Fulmer Effect

#26
#26
butchna said:
Wasn’t convinced he’d be an effective AD. Felt there was a lot of responsibilities he’d have to learn on the job. So far I’ve been way wrong and couldn’t be happier.
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I had doubts, no experience is always a concern and he may have bumps in certain areas.

But, I forgot the most important part.
As student, player and coach, he wants UT to win as bad as we do.
 
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#27
#27
butchna said:
Wasn’t convinced he’d be an effective AD. Felt there was a lot of responsibilities he’d have to learn on the job. So far I’ve been way wrong and couldn’t be happier.
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The part of his Bball talk that caught my attention was him knowing his strengths and weaknesses and surrounding himself with folks who were strong where he was lacking....sounds like a guy who's mature enough to see what needs to be done and is willing to do whatever is needed without concern of who gets the credit. I'd like to work for a person like that!
 
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#28
#28
Roustabout said:
I was pretty critical of Fulmer during his last years as UT head ball coach. In these last few days, I have seen a man who is truly in his element when it comes to being AD. I just watched him interviewed during the UT-Lipscomb game and his enthusiasm and message of "One Tennessee" has me excited and believing.

In hindsight, I believe much of Fulmer's problem, and even the problems over the last 10 years, was because we've had division and disorder in the UTAD, and higher. I think Fulmer is charged up to unite this university and have everyone pushing and pulling in the same direction.

He was very candid about seeing the university at its best and worst and I think it is beyond time we owned this and tackled it head on.

I for one am glad to have coach Fulmer leading this university and can't wait to see the results.
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Nobody wants this university or football program to become united. That would be terrible. For everyone else that is. If this monster ever wakes up it’s gonna be a handful. Maybe two handfuls. I liked it when CJP said he wants TN to be a team nobody wants to play. I actually remember those days. Vague, but I remember.
 
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#29
#29
Great man. Not quite Neyland, but our second-best ever.[/QUOTE]

His head is pretty big right now, if he reads this his head may actually pop!
 
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#31
#31
Well you guys have covered everything very well, all I can say is that I agree . And btw, it was a pleasure to read this thread!!!!! Awesome , no arguing, no negative B S . GOB!!!! WE ARE ON OUR WAY !!:)
 
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#32
#32
I always though CFP’s strength was as a CEO type which actually fits better as an AD than a coach. He was at his best when he surrounded himself with elite assistant coaches and struggled with any weakness in those positions. I can actually see him more effective in this role than he was as a coach, and he was a very good coach.
 
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#35
#35
knox73 said:
The story that Phil got complacent is not exactly correct in my opinion. Look at Jimbo - after winning a NC there is nowhere to go but down. It is very hard to stay on top particularly in one of the talent poor states in the SEC. Cutcliffe was irreplaceable as was Mark Richt to Bobby Bowden. Sometimes top rated guys do not pan out. Jabari Davis was rated about the same as Jamal Lewis - a slight difference. They struck out on a lot of top quarterbacks also. Spurrier said ten years is about all a coach can do at one school. Phil stayed 17 and if he had left after 10 or 11 he would have been a hero for sure but oddly after staying possibly too long in the job he loved, he was forced out when the offense fell apart.

Anyway I too am glad Phil is back from exile and he can do much to restore pride in the Orange. Pruitt is a ball of fire and it will be interesting to see what he and his new staff can do.
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In Fulmer's latter years, his recruiting became wildly inconsistent. He'd have a top 5 class one year and the next his class wouldn't even be in the top 20. I'm not sure if that was a product of complacency or if there were other factors at play. I do know that right around the same time Hamilton became AD, Tennessee changed something with their admittance standards that made it more challenging for Fulmer to get certain players because they suddenly couldn't qualify. Whatever that change was, I'm not sure if it's still in effect today or not. However to realize how much Fulmer's recruiting had dropped off, just look at the team that Kiffin fielded in 09. Two 265 pound walk on offensive linemen, a walk on middle linebacker, and a defensive end that had no cartilage in his knees.
 
#37
#37
I think it is also worth noting how Fulmer did not take the easy route in this hire. The easiest thing he could have done would have been to hire Kevin Steele as HC with Tee Martin as OC. Steele has a lot of friends in the local media and among big boosters, and is a personal friend of Fulmer as well, since they were on Johnny's staff back in the 80's. Tee is well loved by nearly all of the fans, and so hiring them both would have consolidated his position both politically within the power structure of UT as well as make him popular with the fan base. Make no mistake, Fulmer spent some political capital to hire Pruitt, and to do so probably went against every instinct he had from a lifetime of hating Alabama. He did so because he thought Jeremy Pruitt was the best coach that he could get to turn around this football program.
 
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#38
#38
Brave Volunteer said:
In Fulmer's latter years, his recruiting became wildly inconsistent. He'd have a top 5 class one year and the next his class wouldn't even be in the top 20. I'm not sure if that was a product of complacency or if there were other factors at play. I do know that right around the same time Hamilton became AD, Tennessee changed something with their admittance standards that made it more challenging for Fulmer to get certain players because they suddenly couldn't qualify. Whatever that change was, I'm not sure if it's still in effect today or not. However to realize how much Fulmer's recruiting had dropped off, just look at the team that Kiffin fielded in 09. Two 265 pound walk on offensive linemen, a walk on middle linebacker, and a defensive end that had no cartilage in his knees.
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You hit the nail on the HEAD on you statement "when Hamilton became AD. He was the first in a succession of AD's that never coached and they have no idea what it takes to be a good coach. He "lucked out" in hiring Bruce Pearl for a time and thought he had the golden touch of hiring coaches. He then began tearing down our football program and the baseball program. He would not interview any coaches that had connections with Tennessee because he wanted his people in the athletic department. He also had backing from the HOH.:ill_h4h:
 
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#39
#39
chargervol said:
I had doubts, no experience is always a concern and he may have bumps in certain areas.

But, I forgot the most important part.
As student, player and coach, he wants UT to win as bad as we do.
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Thing is he had some experience in Administration. Remember he was a key player in resurrecting ETSU’s entire program and going as far as helping target Torbush as the coach.

This wasn’t completely new to him.
 
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#41
#41
burntorangeVOLffle said:
Thing is he had some experience in Administration. Remember he was a key player in resurrecting ETSU’s entire program and going as far as helping target Torbush as the coach.

This wasn’t completely new to him.
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Fulmer was absolutely the critical player in re-establishing ETSU football. They tried to talk him into coaching the team which would have been phenomenal. He did a ton of work with fundraising and getting the university and local community united on restoring the program. There were many naysayers who did not think it could be done.
Brian Noland and the ETSU top brass followed Phils plan and it has worked out marvelously. It does feel good to have a true TnSee Vol in charge after a decade of mediocre interlopers.
 
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#42
#42
Fulmer sees allot of himself in young Pruitt and will do everything in his power to make sure he's successful at Tennessee:good!:
 
#43
#43
i always take issue with this whole Phil was complacent. The league got better. The competition rose to meet him not the other way around. This was complicated by an injury to Eric Ainge that Eric never fully recovered from, and then having a miss on Crompton as being a quality SEC QB. People forget we had Taj Boyd coming in next. Lane inherited a rather talented team. Phil didn't quit trying to win.
 
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#44
#44
photovol said:
Fulmer sees allot of himself in young Pruitt and will do everything in his power to make sure he's successful at Tennessee:good!:
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I think you are exactly correct. Fulmer sure knew what to do when he got his opportunity. He had the Vols playing better than anyone in the nation as an interim coach following Johnny's heart attack. Then following his hiring as HC all the top Vol coaches stayed with Phil and only a couple of GA type guys followed Majors to Pitt. Phil and Johnny had a big tug of war over John Chavis. I remember thinking- this is ridiculous Johnny Chavis? Well young Chief turned out to be the best DC in the SeC in his prime after staying with Phil. And Cutcliffe flourished as OC. These were Fulmer's guys all hired by Majors and took the program to a higher level once they were in charge. They had worked together for years and thrived on their opportunity.

Pruitt has his team also chosen that he has worked with off and on for many years. They are all getting a major opportunity. However, the Vol program is in miserable shape unlike when Phil took over a top 10 situation. It is exciting to see this new high energy group take over and I can see Fulmer having déjà vu after meeting Jeremy Pruitt and hearing his plan.
 
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#45
#45
Brave Volunteer said:
In Fulmer's latter years, his recruiting became wildly inconsistent. He'd have a top 5 class one year and the next his class wouldn't even be in the top 20. I'm not sure if that was a product of complacency or if there were other factors at play. I do know that right around the same time Hamilton became AD, Tennessee changed something with their admittance standards that made it more challenging for Fulmer to get certain players because they suddenly couldn't qualify. Whatever that change was, I'm not sure if it's still in effect today or not. However to realize how much Fulmer's recruiting had dropped off, just look at the team that Kiffin fielded in 09. Two 265 pound walk on offensive linemen, a walk on middle linebacker, and a defensive end that had no cartilage in his knees.
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Phil Fulmer took a lot of heat for directing NCAA attention to the Albert Means scandal. A few SEC schools were involved; AL and KY were penalized. AL fans still blame Fulmer for causing their problems even though AL boosters violated laws and NCAA rules.

I really think the recruiting slump had a lot more to do with negative recruiting - particularly by AL and fans - than with dereliction of recruiting duties by Fulmer.
 
#46
#46
pasadenavol said:
Maybe with Phil in as AD, the Fulmer 'curse' has come full circle and we can start winning again....
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If everybody will remember in the future that the UTAD thrived with ex football coaches as AD and died with business school pretenders, then we'll be fine just as long as they select ADs accordingly. The curse was all about hiring the wrong type ADs; it's lifted unless somebody forgets the lesson in the future.
 
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