How ex-Tennessee coach Jeremy Pruitt won big in a World Series of Poker tournament
Jeremy Pruitt sat at a casino poker table in Cherokee, North Carolina, with stacks of chips in front of him. The most chips, in fact, of anyone at his table, which included seasoned players.
The no-limit Texas Hold ’em tournament began at 11 a.m. Pruitt received 30,000 in chips for his $1,100 buy-in. Half a day later, his stack housed several hundred thousand chips.
This marked Pruitt’s first entry into a World Series of Poker Circuit event, but other players at the table learned Pruitt was no novice.
“He played like an experienced player,” said Daniel Pearlman, 48, an avid poker player from Miramar, Florida, who sat two seats to Pruitt’s right that night.
“Most players are passive and weak. He did not play weak. He played a game of strength, and aggression often wins in poker.”
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Less than two years ago, Pruitt looked out of his element as Tennessee’s floundering football coach on his way to a firing. Anemic offenses plagued his tenure. But at Harrah’s Cherokee Casino, Pruitt played assertively. He built his chip stack and kept the pedal down. He looked like he belonged.
“He was actually pretty relentless at the table, in a good way,” said Preston McEwen, a 34-year-old poker professional from Murfreesboro, Tennessee. McEwen, who placed fourth in the event, played at Pruitt’s table for much of the tournament’s first day.
“Honestly, we had a table full of professionals,” McEwen said, “and he was definitely holding his own, putting a lot of pressure on people and taking down a lot of pots.”
NCAA notice of allegations issued to Tennessee last month accuses Pruitt of having a direct hand in a scheme that funneled $60,000 in impermissible benefits to recruits or their families or rostered athletes. He faces the possibility of a show-cause penalty, and he’s unlikely to return to a college sideline anytime soon.
That affords Pruitt the opportunity to master the “Big Slick.”
Blake Toppmeyer is an SEC Columnist for the USA TODAY Network. Email him at BToppmeyer@gannett.com and follow him on Twitter @btoppmeyer. If you enjoy Blake’s coverage, consider a digital subscription that will allow you access to all of it.