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Tennessee football reportedly hiring Kevin Steele is suspicious: Five possibilities

By Caleb Calhoun

Jan 1, 2021; Orlando, FL, USA; Auburn Tigers interim head coach Kevin Steele walks on the field before the game against the Northwestern Wildcats at Camping World Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Reinhold Matay-USA TODAY Sports
Jan 1, 2021; Orlando, FL, USA; Auburn Tigers interim head coach Kevin Steele walks on the field before the game against the Northwestern Wildcats at Camping World Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Reinhold Matay-USA TODAY Sports /
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Tennessee Head Coach Jeremy Pruitt walks down the sideline during a game between Tennessee and Missouri at Neyland Stadium in Knoxville, Tenn. on Saturday, Oct. 3, 2020.100320 Tenn Mo Jpg
Tennessee Head Coach Jeremy Pruitt walks down the sideline during a game between Tennessee and Missouri at Neyland Stadium in Knoxville, Tenn. on Saturday, Oct. 3, 2020.100320 Tenn Mo Jpg /

Possibility No. 3: A decision has been made to fire Jeremy Pruitt.

What if Phillip Fulmer has already fired Jeremy Pruitt for cause due the investigation and just hasn’t made an announcement yet? That’s definitely a possibility given the way this investigation has gone, and there is plenty of reason to believe that Tennessee football wasn’t going to keep Pruitt around anyway.

Paul Finebaum said Monday on WJOX FM in Birmingham that all signs point to Pruitt being fired. Chris Low said last week on 104.5 The Zone in Nashville that it would be very difficult for Pruitt to keep his job given the investigation.

Assuming those things are true, then there’s a possibility that the hiring freeze has ended because the administration has already decided to cut ways with Pruitt. It would be an easy way to move forward, as this stalling hurts everybody.

Perhaps they have secretly hired a new head coach, or are secretly working on a new hire, who is already in the process of assembling his staff, and Steele is a part of that staff. Maybe Steele is their hire as Pruitt’s interim replacement. It could be the administration just demands Steele be on the next staff for any new coach. Don’t dismiss the idea that Pruitt has already been dismissed.

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