One of Tennessee’s self-reported violations in football was in regard to something Athletics Director Phillip Fulmer did during the season.
Fulmer regularly attends Tennessee’s football practices and observes the players and coaches. That itself isn’t a violation. But he’s not a salaried coach and isn’t part of UT’s coaching staff, so he can’t provide instruction to any of Tennessee’s players.
The former National Championship-winning coach wasn’t aware of that when he instructed some of UT’s offensive linemen during a practice in September, however.
Fulmer himself reported the minor violation, and Tennessee stated that Fulmer “provided brief encouragement/instruction to two football student-athletes who were engaged in a blocking drill. The encouragement/instruction lasted less than 30 seconds.”
The specific bylaw that Fulmer violated states that any institutional staff member must count against the coaching staff limits set down by the NCAA if he engages in “technical or tactical instruction with players, assists in tactical decision during games or practice, or engages in off-campus recruiting.”
The infraction occurred during a September 11th practice, the report states.
Tennessee’s self-reported violation went on to state that Fulmer “is a former football coach” and that he “was acting on instinct communicating encouragement/instruction to two offensive linemen as he walked past a drill while viewing the team’s practice.”
Fulmer and Tennessee didn’t receive any major punishment for the minor violation. The SEC ruled that Fulmer should be prohibited from attending practice for five days and that UT educate all their coaches and non-coaching staff members on the bylaws pertaining to coaching activity. The NCAA didn’t take any further action after those punishments were doled out