In my opinion Fulmer was looking to extend himself in his role as athletic director by protecting Pruitt from termination, making it a $12 million check to write to get away from Fulmer's mess, in a year where it is obvious Pruitt is struggling with talent development and being competitive with the top tier of the SEC,
The fan uproar over a BS bowl assignment last year got Fulmer off his duff to aggressively lobby the conference for a better gig during bowl season, but the only thing sadder than Pruitt being in over his head is Fulmer in over his head in a position at a time when money is very tight, the costs have not been contained, the big revenue maker isn't performing at year 3 expectations, Barnes and men's hoops now report directly to Randy Boyd after Fulmer assumed basketball was just indoor football and fully surpassed his football first mentality,
Sharp minds and longtime fans quickly understand that the mediocrity within this football program starts at the top and the commitment to excellence in the ultracompetitive contemporary SEC doesn't reside with Fulmer, he just doesn't get it, as after his termination in 2008 there was nowhere to go, even Saban wouldn't put him on as a rehab project, major programs didn't need his outdated and obsolete capability, paybacks are hello, but with Fulmer it's always the fans that end up paying and severely dissappointed, as long as he is at the helm, football is going nowhere fast, aight?