Tennessee football coaches

[KBVol]

So the recruiting field was pretty level, right? With Neyland Stadium, being in the SEC and tradition should the Big Orange have achieved more SEC and National titles since the General was here? Did Fulmer and other coaches get high powered recruits and when they did were they coached to their best potential?

Soooo, your point is, obviously, that they weren’t? Who exactly is the coach that you’re targeting with this thread? Fulmer? Pretty sure you’re not really asking a question but rather, you’re making a statement.

 

[KBVol]

Spurrier whipped Fulmer like a rented mule during his stint at Florida. Also, while the SEC was clearly the best conference in football, it was nowhere near as tough of a conference then as it is now.

Fulmer beat Florida more times than Majors, Kiffin, Dooley, Jones and Pruitt combined, so he performed better against what was an absolute juggernaut Gators program during that time period than all the other UT head coaches this side of Dickey and Battle.

And perhaps the SEC didn’t seem nearly as tough them from a Vols fan perspective because we beat the hell out of most everybody else in the SEC not named Florida, during the majority of Fulmer’s tenure.

 

[hmanvolfan]

Soooo, your point is, obviously, that they weren’t? Who exactly is the coach that you’re targeting with this thread? Fulmer? Pretty sure you’re not really asking a question but rather, you’re making a statement.

No, you don’t know anything about me. The thread, as it states in the original post, is an off-season conversation thread. Pretty sure you have no idea what the hell you’re talking about.

 

[VaBornVol]

While I like Fulmer, he won almost half (67) of his 152 games before his NC (7 years), and all but 11 of his 52 losses came after his NC (10 years). By the end of his tenure he had a .500 or below winning percentage against all but 3-4 SEC coaches. Over his 17 year career Fulmer showed he could not consistently beat Florida regardless of who was coaching, nor Spurrier regardless of where he was coaching

 

[EZE]

Except for 1998, I disagree on all counts, you can't compare how "tough" a conference was because everything was relative. The 90s was a huge transformation for College Football, probably the most entertaining decade of College football, and the beginning of the end of that type of football, to me, College Football has become stale as a dry piece of toast compared to the 90s.

1998 was the tipping point for Fulmer IMO. With that title, along with his sustained success, he moves from very good to great. It is the only legitimate national title for the football program since 1951. Contrary to popular misconceptions around here, we don’t exactly win those things in boatloads.

Without that title, however, Fulmer would be in the “very good” group with nothing to really distinguish himself from the pack.

Pat Summitt was on a different level altogether. And Neyland was so long ago, and coached such a different game, that I don’t see where comparisons to him are that relevant.

 

[Backwards K]

While I like Fulmer, he won almost half (67) of his 152 games before his NC (7 years), and all but 11 of his 52 losses came after his NC (10 years). By the end of his tenure he had a .500 or below winning percentage against all but 3-4 SEC coaches. Over his 17 year career Fulmer showed he could not consistently beat Florida regardless of who was coaching, nor Spurrier regardless of where he was coaching

Spurrier was 2-2 as UF's coach in his last 4 meetings with the Vols. Then UT won 2 of the next 3 vs Spurrier's recruits after Fulmer made him quit in 2001. The ol' ball coach was done at Florida and he knew it. That's why he quit on them just like he quit on the Redskins and South Carolina.

Not sure why any Tennessee fan would try to brag on a Florida coach in a thread about Tennessee coaches. Spurrier quit his last 3 jobs and the Vols made him quit in his last two college jobs. 2001, Fulmer outcoached him in the Swamp when Spurrier was a 14+ pt favorite and in his last year at South Carolina he quit mid year to avoid getting beat by Butch Jones for the 3rd straight year!

 

[N.ohio vol]

1939 where Neyland held every team scoreless in regular season. What i wouldnt give to see our defense look like that again!. Different time era but i would of loved to went to those games.

 

[Pride85]

What criteria are we using for this? There have been 15 coaches that have coached at least one season since General Neyland. Are we looking at number of games won, number of SEC titles? Number of NCs? Number of attempted recruit thefts? What?

When it comes to the Coach Summit comparison. That is a wonderful application of comparing apples to bowling balls. Both Neyland and Summit had the same affect on their respective teams. Not much fodder for discussion there.

 

[GVF]

I mean Fulmer was pretty dang good.

You have to remember that 20 years ago recruiting was more limited to your back yard. You didn’t have a Bama/Clemson type situation where two teams were clearly on top for 5 years+, the landscape was much more even.

Always being in the Top 10, winning the natty, that symbolized being on top before modern day recruiting. With all the recruitment sites and satellite camps and whatnot today, the 5* in Washington is up for grabs for Bama if they want him. 20 years ago they wouldn’t have even heard of him, hence the dynasty effect we have today.

If recruiting was so even and backyard, why did most of Fulmers lines come from the heartland and his speed from out west? Lot of boys on those rosters weren't from round here.

 

[GVF]

Ditto. My dad played at TnTech a couple years. In the 50's. Half back and punter. He weighed 130 lbs then. He said linemen were considered huge if they were even close to 200 pounds. You cannot compare football success of that era to present decades. Those guys were a lot tougher.

 

[BowlBrother85]

Spurrier whipped Fulmer like a rented mule during his stint at Florida. Also, while the SEC was clearly the best conference in football, it was nowhere near as tough of a conference then as it is now.

I believe that Fulmer's record vs Spurrier was 3-7 (Fulmer won in '92, '98 and '01)... but the last 4 years, Fulmer had clearly closed the gap and it was 2-2 with each game decided by 4 points or less. So, the rented mule analogy doesn't really tell the whole story especially when you consider the fact that Fulmer won just as many National Championships as Spurrier did... whipping someone like a rented mule is what Saban has done to us, not Spurrier.

As for the OP, Pat Summitt transcended her sport in a way that few college coaches ever have. No, we haven't had a football coach anywhere near that caliber (including Neyland) but that isn't very realistic.

 

[VaBornVol]

Spurrier was 2-2 as UF's coach in his last 4 meetings with the Vols. Then UT won 2 of the next 3 vs Spurrier's recruits after Fulmer made him quit in 2001. The ol' ball coach was done at Florida and he knew it. That's why he quit on them just like he quit on the Redskins and South Carolina.

Not sure why any Tennessee fan would try to brag on a Florida coach in a thread about Tennessee coaches. Spurrier quit his last 3 jobs and the Vols made him quit in his last two college jobs. 2001, Fulmer outcoached him in the Swamp when Spurrier was a 14+ pt favorite and in his last year at South Carolina he quit mid year to avoid getting beat by Butch Jones for the 3rd straight year!

Out of my whole post I’m not sure why you jumped on the Spurrier part, but the only statistics you provided in your reply proved my point. I guess if you can’t refute... divert!

 

[onevol74]

Spurrier was 2-2 as UF's coach in his last 4 meetings with the Vols. Then UT won 2 of the next 3 vs Spurrier's recruits after Fulmer made him quit in 2001. The ol' ball coach was done at Florida and he knew it. That's why he quit on them just like he quit on the Redskins and South Carolina.

Not sure why any Tennessee fan would try to brag on a Florida coach in a thread about Tennessee coaches. Spurrier quit his last 3 jobs and the Vols made him quit in his last two college jobs. 2001, Fulmer outcoached him in the Swamp when Spurrier was a 14+ pt favorite and in his last year at South Carolina he quit mid year to avoid getting beat by Butch Jones for the 3rd straight year!

Do not get where you think that Fulmer made Spurrier quit. Spurrier always said that a coach should never stay longer than ten years in any job. And after he resigned he signed contracts for much more than Fulmer ever made. When he left the NFL and came back to the SEC he thoroughly embarrassed Fulmer with a mediocre South Carolina program.

Now remind me again what job Fulmer left here for? I am having problems remembering who wanted to hire him.

 

[KnoxRealtorVOL]

If recruiting was so even and backyard, why did most of Fulmers lines come from the heartland and his speed from out west? Lot of boys on those rosters weren't from round here.

Lots but I would be willing to bet it’s nothing like you see today.

And again, it’s more about the ease of finding the best player in the country now. They’re just easier to find because they get so much publicity. Is the #1 QB in the country way up in New Jersey? Doesn’t matter, Bama/Clemson have the same amount of access to him as if he were 5 minutes from campus. They know his measurable, his star rating, his play style, and they know they want him. More so now than ever before.

So the #1 team can now easily access the #1 player. Extremely easily actually, which is why the rich keep getting richer. It wasn’t like that in the 90’s.

 

[FlyFishnVol]

Spurrier was 2-2 as UF's coach in his last 4 meetings with the Vols. Then UT won 2 of the next 3 vs Spurrier's recruits after Fulmer made him quit in 2001. The ol' ball coach was done at Florida and he knew it. That's why he quit on them just like he quit on the Redskins and South Carolina.

Not sure why any Tennessee fan would try to brag on a Florida coach in a thread about Tennessee coaches. Spurrier quit his last 3 jobs and the Vols made him quit in his last two college jobs. 2001, Fulmer outcoached him in the Swamp when Spurrier was a 14+ pt favorite and in his last year at South Carolina he quit mid year to avoid getting beat by Butch Jones for the 3rd straight year!

Bingo! Football is a funny thing with fans, they seem to remember the worst of what happens vs. the best...........crazy

 

[livefaith]

Fulmer made Spurrier and cry and quit. In 2001, the Gators were on their way to the National Championship game and the game vs UT in Gainesville in December was touted as the biggest game in Florida Field history. The Gators were 2 TD favorites and the Vols physically whipped them and won. Spurrier was so heartbroken, he quit and went on to be a failure in the NFL before he quit and returned to the SEC and became a mediocre coach at South Carolina where he later quit again a week or so before he was to come to Knoxville and take another beating from Butch Jones.

That's "one way" to say it. With those skills you could report politics for the main stream TV or print media and fit right in.

 

[VFL-82-JP]

...Neyland was so long ago, and coached such a different game, that I don’t see where comparisons to him are that relevant.

A few folks have made the same point in this thread. I understand and respect it. You're right, in many ways, the game of football is vastly different than it was in, say, the 1930s, '40s, and '50s.

Then again, some things haven't changed at all. It's still a coach and some assistants, recruiting, training, developing and leading a team of young men in direct competition on a gridiron with a weirdly-shaped ball against another coach with some assistants and their own team of young men.

Point is, when you are able to rise above your competition, others more or less like you with pretty much the same tools, when you stand out against them, you're a good coach. The more you stand out, the better you are. Stand out enough, and you're truly elite, a "once in a generation" kind of coach.

And so we can compare our coaches over time. Not directly against each other. But against the record books: how much did each stand out over his peers?

That makes them legitimately comparable across the decades. I think, anyway.

Go Vols!

 

[livefaith]

I've heard people on this site say "It's harder to win now than 30-50 years ago" because of parity, everyone spending $$$, etc etc. Now, when 2 teams solidify themselves as the top 2 programs in the country, it's "Back then it was easier to win, bc now two progs have taken total control of recruiting and winning".

C'mon guys have y'all never heard of ND, Bear Bryant, USC, Miami, Nebraska, OU, and Penn State during thier heydays whether in the 60s, 70s, 80s, or 90s. Bama and Clemson will eventually pass. Relax!

 

[BowlBrother85]

Do not get where you think that Fulmer made Spurrier quit. Spurrier always said that a coach should never stay longer than ten years in any job. And after he resigned he signed contracts for much more than Fulmer ever made. When he left the NFL and came back to the SEC he thoroughly embarrassed Fulmer with a mediocre South Carolina program.

Now remind me again what job Fulmer left here for? I am having problems remembering who wanted to hire him.

Why do some posters on VN, who are supposedly Vol fans, feel such a need to run down one of our best former coaches with information that is an exaggeration at best or just flat out wrong at worst? For the record, Fulmer's record vs Spurrier while Steve was the head coach at South Carolina was 2-2 from 2005-2008. Tennessee won the games played in '06 and '07 while South Carolina won the games played in '05 and '08. 2008 was the only game of the four that wasn't close.

It's fine if you're not really a Vol fan but you should identify yourself as such and also know that when you post misinformation on here, the true Tennessee fans on VN will correct your stupid, agenda-driven, bull crap with FACTS.

 

[EZE]

Neyland won around 81% of his games, while Fulmer won around 74%.

Neyland had one NC recognized by the AP (1951), but it was awarded before the bowl game, which was a loss. He also had three NCs awarded by other services in other seasons (oddly with another of those seasons ending with another bowl loss). Voting for the NC was changed to after the bowls in the 60s.

There are no doubts about Fulmer’s title.

So, while Neyland clearly has the edge over Fulmer, it isn’t by as much as many might think IMO.

 

[BowlBrother85]

Neyland won around 81% of his games, while Fulmer won around 74%.

Neyland had one NC recognized by the AP (1951), but it was awarded before the bowl game, which was a loss. He also had three NCs awarded by other services in other seasons (oddly with another of those seasons ending with another bowl loss). Voting for the NC was changed to after the bowls in the 60s.

There are no doubts about Fulmer’s title.

So, while Neyland clearly has the edge over Fulmer, it isn’t by as much as many might think IMO.

Very true. I get tired of reading the negative crap about Fulmer on here. I'm 45 years old. I went to my first Tennessee game with my dad vs Iowa State during the 1982 World's Fair... My first memory of watching a Tennessee football game was the Garden State Bowl win over Wisconsin in December of 1981... In my lifetime, our golden years were definitely from 1995-2001. We recruited as well as anyone and we were an elite program. I have a feeling that when I'm 75 (God willing), I will still look back at those years as the golden age of Tennessee football in my lifetime. Fulmer doesn't get the respect on VN that he deserves. Read that nonsense I quoted in an above post... Posters actually go out of their way on here to disparage Fulmer. It's ridiculous.

 

[onevol74]

Why do some posters on VN, who are supposedly Vol fans, feel such a need to run down one of our best former coaches with information that is an exaggeration at best or just flat out wrong at worst? For the record, Fulmer's record vs Spurrier while Steve was the head coach at South Carolina was 2-2 from 2005-2008. Tennessee won the games played in '06 and '07 while South Carolina won the games played in '05 and '08. 2008 was the only game of the four that wasn't close.

It's fine if you're not really a Vol fan but you should identify yourself as such and also know that when you post misinformation on here, the true Tennessee fans on VN will correct your stupid, agenda-driven, bull crap with FACTS.

Fulmer had his chance to own the SEC after Spurrier left. How did that work out?

 

[BowlBrother85]

Fulmer had his chance to own the SEC after Spurrier left. How did that work out?

I wasn't addressing that... like I said, your statement that I put in bold, was an exaggeration at best and just flat our wrong at worst.

 

[EZE]

Fulmer had his chance to own the SEC after Spurrier left. How did that work out?

Probably better than every UT coach in the last 60 years.

 

[KBVol]

No, you don’t know anything about me. The thread, as it states in the original post, is an off-season conversation thread. Pretty sure you have no idea what the hell you’re talking about.

Pretty transparent brother.....don’t know anything about you, but it’s pretty clear what your post is about. It’s a free country, thread away....