Former Tennessee assistant coach Brian Niedermeyer, who was a key part of the Jeremy Pruitt recruiting scandal, is headed to the NFL. The Denver Broncos hired Niedermeyer as a member of their defensive staff on Wednesday according to 247sports Matt Zenitz.
Niedermeyer spent three years as an assistant coach at Tennessee under Pruitt, the first two as tight ends coach and the last year as inside linebackers coach.
The assistant coach was one of the main parties wrapped up in the recruiting scandal that ended Pruitt’s tenure with the NCAA finding Niedermeyer paid high school recruits. The college athletics governing body slapped Niedermeyer with a five-year show-cause penalty that ends following the 2027 season.
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Niedermeyer has coached in high school since Tennessee terminated his contract in January 2021. He spent a brief stint as the defensive coordinator at football power IMG Academy before spending time as defensive coordinator at Tuscaloosa County High.
TCHS is just 10 miles from the University of Alabama, where Niedermeyer worked with Pruitt before coming to Tennessee, and the school promoted the former Volunteer assistant to head coach earlier this offseason.
Instead, Niedermeyer is headed to the NFL. He joins Sean Payton’s staff in Denver as the Broncos look to build off of a bounce back 2024 season where they made the playoffs with rookie quarterback Bo Nix. It’s Niedermeyer’s first NFL job in his career.
