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Former Tennessee football coach Jeremy Pruitt is back in coaching, now at his high school alma mater.

The DeKab County Board of Education confirmed Pruitt’s hiring as a physical education teacher and assistant coach at Plainview High School in Rainsville, Ala., on Thursday, AL.com reported.

He also will coach junior high basketball, Plainview principal Chris Clark told the outlet.

Pruitt’s father, Dale Pruitt, was hired last year as Plainview’s head football coach for a third time. His son coached under him previously as an assistant.

Jeremy Pruitt, 49, is a natural fit for the position, Clark told AL.com.

“He’s a hometown hero,” Clark said. “His kids have gone to school here. He’s a great teacher, he’s a great coach. He was the most-qualified person for the job. We’re lucky to have him.”

Tennessee hired Pruitt as head coach in December 2017, replacing Butch Jones. Pruitt was fired in January 2021 for cause after going 16-19.

Earlier this month, Tennessee learned that it had 11 wins vacated as part of the punishment for the 200-plus recruiting violations committed during Pruitt’s tenure.

The NCAA also issued a six-year show-cause penalty and one-year suspension against Pruitt, likely keeping him out of college football during that time.

All 11 games won in the 2019 and 2020 seasons were erased, wiping the Volunteers from the top 10 all-time in college football victories.

AL.com reported that Pruitt’s wife, Casey, was hired last month at Plainview as a reading/math intervention teacher.

–Field Level Media

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