeremy Pruitt was fired for cause.

www.knoxnews.com

 

[4Q Basket Case]

Fulmer foolishly could not help himself and said this today: "Jeremy has no one to blame but himself for his firing from UT," Fulmer said. "He had a great opportunity at a great university, and he simply screwed it up."

'He simply screwed it up:' Phillip Fulmer responds to letter from Jeremy Pruitt's lawyer to Tennessee

Phillip Fulmer retired Jan. 18, the same day that former Tennessee football coach Jeremy Pruitt was fired for cause.

www.knoxnews.com

So it’s clear that fulmer is either bat-blind as to the meaning of irony, or is just stupid.

So the question for the board: Who has fewer IQ points: fulmer or O?

It’s a tough call, and I have my own thoughts and reasons for them, but I want to hear the board consensus.

 

[Ole Man Dan]

This ought to be interesting. I might get LK to bring the Popcorn.
If there's anything at all to the nasty rumors we have heard about...
Look for TN. to make a lot of noise, then start negotiations on
HUSH MONEY. If Pruitt knows where even half the bones are buried Tennessee can't afford for the sordid details to splash on social media.
The easy way out is to negotiate a settlement that will make Pruitt very rich. Tn. has already ruined any future job as a head coach for Pruitt.

 

[Chukker Veteran]

I didn’t follow Pruitt’s firing very closely, were there specific violations mentioned or just reference to general things that went wrong?

I’m guessing the speculation and threats from Pruitt involve paying prospects to sign with Tennessee, has there been other stuff they’ve supposedly done? I guess technically I’m fishing for rumors, but this is Tennessee.

 

[Isaiah 63:1]

My advice to UT: He’s got nothing on you. Call his bluff! Don’t settle!

My advice to JP: if they offer you one penny less than your full settlement, it means they’re scared. Don’t settle!

I sure would hate to see wheelbarrows full of documents made public in an acrimonious proceeding that would drag Phil Fulmer through the mud and tarnish UT’s athletic department and programs for a decade or more…

 

[JustNeedMe81]

I think UT is backed into corner at this point, and understand that if they drag this out and continue to fight this... I wouldn't be shocked to see few coaches around the program to start looking for new job. NO body wants to be associated with something that could've handled quietly between two parties. Pruitt and his lawyers aren't stupid.

Quick Bio on Lyons:

Lyons has earned the respect of his peers through tireless efforts to help his clients. He has been recognized on the Thomson Reuters Super Lawyers listing (2005, 2008-2019), including being selected among the Top 100 attorneys in Dallas/Fort Worth (2018-2019), was honored as a “Best Lawyer in Dallas under 40” by D Magazine in 2005, and a “Best Lawyer in Dallas” by D Magazine in 2011, 2013, 2015-2017 and 2019. Lyons has been recognized as a member of the Million Dollar and Multi-Million Dollar Advocates Forums, was named a Lifetime Achievement member of America’s Top 100 Attorneys for Texas and was named among America’s Top 100 High Stakes Litigators in North Texas for 2017-2020. He has attained an AV® Preeminent™ peer-review rating from Martindale-Hubbell, signifying the highest level of professional excellence based upon peer review evaluation from lawyers and judges who have observed his legal skill and ethical standards. In 2018 and 2019, Lyons was recognized as one of the Best Lawyers in America by US News & World Reports and the Firm received a corresponding recognition in 2019 as one of the Best Law Firms in America.

 

[JustNeedMe81]

This Michael Lyons is legit. I don't see this dragging out past November or December.

 

[TideEngineer08]

So it’s clear that fulmer is either bat-blind as to the meaning of irony, or is just stupid.

So the question for the board: Who has fewer IQ points: fulmer or O?

It’s a tough call, and I have my own thoughts and reasons for them, but I want to hear the board consensus.

It's called hubris.

He's never had to truly face the consequences of his actions. It's like George told Jerry, "it's not a lie, if you believe it."

Fulmer believes his own lies at this point.

 

[KrAzY3]

Well if he does expose it then that means he was aware of it, and culpable for allowing it to continue.

For some reason I'm having trouble finding the report I read which I thought had more of the letter from the lawyer. I recall specifically a line that says something along the lines of "we've now been made aware of" in terms of things going on at Tennessee. The idea being Pruitt didn't know everything going on.

In terms of Tennessee's behavior in this matter, if they didn't want the NCAA coming down on them hard the way they handled it was incredibly incompetent. Miami, Auburn, LSU, etc... they've all shown that if you just deny wrongdoing and keep doing what you're doing the NCAA is worthless at this point. The fact that one of the first acts Tennessee did was to fire Pruitt with cause shows that they care more about other aspects of this than just firing Pruitt. Pruitt would have gladly taken his paycheck and walked.

If they had simple done what virtually every other program does in this situation and bought out Pruitt and sent him packing we would not even be having this conversation. Instead they were like yeah we broke NCAA rules, it's all Pruitt's fault and we're firing him over it. An admission of guilt. The only reason those morons would do that is because they had some other motivation beyond staying out of NCAA trouble. We all know admitting wrongdoing is the only sure fire way to get punished by the NCAA in this day and age.

So I'm not buying the idea that Tennessee did this just because they wanted to get rid of Pruitt. A check would have done that job just fine.

 

[BamaInCummingGA]

Somebody @ UcheaT has got to realize that this ain't a bluff. Or, maybe they are all as ignorant and arrogant like we think they are. Either way this ain't good for their program so I'll be happy to sit and watch this comedy play on out.
One way or another UcheaT has put themselves in a bad situation and no good will come of it.

 

[81usaf92]

For some reason I'm having trouble finding the report I read which I thought had more of the letter from the lawyer. I recall specifically a line that says something along the lines of "we've now been made aware of" in terms of things going on at Tennessee. The idea being Pruitt didn't know everything going on.

In terms of Tennessee's behavior in this matter, if they didn't want the NCAA coming down on them hard the way they handled it was incredibly incompetent. Miami, Auburn, LSU, etc... they've all shown that if you just deny wrongdoing and keep doing what you're doing the NCAA is worthless at this point. The fact that one of the first acts Tennessee did was to fire Pruitt with cause shows that they care more about other aspects of this than just firing Pruitt. Pruitt would have gladly taken his paycheck and walked.

If they had simple done what virtually every other program does in this situation and bought out Pruitt and sent him packing we would not even be having this conversation. Instead they were like yeah we broke NCAA rules, it's all Pruitt's fault and we're firing him over it. An admission of guilt. The only reason those morons would do that is because they had some other motivation beyond staying out of NCAA trouble. We all know admitting wrongdoing is the only sure fire way to get punished by the NCAA in this day and age.

So I'm not buying the idea that Tennessee did this just because they wanted to get rid of Pruitt. A check would have done that job just fine.

The problem they were having with Pruitt was that he was extremely incompetent and was losing serious ground to Georgia and Florida. But Fulmer and Tennessee signed him to an extension after winning a meaningless bowl game. They were looking for a way out of a dumb contract.

Pruitt can play the game “I wasn’t aware of what was going on” all he wants. But that makes him look even more incompetent and another reason that we shouldn’t hire him back. I mean do you think Dubose was unaware of what Logan Young was doing?

 

[KrAzY3]

The problem they were having with Pruitt was that he was extremely incompetent and was losing serious ground to Georgia and Florida. But Fulmer and Tennessee signed him to an extension after winning a meaningless bowl game. They were looking for a way out of a dumb contract.

The point when I made my post though was that they cared about things other than just NCAA sanctions. The money in this case clearly for some reason meant more than the NCAA coming down on them. They could have gotten rid of Pruitt and stayed out of more serious trouble simply by paying off said dumb contact.

They chose not to. So that is proof that part of their thinking went beyond just getting rid of Pruitt. Seems to me they made a pretty shortsighted move but honestly hiring Pruitt at the time seemed shortsighted and petty and I said it back then. Oh our other candidates didn't work out. Let's hire this guy from Alabama, at least it messes them up a bit. From the start of the Pruitt saga Tennessee seems to have had bad idea after bad idea. No one was talking up Pruitt for a major job until then, the guy was at Hoover in 2006. He hadn't been around the college ranks long enough to be a hot commodity as a head coach.

This whole thing from start to finish reeks of Tennessee stupidity and spitefulness.

 

[81usaf92]

This whole thing from start to finish reeks of Tennessee stupidity and spitefulness.

Stupidity maybe. But I doubt it was just about getting rid of Pruitt. I think it was just as much as getting rid of Fulmer as AD. They found out that Pruitt was handing out special happy meals and saw it was a good opportunity to get rid of a bad Head Coach and a guy that thought he was bigger than the university.

Pruitt is and was an idiot for going to Tennessee. But if he wants to take Tennessee down with him then so be it.

 

[teamplayer]

So it’s clear that fulmer is either bat-blind as to the meaning of irony, or is just stupid.

So the question for the board: Who has fewer IQ points: fulmer or O?

It’s a tough call, and I have my own thoughts and reasons for them, but I want to hear the board consensus.

I think that is an easy question. Fulmer is much smarter. He certainly has done some dumb things, but he is one of those who will act dumb to your face while he is sticking 57 knives in your back while you are left wondering how he outsmarted you. Coach O is just a meathead (Hooray, America, where meatheads make millions for xhlk sljfls sodov! That says "coaching some football.") hahahaha

 

[KrAzY3]

They found out that Pruitt was handing out special happy meals and saw it was a good opportunity to get rid of a bad Head Coach and a guy that thought he was bigger than the university.

Well, Pruitt's story is basically that they didn't just find out, this was going on at Tennessee for quite some time prior to his arrival. That makes it somewhat important to the entire narrative.

Either way Tennessee's defense here is something I don't think I've ever seen. Yes, we did break all those NCAA rules but it was all the fault of the person in charge! It's bizarre in how thoroughly it implicates them.

As far as Pruitt going to Tennessee at the time I said I couldn't blame him because he was set to make so much money. That was basically a full career's worth of money in one contract. It was a 22.8 million dollar contract, that's nearly 23 years as Alabama DC with what he was making at the time. It was stupid contract on their part but it's hard to turn down that kind of money. Remember this guy was at Hoover in 2006 and wasn't an on-field coach at Alabama until 2010. That contract was probably close to ten times his net worth.

 

[Evil Crimson Dragon]

Might we see an LOIC come out of this?