KNOXVILLE — Tennessee head football coach Jeremy Pruitt received a contract extension on Thursday.
The University of Tennessee announced Pruitt’s extension two days before he kicks off his third season as the Vols’ head coach.
Pruitt’s contract was extended by two years, running through the 2025 season with a salary increase that will see his annual income rise from $3.8 million in 2020 to $4.2 million in 2021.
“I’m excited that this extension gives Jeremy the runway to continue to build on the momentum and energy we have around our football program coming out of last season,” said Tennessee Athletics Director Phillip Fulmer in an official statement. “He has made excellent progress entering just his third year and clearly realizes there is much work still to be done. This extension secures him to continue his efforts to return our program to a championship level and shows our commitment to him, his staff, this team and the future of the Tennessee Volunteers.
“I am very grateful to Chancellor Plowman, our administration and Board of Trustees for their confidence and support as well as their leadership and attentiveness to the future of our overall athletics program.”
Fulmer stated that Pruitt’s extension was intended to be finalized earlier in 2020, but the COVID-19 pandemic halted an announcement.
“Jeremy and I were close to finalizing his extension early this year, but once the pandemic hit and we learned more and more about its potential impact on the department, Jeremy informed me that he preferred not to accept a raise for this year,” Fulmer said. “His focus quickly shifted to his players and supporting them through a period of interruption and uncertainty. His selflessness and concern for the greater good has been neat to observe through all of this.”
Pruitt is 13-12 in his first two seasons with the Vols, improving from a 5-7 campaign in 2018 to 8-5 in 2019, including a TaxSlayer Bowl championship.
“My family and I are grateful for the unwavering commitment the University of Tennessee has made to us,” said Pruitt. “We have worked hard to build our program the right way in a short amount of time, and there is still much work to be done.
“It’s a privilege to coach and mentor the outstanding young men who represent the Tennessee Volunteers. We are excited about the future and will continue to build a program Tennessee fans can be proud of.”
Year No. 3 of the Pruitt era begins Saturday for the Vols. Tennessee kicks off against South Carolina at 7:30 p.m. EDT. The contest will be televised by SEC Network.