Tennessee to pay a hefty buyout to fired DL coach Jimmy Brumbaugh

Tennessee will have a hefty buyout to pay now former defensive line coach Jimmy Brumbaugh, who was let go following the loss to Kentucky.

Based on the memorandum of understanding between Brumbaugh and the school, Tennessee is on the hook to potentially pay “more than $830,000″ to its fired defensive line coach.

Coach Jeremy Pruitt made the move Sunday after he criticized the defensive line throughout the preseason and during the season, including after the 34-7 loss to Kentucky on Saturday.

“He worked his tail off,” Pruitt said at his press conference Monday. “Sometimes from a philosophical standpoint, things are just not a fit, and it just didn’t work out for us, so I decided to do that.”

Pruitt said he will handle coaching Tennessee’s defensive line for the rest of the season.

Brumbaugh had base pay of $275,000 and supplemental compensation of $375,000 for February 15, 2020 through January 31, 2021, and $375,000 for February 1, 2021 through January 31, 2022. Tennessee hired Brumbaugh in February to a two-year deal in which he was earning $650,000 annually.

“If it’s not working out, it’s better just to do it right now,” Pruitt said of making the move four games into the season.

This is the second move in a year at that position. Brumbaugh replaced Tracy Rocker, who left after two seasons on Pruitt’s staff for the same position at South Carolina.