Casey Pruitt, a former compliance worker, avoids show cause in Tennessee NCAA scandal

Casey Pruitt, the wife of former Tennessee football coach Jeremy Pruitt, avoided a penalty for her part in the NCAA recruiting scandal. She could've gotten a show-cause penalty. It’s a punishment usually meant for college coaches who break NCAA rules, so that would've been quite a distinction for a coach’s wife. But Casey Pruitt is a unique case as a former NCAA compliance worker. She was in charge of enforcing NCAA rules in athletic departments at Troy University, University of Oklahoma and Florida State University from 2009-13, before marrying Jeremy. On Friday, the NCAA handed down its verdict in the recruiting scandal that spanned most of Jeremy Pruitt’s tenure as Vols coach from 2018 to early 2021. Jeremy Pruitt got a six-year show-cause penalty because he was found culpable in most of the 18 highest-level violations. A show-cause penalty means a university cannot hire a coach or recruiter without NCAA approval during the length of the ban. Jeremy Pruitt's show-cause includes a 100% suspension for the first year of employment should an NCAA school hire in him in any athletics position. Show-cause penalties also were given to assistant coaches Derrick Ansley (twp years), Brian Niedermeyer (five) and Shelton Felton (four); recruiting director Bethany Gunn (five) and assistant director Chantryce Boone (10); director of player personnel Drew Hughes (four); and student assistant Michael Magness (three). UT was put on a five-year probation, which includes 28 scholarship cuts, recruiting restrictions, vacated wins and a hefty fine. But it did not get a postseason ban. A show-cause penalty for Casey Pruitt would've mostly been symbolic. After all, it’s hard to believe that any university would hire her considering her involvement in the high-profile UT recruiting scandal. Her background in NCAA compliance wasn’t lost on the Committee on Infractions. Although she hasn't worked in college athletics in a decade, the committee required her to attend the infractions hearing in April as an obligation to NCAA Bylaw 19.2.3, entitled “Responsibility to Cooperate.” Though identified sometimes by her name in case documents, she was also called “former head football coach’s wife,” “representative of the institution's athletics interests” or “Booster 1." Casey Pruitt was implicated in two of the violations, but each encompassed several instances of wrongdoing. The NCAA enforcement staff alleged that she paid for cars and rent for recruits, players and their families. Investigators also believed Casey Pruitt helped her husband conceal his participation in the infractions. “(Jeremy) Pruitt was directly involved in serious violations … including violations committed by his wife (Casey) Pruitt carried out at their home in Knoxville,” UT said in its report. According to investigators, in 2018, Jeremy and Casey Pruitt paid $6,000 to a recruit’s mother for a down payment on a 2017 Nissan Armada. He promised the payment during a recruiting visit in fall 2018 and paid the $6,000 on Dec. 26, 2018. The recruit enrolled at UT to play football. And from Jan. 28, 2019, to March 26, 2021, the Pruitts paid 25 monthly payments of $500 for the car. The player’s mother told investigators that she received the money from Casey or the Pruitts’ babysitter at the Pruitts’ home. Also, Casey occasionally delivered the money to her residence. In a separate incident, a player’s mother told investigators that Casey Pruitt paid her $1,600 cash for a security deposit on a Knoxville rental home and also arranged for Niedermeyer to deliver a second payment of $1,600 because she was out of town. People with redacted names provided documentation to support their account. Text messages and phone records also show that Casey Pruitt arranged for the real estate agent to show the player’s mother the rental home. According to UT’s report, Casey Pruitt told investigators that she “could have” been present when the player’s mother toured the rental home, but she didn’t recall. She denied giving her money. How Casey Pruitt’s involvement hurt her husband’s case Investigators believed Casey Pruitt was an active participant in breaking rules. And they used her involvement to show that her husband knew about the cheating in his football program. For example, Jeremy Pruitt participated in Facetime calls with recruits during their impermissible recruiting visits − that is, when his staff was paying for meals, hotel stays and entertainment under the table. The recruit would use Niedermeyer’s phone to connect to the call, and Jeremy Pruitt would connect on his wife’s phone. Text messages between Niedermeyer and Casey Pruitt supported how the Facetime calls were arranged. Adam Sparks is the Tennessee football beat reporter. Email adam.sparks@knoxnews.com. Twitter @AdamSparks. Support strong local journalism by subscribing at knoxnews.com/subscribe.