Tennessee football coaches

#76
#76
Wow. How anybody can be so tone deaf as to post this, given where this program is and has been since his firing....it’s far beyond me. Fulmer is the second best head football coach in Tennessee history, period. Had a phenomenal run early after taking over, tailed off a bit in the second half of his career...probably would’ve bounced back strongly had they not fired him (in a shameful fashion) in 2008 since he had a great class with a couple stud QBs coming in.

But hey, he lost 3 freaking SEC CHAMPIONSHIP games and ONLY had 4 10+ win seasons his last 8-9 years.



So True, I have never witnessed a Tennessee football team play with more grit, pride and determination, than those of Phil Fulmer and Johnny Majors (Neyland not withstanding).....It was truly fun to watch Tennessee football when the team laid it on the line, unlike UT teams of the last decade.......God I miss the John Ward days of Tennessee football and the pride with which the Vols played
 
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#77
#77
In a world where some people act like they know it all they sure cant see whats right in front of them.. To act like even getting to the SECCG isnt something we would jump up and down about today is silly but you do you.

I would jump up and down if we went back to the SECCG now, but the conversation is about Fulmer being good vs great, so please stay on subject.

I remember walking out of the Georgia Dome with thousands of other UT fans for all three of those SECCG losses, and I don’t remember a single person being happy just because we played in the game
 
#78
#78
I would jump up and down if we went back to the SECCG now, but the conversation is about Fulmer being good vs great, so please stay on subject.

I remember walking out of the Georgia Dome with thousands of other UT fans for all three of those SECCG losses, and I don’t remember a single person being happy just because we played in the game
Fulmer is the subject, correct? Did said coach win a national championship? Did said coach get to multiple SECCG? Is said coach in the HOF? YES to all so I would say he was great. You can have your opinion but a LOT of other people in college football disagree
 
#79
#79
Fulmer is the subject, correct? Did said coach win a national championship? Did said coach get to multiple SECCG? Is said coach in the HOF? YES to all so I would say he was great. You can have your opinion but a LOT of other people in college football disagree

Just think, one day we can all meet back up and debate Fulmer as an AD. I hope I’m on the other side of that conversation
 
#80
#80
Not remembered fondly by whom? His former players still love the guy and he was a first ballot HOF selection as soon as he was eligible to enter the Hall of Fame. His return as AD was as celebrated as any hire made by the University in years. The only folks I know who speak poorly of Fulmer are the dozens of listeners to Basilio's webcasts and a few miserable folks who only support champions, but never played a sport in their lives.

At least, the Vols used to play in games that meant something.....and to get to SECCGs and NYD bowls, you have to have won more than your share of "Big games" like the 01 UF game in Gainesville, the bowl win over Michigan, the win at Miami, the 7 game winning streak over Alabama, winning in Athens in 04 against what many were calling the greatest team in UGA history, the blow out win over a top 10 Cal team in Neyland, going to the SECCG every 3 years, going to NYD bowl games every year. And all of that was in his "bad stretch." Yeah, you got spoiled in the Fulmer years

Damn, I miss Phil. Those of us who came up in the 90s were spoiled by his success. The last 11 years have given me so much appreciation for what Fulmer did throughout his tenure as head coach.
 
#82
#82
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.


Yep. The #1 TE in the 2021 class is rated their solely because his dad got him around to camps and showcases, and an invite to a all-star game in Texas. When he finally got his 1st D1 offer he went on the radar and it snow balled cause he got that one. He now has 19 D1 offers in the fleeting glimpse of his Sophomore HS season. Easy access. And once they get a look form one, the others say oh crap, we better recruit him too. In this kids case, he is pretty legit, but I dare say he's the best in the country.
 
#83
#83
Clearly Ron Zook needed a better agent and publicist. He never should have been fired so quickly with such an outstanding record.
My bad, forgot about Zook’s 3 years, was clearly referencing Urban Meyer. Ftr, sorry old HOF coach Fulmer went 28-11(.720) and beat Zook and Florida 2 out of 3 times in those 3 seasons. Of course, he clearly should’ve won all 3 national championships those years, especially when you compare it to how Tennessee has fared since his firing (58-57, 6 losing seasons in 10 years, 5 losses to Vandy in the last 7 years).

Pardon me for not agreeing that Fulmer sucked as our head football coach when he didn’t win the national title in those 3 years before Urbs got there. Obviously, Tennessee has always been a national title football factory having won 1 in 1998 (under Fulmer) and then just a few short years earlier, in 1951 under Neyland.
 
#84
#84
Tennessee’s development of highly rated recruits in the last decade has been a crap shoot, at best...... even when we get them, we can’t development them...... something’s got to change Vol fans!
When at first things don’t go your way, put on more steam, said a once famous coach
 
#85
#85
So, your rebuttal to all the things I said is to defend three games, that we can agree, he lost?
My rebuttal had more to do with context, with the benefit of hindsight as we’ve now seen what the program has been in the 10 years since Fulmer, which is awful and nowhere nearly as successful as those 10 years under Fulmer that you say/imply were really bad.

I chose that one point (SECCG losses) because I think most fans would die for 3 SECCG appearances in the next 10 years given where our program now sits. And with the benefit of that hindsight, I’m a bit incredulous when I see anyone complaining about that 10 year period, when Fulmer won nearly 70% of his games, had 4 10+ win seasons and had the 3 SECCG appearances.

As far as “not being to hire outside his tree”, the 1 hire you’re realky talking about is Clawsen. Given Clawsen’s resume at the time, it was a good hire, and given what Clawsen has done after leaving Tennessee, it was a good hire. Problem was his 1 year at Tennessee which was a disaster.....that surely falls on Fulmer on the end. That said, I’m always amazed when people say, “well, Fulmer’s success was all due to his coordinators, specially Chavis and Coach Cut”....well duh, that’s how it works....Fulmer should get great credit for elevating and putting those guys in those coordinator positions, since that’s what a head coach does....he hires great assistants and manages the program. Surely fans don’t think the head coach is coaching all position groups, and coaching technique and schemes.....although given all the crap I’ve read from fans over the years about this, they evidently think they do.

Bottom line, I too was frustrated back in the day, have stated numerous times on VN over the years that I too was ready for a change in 2008. However, my point is, 10 years later, now knowing what this program has been after Fulmer (and quite honestly most of the 2-3 decades before Fulmer) how ANYBODY can now complain about playing in and losing those 3 SECCGs is just beyond my ability to comprehend because, as it turns out, even those days/years/seasons were the golden days compared to the ish show that Tennessee is now.
 
#86
#86
My rebuttal had more to do with context, with the benefit of hindsight as we’ve now seen what the program has been in the 10 years since Fulmer, which is awful and nowhere nearly as successful as those 10 years under Fulmer that you say/imply were really bad.

I chose that one point (SECCG losses) because I think most fans would die for 3 SECCG appearances in the next 10 years given where our program now sits. And with the benefit of that hindsight, I’m a bit incredulous when I see anyone complaining about that 10 year period, when Fulmer won nearly 70% of his games, had 4 10+ win seasons and had the 3 SECCG appearances.

As far as “not being to hire outside his tree”, the 1 hire you’re realky talking about is Clawsen. Given Clawsen’s resume at the time, it was a good hire, and given what Clawsen has done after leaving Tennessee, it was a good hire. Problem was his 1 year at Tennessee which was a disaster.....that surely falls on Fulmer on the end. That said, I’m always amazed when people say, “well, Fulmer’s success was all due to his coordinators, specially Chavis and Coach Cut”....well duh, that’s how it works....Fulmer should get great credit for elevating and putting those guys in those coordinator positions, since that’s what a head coach does....he hires great assistants and manages the program. Surely fans don’t think the head coach is coaching all position groups, and coaching technique and schemes.....although given all the crap I’ve read from fans over the years about this, they evidently think they do.

Bottom line, I too was frustrated back in the day, have stated numerous times on VN over the years that I too was ready for a change in 2008. However, my point is, 10 years later, now knowing what this program has been after Fulmer (and quite honestly most of the 2-3 decades before Fulmer) how ANYBODY can now complain about playing in and losing those 3 SECCGs is just beyond my ability to comprehend because, as it turns out, even those days/years/seasons were the golden days compared to the ish show that Tennessee is now.

I understand where you’re coming from, but you have to remember Fulmer wasn’t fired because of what his successors would do, he was fired because of how he was performing against his competition, specifically the Big 3. Nobody will argue the last 11 years have been bad, but I’m not going to misremember the utter disappointment of spending time and thousands of dollars watching Fulmer repeatedly lose, just because things got worse after he was fired.
 
#87
#87
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 remember when the Florida State Miami game was huge all the way from the 80's through the 90's! That was the same for our game against Florida in the 90's.
 
#88
#88
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.
And then Fulmer blew it by losing to a team that had to utilize a back up quarterback and a back up running back with the QB beating him running QB draws!
 
#89
#89
This SPOT ON TRUTH "The Old Ball Coach" so butt hurt by that azz whipping 2001 he took his game to NFL I watched his 1st preseason GAME he won TV showed him on sideline like he won Super BOWL ,if you listened to Spurrier he never lost a game his team was beaten a lot games 1 Natty Spurrier 1 Natty Fulmer , I don't'see a rented MULE, Fulmer didn't engage in trash talk he had more class .............GO VOLS
In the 90's, Spurrier dominated Fulmer. But not the rest of the SEC. Fulmer dominated the rest of the SEC, including Bama. In all, Fulmer and Spurrier owned the SEC. The next tier of team was miles behind, especially in the West. We were beating 9 win, bowl teams, 52-14, and 54-17. Seriously!
 
#90
#90
Despite all of the love for Spurrier on this Tennessee board, the ol' Ball Coach NEVER HAD AN UNDEFEATED SEASON!

Plus, he quit on Florida, the Redskins, and South Carolina when things didn't go the way he wanted them to. As for the Florida job, there is no indication that he had any thoughts of leaving until the Tennessee Volunteers physically whipped the 2 TD favorite Gators in what was billed as the "Biggest Game in Florida Field history."

I'm glad you "nattering nabobs of negativity" weren't around when the General was the coach. You would have been demanding him to be fired when he went 16-11-3 (8-7-2 SEC) in 47,48, & 49 . This included back to back seasons without a winning record. Surprised some of you haven't complained about how he couldn't "win the big games" since his bowl record was 2-5. Most of you would have moaned about his conservative offense that wasn't exciting enough for you. Even successful coaches have down cycles. Fulmer and Neyland had down cycles that were still above the average in Tennessee Football history. Sadly, UT had a weak AD in Fulmer's time who didn't understand anything about coaching or competition.
 
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#91
#91
In the 90's, Spurrier dominated Fulmer. But not the rest of the SEC. Fulmer dominated the rest of the SEC, including Bama. In all, Fulmer and Spurrier owned the SEC. The next tier of team was miles behind, especially in the West. We were beating 9 win, bowl teams, 52-14, and 54-17. Seriously!
 
#92
#92

Despite all of the love for Spurrier on this Tennessee board, the ol' Ball Coach NEVER HAD AN UNDEFEATED SEASON!

Plus, he quit on Florida, the Redskins, and South Carolina when things didn't go the way he wanted them to. As for the Florida job, there is no indication that he had any thoughts of leaving until the Tennessee Volunteers physically whipped the 2 TD favorite Gators in what was billed as the "Biggest Game in Florida Field history."

I'm glad you "nattering nabobs of negativity" weren't around when the General was the coach. You would have been demanding him to be fired when he went 16-11-3 (8-7-2 SEC) in 47,48, & 49 . This included back to back seasons without a winning record. Surprised some of you haven't complained about how he couldn't "win the big games" since his bowl record was 2-5. Most of you would have moaned about his conservative offense that wasn't exciting enough for you. Even successful coaches have down cycles. Fulmer and Neyland had down cycles that were still above the average in Tennessee Football history. Sadly, UT had a weak AD in Fulmer's time who didn't understand anything about coaching or competition.

Biggest game in history Florida football is a loss under" The OLD BALL COACH", 2 TD favorite and they lose in The Swamp , he won 1 National Championship, Fulmer has won same
he won more games head to head with Fulmer but I don't see a rented mule, he was good with sound bites and trash talk glad I don't see the POS every week on TV...........................…GO VOLS
 
#93
#93
Despite all of the love for Spurrier on this Tennessee board, the ol' Ball Coach NEVER HAD AN UNDEFEATED SEASON!

Plus, he quit on Florida, the Redskins, and South Carolina when things didn't go the way he wanted them to. As for the Florida job, there is no indication that he had any thoughts of leaving until the Tennessee Volunteers physically whipped the 2 TD favorite Gators in what was billed as the "Biggest Game in Florida Field history."

I'm glad you "nattering nabobs of negativity" weren't around when the General was the coach. You would have been demanding him to be fired when he went 16-11-3 (8-7-2 SEC) in 47,48, & 49 . This included back to back seasons without a winning record. Surprised some of you haven't complained about how he couldn't "win the big games" since his bowl record was 2-5. Most of you would have moaned about his conservative offense that wasn't exciting enough for you. Even successful coaches have down cycles. Fulmer and Neyland had down cycles that were still above the average in Tennessee Football history. Sadly, UT had a weak AD in Fulmer's time who didn't understand anything about coaching or competition.

Spurrier was 122-27-1 with 6 SEC titles and a national title at Florida. Pardon me if I don’t think he sucked atFlorida because he didn’t have an undefeated season.

Ftr, Nick Saban, inarguably the greatest collegiate head football coach in history imho, has only had 1 undefeated season in his career, some 10 seasons ago.
 
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#94
#94
A lot of back and forth going on up in here...might as well add my $0.02.

IMO, Fulmer picked a bad time to have some bad seasons. Yes, UT won the SEC East in 2007, but they were destroyed by UF and Bama....and Cal.

This was the beginning of the economic recession. Again IMO, Hamilton and others at UT started seeing and foreseeing the economic impact of a losing football team. Having 30,000 Bammers in the stands in 2008 didn't help, either. Couple that with the rise of Meyer and the return of Saban. Did Fulmer have it in him to try and catch them? Hamilton & the others obviously didn't think so.

In typical UT fashion they fired the coach with no plan....that has all-too-often been S.O.P for UT atheltics since Phil was let go. He, at least, deserved a chance to right the ship. Even if you had to make a change in 2010 it wouldn't have been viewed as a knee-jerk reaction.
 
#95
#95
Spurrier was 122-27-1 with 6 SEC titles and a national title at Florida. Pardon me if I don’t think he sucked atFlorida because he didn’t have an undefeated season.

Ftr, Nick Saban, inarguably the greatest collegiate head football coach in history imho, has only had 1 undefeated season in his career, some 10 seasons ago.

Not trying to say, he wasn't very successful. I am saying, he quit every time the going got tough and the Tennessee Volunteers broke his heart so badly in 2001 that he had to quit. Just like in 1982, when Alabama came into Knoxville ranked # 2 in the nation and riding high off a big win over Penn St. Tennessee beat the Tide 35-28. The Bear was so emotionally destroyed, he lost 3 more games, ended the year in the Liberty Bowl, retired with a broken heart and died 2 months later. The Vols were responsible for all of that too!!:cool:
 
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#96
#96
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.

He did so primarily during Danny Wuerffel’s career, a period when Florida “whipped [virtually everyone in the conference] like a rented mule.” The series from 1998-2001 was far more evenly matched, with the two teams going 2-2, with much more evenly contested outcomes.

And don’t forget Spurrier’s first visit to Neyland Stadium as Florida’s head coach; it resulted in a devastating 45-3 loss, which featured, perhaps, the most perfect quarter of football that I have ever seen Tennessee play, particularly against a highly ranked opponent. At halftime, we led 7-3 but Dale Carter’s return on the opening kickoff of the 3rd quarter for a touchdown unleashed the floodgates, triggering a 28-0 barrage, including a magnificent 40-something yard option pass for a touchdown by Von Reeves.
 
#97
#97
Tennessee’s development of highly rated recruits in the last decade has been a crap shoot, at best...... even when we get them, we can’t development them...... something’s got to change Vol fans!
When at first things don’t go your way, put on more steam, said a once famous coach

Never really liked that saying... obviously you gotta keep moving but you definitely can’t keep moving with the same strategy when things aren’t going your way. Maybe that was supposed to be known already.
 
#98
#98
Despite all of the love for Spurrier on this Tennessee board, the ol' Ball Coach NEVER HAD AN UNDEFEATED SEASON!

Plus, he quit on Florida, the Redskins, and South Carolina when things didn't go the way he wanted them to. As for the Florida job, there is no indication that he had any thoughts of leaving until the Tennessee Volunteers physically whipped the 2 TD favorite Gators in what was billed as the "Biggest Game in Florida Field history."

I'm glad you "nattering nabobs of negativity" weren't around when the General was the coach. You would have been demanding him to be fired when he went 16-11-3 (8-7-2 SEC) in 47,48, & 49 . This included back to back seasons without a winning record. Surprised some of you haven't complained about how he couldn't "win the big games" since his bowl record was 2-5. Most of you would have moaned about his conservative offense that wasn't exciting enough for you. Even successful coaches have down cycles. Fulmer and Neyland had down cycles that were still above the average in Tennessee Football history. Sadly, UT had a weak AD in Fulmer's time who didn't understand anything about coaching or competition.

Fulmer was done! The problem does not lay with his firing. It lays with the next three hires.

Even with Spurrier's worst teams, he still seemed to beat Fulmer.
 
#99
#99
Dickey may have equaled, if not surpassed, Fulmer’s record . . . if he had not made the fatal mistake of returning to Florida.

Dickey rebuilt Tennessee in short order and surpassed Bryant’s Crimson Tide during the late ‘60s. He had a 3-2-1 record against the Bear and very few coaches can claim that in head-to-head competition with Bryant-coached Alabama teams.
 
Dickey may have equaled, if not surpassed, Fulmer’s record . . . if he had not made the fatal mistake of returning to Florida.

Dickey rebuilt Tennessee in short order and surpassed Bryant’s Crimson Tide during the late ‘60s. He had a 3-2-1 record against the Bear and very few coaches can claim that in head-to-head competition with Bryant-coached Alabama teams.

Dickey left for Florida right before Bryant switched to the wishbone. It's all speculative, but since no one had any sustained success against the Bama wishbone attack, I think it's unlikely that Dickey would have had any either.
 

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