Brian Niedermeyer spent a year brazenly violating NCAA rules while courting one of the prized recruits of the 2020 class, only to watch the prospect commit to Georgia.
The former Tennessee football assistant coach’s recruitment of Darnell Washington, a four-star tight end in the 2020 cycle, included a cash delivery in a parking lot and accompanying Washington’s family on a flight for his official visit to Knoxville.
Washington, who was drafted in April by the Pittsburgh Steelers, is not directly named in the NCAA findings. Knox News uncovered his identity through NCAA investigative documents that referred to him as “prospective student-athlete 9” and “prospect 4,” online sites that track college visits of prospective recruits, and a source with direct knowledge of the situation. The source spoke to the USA TODAY Network about the recruitment on condition of anonymity.
NCAA findings, which Niedermeyer corroborated while negotiating a five-year show-cause order in February, showed the Vols’ recruitment was shady before Washington committed and enrolled at Georgia in January 2020.
Brian Niedermeyer gave Darnell Washington cash in his high school parking lot
Washington was the No. 34 prospect in the nation and the top-ranked tight end in the 247Sports Composite as a Las Vegas prep product. Niedermeyer, UT’s tight ends coach and vaunted recruiter at the time, went all-in on Washington.
Tennessee offered the 6-foot-7, 260-pound Washington a scholarship in June 2018 after his sophomore season. Niedermeyer broke NCAA rules in January 2019 on a visit to Desert Pines High School in Washington’s junior year. The visit constituted impermissible contact when Niedermeyer and Washington “shot baskets together and had a recruiting conversation” after Washington’s basketball practice.
The pair walked to the parking lot afterward and Niedermeyer gave Washington $750, the NCAA found and Niedermeyer confirmed in the February 2023 negotiations that resulted in the show-cause.
Tennessee provided almost $2,000 worth of impermissible benefits on Washington’s unofficial visits
Washington took two visits to Tennessee between March 2019 and July 2019, both of which entailed NCAA violations because of impermissible benefits totaling approximately $1,713, according to the NCAA’s findings. The facts relating to these visits were largely uncontested, the documents showed. The details of the visits were included among three other prospects’ violation-filled visits.
Washington was accompanied by family members on both visits and his high school coach on one visit. UT provided impermissible benefits in the form of free lodging on one occasion, free meals on two occasions and UT apparel on two occasions.
Niedermeyer provided UT apparel to Washington and his mother, Katrina Graves, on a visit for a March 2019 spring scrimmage as the ex-Vols coach returned to the hotel to “give a final recruiting pitch.” The apparel included a hooded sweatshirt and a beanie. Former UT recruiting director Bethany Gunn provided an impermissible meal on the March visit.
On a July visit, Niedermeyer was credited with planning the visit and being apprised of the impermissible visit activities. Gunn was alleged to have facilitated impermissible inducements.
An unnamed staff member also provided UT apparel on one of Washington’s two visits.
Brian Niedermeyer flew with Washington’s family for an official visit
Niedermeyer’s final act in Washington’s recruitment was perhaps the most outlandish, records show. He broke NCAA rules when he flew with Washington’s family from Las Vegas to Knoxville in December 2019 for Washington’s official visit.
Prior to the flight, Niedermeyer had “casual conversations” with Washington at the airport.
Tennessee got Washington’s final official visit, but it didn’t matter. Washington signed with Georgia over the Vols, Alabama and Florida. All four received official visits. Washington caught 45 passes for 774 yards and three touchdowns in three seasons at Georgia. He won back-to-back national titles before the Steelers drafted him in Round 3 of the 2023 NFL Draft.
Niedermeyer was fired for cause in January 2021 as the Pruitt regime toppled due to the widespread rule-breaking.
