Carrying large amounts of cash has been part of Jeremy Pruitt’s lifestyle going back to his days at Alabama, according to a report from the Knox News.

The report, citing documents obtained through open records requests, revealed – among other things – that Pruitt cited his bank records to show his “cash-driven lifestyle dates back to his time at Alabama.”

It should be noted the report in no way mentions any wrongdoing by Pruitt at Alabama where he served as the Crimson Tide’s defensive coordinator.

However, while the Alabama defensive coordinator from 2016-17, the Pruitts, per the report, made 40 four-figure or five-figure withdrawals. According to records, he earned $1 million in 2016 and $1.3 million in 2017.

In contrast, as the Tennessee coach from 2018-20, Pruitt and his wife made 75 four-figure or five-figure cash withdrawals from their bank account, while earning $3.8 million annually.

Pruitt admitted to handing out cash and said he self-reported at least two payments at Tennessee.

Last week, the NCAA fined Tennessee more than $8 million and issued a report outlining more than 200 infractions during Pruitt’s three-year tenure. The report said Tennessee committed 18 Level I violations, the most severe, and said most involved recruiting infractions and direct payments to athletes and their families. Those benefits totaled approximately $60,000. The NCAA found most of the violations were related to a paid unofficial visit scheme that was used consistently by the football program over two years.

Bank records showed that Pruitt and assistant coach Brian Niedermeyer made large cash withdrawals on dates surrounding recruiting visits and alleged payments to recruits, players and their families.

Both said, per Knox News, that didn’t mean anything because it’s normal for them to have large amounts of cash on hand.

In addition, Knox News reports that Pruitt said the COVID-19 pandemic, the nation’s reaction to the murder of George Floyd and more were reasons he gave $300 in a Chick-fil-A bag to a Tennessee player’s mom.

“Then you throw in George Floyd, Ahmaud Arbery, Breonna Taylor, OK, so you sit there as a white man and you see all of this going on and you can see these kids suffering … (It’s) pitiful when you sit in a room and you hear grown men, and I’m talking about our coaches too, when they talk about growing up and the circumstances that they’ve been under, because it’s hard for a white man to understand, right,” Pruitt said, according to the documents obtained by Knox News.

Mark Heim is a reporter for The Alabama Media Group. Follow him on Twitter @Mark_Heim. He can be heard on “The Opening Kickoff” on WNSP-FM 105.5 FM in Mobile or on the free Sound of Mobile App from 6 to 9 a.m. daily.