No statue for Fulmer at Championship corner

[beachvol23]

That wasn’t the reason, it’s all very well documented and some people know more details about the coup than others. And I have firsthand and family experience with Brutus: he is very selfish to say the least and doesn’t respect people and things that others hold dearly. It’s always about him!

 

[Flipdaddy]

If not for Johnny Majors, Phillip Fulmer wouldn’t have done ****! And Brutus’ success as we later discovered was largely because of Cut!

Smh

 

[UTFranklinVol]

If not for Johnny Majors, Phillip Fulmer wouldn’t have done ****! And Brutus’ success as we later discovered was largely because of Cut!

really? Majors had so many years to get the job done and he didn't. Fulmer did. I don't remember Majors with the recruiting classes that Fulmer had. and how much of Saban's success was due to his elite coordinators?

last time I checked neither Cutcliff nor ANY of Fulmer's other coordinators were winning championships as head coaches.

 

[Rickyvol77]

Peyton didn’t win a natty. Tee did. The only one in the modern era. They both deserve one. That’s my opinion that has nothing to do with race.

QBs don't win NCs, teams do...

Tee was about the 4th most important player on that NC team.

And the statue had to do with race, because we gave Peyton one the year before as the greatest QB and arguably the best player we ever had...

Then the NAACP and the usual politicians complained and forced UT to put up one of Tee too.

 

[beachvol23]

Smh

SMH all you want, it’s TRUE!!!!

 

[Flipdaddy]

SMH all you want, it’s TRUE!!!!

Sure…..Johnny gave Fulmer a job. Then Fulmer took over and gave us some fantastic years. No disrespect to coach majors but time had passed him by and if he had stayed, there’s no way Tennessee had the late 90s success. Y’all got to get over the Majors/ Fulmer thing

 

[LargeOrange1]

This was you point:

This was my response:

Fulmer didn’t lose control. He never gained it.

THIS!

 

[Hairy Vols]

Kids today on average don’t drink, smoke, or have sex like they used to (bunch of lames iyam). That’s probably the biggest reason why Heupel doesn’t have as many troublemakers. Aside from Georgia guys driving like leadfooted Asian women, college football in general doesnt have as many troublemakers as it used to

Listening to a podcast now on the late great Billy Martin made me realize how boring athletes have become (not that it’s a bad thing). But training has become so defined for someone to do something like the old days has become very out of the norm.

 

[adam.vol]

Listening to a podcast now on the late great Billy Martin made me realize how boring athletes have become (not that it’s a bad thing). But training has become so defined for someone to do something like the old days has become very out of the norm.

I agree with that.

I suspect that NIL has created an immediate financial reward so staying focused on goals has become easier than before.

 

[zjcvols]

I posted this last year, but deserves it again. The man does not deserve a statue:

He is by far the most selfish, egotistical scoundrel that has ever crossed this program. He did whatever he could to screw over whoever he could in order to retain power. It started with Johnny Majors, a man who gave him his first big break, and ended with the biggest middle finger to a collegiate fanbase you could find.

After getting a super, duper friendly contract that let him establish "8 wins a year is an automatic contract extension", he became so scared Dave Clawsen would take his job that Phil sabotaged the offense intentionally so Clawsen couldn't run his show, proceeding to go 5-7 with a talented Tennessee roster. He was rightfully fired, took zero responsibility as he let his players cause a scene at the press conference (all without saying a word to restore order) and then had his team no show in Neyland that led to Tennessee losing to FREAKING WYOMING, costing a new coach a chance to get to a bowl and valuable extra practices. This occurred all while taking a $6M buyout on the way, taking no responsibility for the program's shortcomings and putting Tennessee way behind the 8 ball in the SEC.

Say what you want about John Currie, but he had a well-established head coach lined up to take over the program in Mike Leach. In a time where Tennessee fans were fuming, hurt and lost, Phil could have rallied the fanbase or offered public support to the program in a grave time of need after "Schiano Sunday". Instead, like a snake, he weaseled his way with boosters, taking advantage of a chancellor who was over her head and desperately needing some guidance. He spilled lies and led a mutiny (confirmed by Brett McMurphy) to take back power over the football, not in good faith, but because he held a grudge over being fired by an AD that had not been involved with the program in almost a decade. He then took over the AD with no actual experience how to run a modern P5 collegiate program, didn't hire a search firm to help vet or assist in the hiring of a football coach during a critical moment for the program and hired a goober that almost destroyed the program. He then let Pruitt run amok, who could have gotten us severe sanctions if Donde Plowman and Randy Boyd hadn't stepped up. Instead of doing the right thing and take responsibility for his actions, where he could leave with some dignity and with some form of a good name and retire properly, he once again made sure to line up his pockets. He took a $1M buyout and was fired but had enough pull as a former national title winning coach to disguise his firing as a retirement and took the money. Because Phil doesn't care about the University of Tennessee, he only cares about himself and his pockets. He lied about knowing what was going on as Pruitt ran rampant, breaking NCAA rules even though he guaranteed he was going to fix the football program. He had the gall to say he left the program better than what he had, which was a total lie, and couldn't take any ownership in his press conference, not once apologizing to the university or its fans for letting it get as bad as it did.

Not only that, he alienated Rick Barnes (MAYBE THE EASIEST DUDE TO DEAL WITH IN COLLEGE BASKETBALL) so bad Barnes was going to take the UCLA job WITHOUT A COUNTEROFFER. Randy Boyd and boosters actually got involved to retain Barnes because Barnes was so fed up with how Phil did his job. He hired Kelly Harper, who while a good person, had shown she could not win at a P5 school because she was a UT alum and he didn't know enough about women's basketball to know who to actually hire (and once again eschewing a search firm to assist). He did zero in terms of renovations or progress for facilities, somehow made the football program worse from the day he was hired and embarrased the program once again with the disgraceful exit of Pruitt.

He constantly suppressed his coaching staff, perpetually fearing he would get replaced because as a snake, that's how he got the job to begin with. David Cutcliffe carried his water and showed he was a mediocre coach once Cut left. He's a blight on this program and the 1998 National Title doesn't cover his sins. He squandered countless teams while the SEC was down, got his ass handed to him by Steve Spurrier year after year and then by Mark Richt and Urban Meyer. He somehow managed to win just a singular SEC title with freaking Peyton Manning as his QB and in 16 years only managed two. He's a mediocre football coach that lucked into an awesome situation that Johnny Majors built, all while incredibly lucky that David Cutcliffe/John Chavis was already on staff when he backstabbed Majors for the job.

He's a disgrace to the university and the athletic department and they should rename Phillip Fulmer Way, instead calling it David Cutcliffe Road. I hope he never gets honored at the university again. He's a selfish con artist who cared more about himself and used his status as an alumni and "aw shucks" demeanor as a ruse to step on people and destroy careers to get what he wanted.

 

[Iravolfan]

You may have a case of selective memory. Majors went in the hospital and PF took over as interim HC. The immediate improvement in the moral and effectiveness of the team was obvious. The powers that be had put up with a lot from Majors and determined that it was better to retain PF than have him coaching against them somewhere in the SEC. Just how do you think Majors was stabbed in the back?

THIS!!!!

 

[zjcvols]

You may have a case of selective memory. Majors went in the hospital and PF took over as interim HC. The immediate improvement in the moral and effectiveness of the team was obvious. The powers that be had put up with a lot from Majors and determined that it was better to retain PF than have him coaching against them somewhere in the SEC. Just how do you think Majors was stabbed in the back?

You have a case of selective memory. Majors was 29-6-2 the previous 3 years with two SEC titles, along with 3 straight NY6 bowls and two wins. He deserved his contract extension and Fulmer was playing backdoor politics the entire time which hurt the team.

 

[LAVol1]

You have a case of selective memory. Majors was 29-6-2 the previous 3 years with two SEC titles, along with 3 straight NY6 bowls and two wins. He deserved his contract extension and Fulmer was playing backdoor politics the entire time which hurt the team.

You have some facts, but you don't have them all. I loved coach Majors, but when it was all said and done, there was no one to blame but himself when he got fired. The dramatic change in team morale and performance when Fulmer took over was just the final nail in the coffin. In 1992 with Fulmer at the helm, the #21 ranked Vols went 4-0 with wins at #14 UGA and vs.#4 UF a week later. Majors lost to an unranked Arkansas team at home, at #4 Alabama (Majors was 4-6 career vs. Bama) when an offense led by Heath Shuler and James Stewart only scored 10 pts., and to unranked South Carolina. Consider the Vols preseason ranking of #21 in 92. That's the Vols lowest preseason ranking until 14 years later. Consider also that Fulmer was the top recruiter in the SEC and would very likely have landed a head coach position elsewhere in '93. History clearly shows the Board of Trustees made the correct decision in making CPF the head coach.

 

[zjcvols]

You have some facts, but you don't have them all. I loved coach Majors, but when it was all said and done, there was no one to blame but himself when he got fired. The dramatic change in team morale and performance when Fulmer took over was just the final nail in the coffin. In 1992 with Fulmer at the helm, the #21 ranked Vols went 4-0 with wins at #14 UGA and vs.#4 UF a week later. Majors lost to an unranked Arkansas team at home, at #4 Alabama (Majors was 4-6 career vs. Bama) when an offense led by Heath Shuler and James Stewart only scored 10 pts., and to unranked South Carolina. Consider the Vols preseason ranking of #21 in 92. That's the Vols lowest preseason ranking until 14 years later. Consider also that Fulmer was the top recruiter in the SEC and would very likely have landed a head coach position elsewhere in '93. History clearly shows the Board of Trustees made the correct decision in making CPF the head coach.

Hmm, I wonder what could have changed that morale when Johnny came back. Maybe the OC going behind the HC and lobbying for the job himself while flirting with Clemson for 2 months may have something to do with that!

Also, please tell, who was the OC when Tennessee put up 10 points against Alabama?

 

[BernardKingGOAT]

You have some facts, but you don't have them all. I loved coach Majors, but when it was all said and done, there was no one to blame but himself when he got fired. The dramatic change in team morale and performance when Fulmer took over was just the final nail in the coffin. In 1992 with Fulmer at the helm, the #21 ranked Vols went 4-0 with wins at #14 UGA and vs.#4 UF a week later. Majors lost to an unranked Arkansas team at home, at #4 Alabama (Majors was 4-6 career vs. Bama) when an offense led by Heath Shuler and James Stewart only scored 10 pts., and to unranked South Carolina. Consider the Vols preseason ranking of #21 in 92. That's the Vols lowest preseason ranking until 14 years later. Consider also that Fulmer was the top recruiter in the SEC and would very likely have landed a head coach position elsewhere in '93. History clearly shows the Board of Trustees made the correct decision in making CPF the head coach.

Two things can be true at the same time. Majors had made some derogatory comments about some alumni and backers before he had open heart surgery. That put him in a bad light. It's also true that Fulmer was lobbying for the job after the 4-0 start to the season. That he might have landed a job elsewhere is irrelevant. That no one of any significance courted him after 2008 is fairly telling of his rep across the country

 

[LAVol1]

Hmm, I wonder what could have changed that morale when Johnny came back. Maybe the OC going behind the HC and lobbying for the job himself while flirting with Clemson for 2 months may have something to do with that!

Also, please tell, who was the OC when Tennessee put up 10 points against Alabama?

(1) The morale changed when Fulmer became interim coach, not when Johnny returned.
(2) Majors went ultra conservative vs. Bama every year. He throttled the offense, not Fulmer. Only 6 times in 16 games did the Vols score more than 20 pts. vs Bama under Majors.

 

[Flogballs]

At least he’s got the Fulmer Cup named after him

 

[LAVol1]

Two things can be true at the same time. Majors had made some derogatory comments about some alumni and backers before he had open heart surgery. That put him in a bad light. It's also true that Fulmer was lobbying for the job after the 4-0 start to the season. That he might have landed a job elsewhere is irrelevant. That no one of any significance courted him after 2008 is fairly telling of his rep across the country

Would you agree that the morale of the team improved significantly during Fulmer's interim tenure and it regressed after Johnny returned? Would that not motivate people in control of the program and players to push for Fulmer to replace Majors and encourage PF to lobby for the job? Would you agree that Fulmer's tenure (152-52-1, NC) was FAR more successful than Major's (116-62-8, no NC)? Would you agree that replacing Majors with Fulmer was a very positive move for the program?

 

[BernardKingGOAT]

Would you agree that the morale of the team improved significantly during Fulmer's interim tenure and it regressed after Johnny returned? Would that not motivate people in control of the program and players to push for Fulmer to replace Majors and encourage PF to lobby for the job? Would you agree that Fulmer's tenure (152-52-1, NC) was FAR more successful than Major's (116-62-8, no NC)? Would you agree that replacing Majors with Fulmer was a very positive move for the program?

I don't know what the morale was at the start of the season, so there is no way I could agree or disagree with that question. I would agree the replacement was positive for the program in that small pocket of time and for the next few years, but the positive morale started dwindling some each year after the natty

 

[heupelsroutetree]

(1) The morale changed when Fulmer became interim coach, not when Johnny returned.
(2) Majors went ultra conservative vs. Bama every year. He throttled the offense, not Fulmer. Only 6 times in 16 games did the Vols score more than 20 pts. vs Bama under Majors.

So Fulmer never "throttled" his offenses? Never v uga or Florida or sc???

Got it

 

[zjcvols]

(1) The morale changed when Fulmer became interim coach, not when Johnny returned.
(2) Majors went ultra conservative vs. Bama every year. He throttled the offense, not Fulmer. Only 6 times in 16 games did the Vols score more than 20 pts. vs Bama under Majors.

1) How would you know that? The morale was bad for team that was Majors was 29-6-2 the previous 3 years with two SEC titles, and just made the Fiesta Bowl with a 1st round NFL pick at QB?

2) That's not what I asked. Who was the OC that called the plays?

 

[KHVol]

Morale always goes up initially whenever there is a change in leadership, the key word here is “initially”.

 

[VolArmy74]

I posted this last year, but deserves it again. The man does not deserve a statue:

He is by far the most selfish, egotistical scoundrel that has ever crossed this program. He did whatever he could to screw over whoever he could in order to retain power. It started with Johnny Majors, a man who gave him his first big break, and ended with the biggest middle finger to a collegiate fanbase you could find.

After getting a super, duper friendly contract that let him establish "8 wins a year is an automatic contract extension", he became so scared Dave Clawsen would take his job that Phil sabotaged the offense intentionally so Clawsen couldn't run his show, proceeding to go 5-7 with a talented Tennessee roster. He was rightfully fired, took zero responsibility as he let his players cause a scene at the press conference (all without saying a word to restore order) and then had his team no show in Neyland that led to Tennessee losing to FREAKING WYOMING, costing a new coach a chance to get to a bowl and valuable extra practices. This occurred all while taking a $6M buyout on the way, taking no responsibility for the program's shortcomings and putting Tennessee way behind the 8 ball in the SEC.

Say what you want about John Currie, but he had a well-established head coach lined up to take over the program in Mike Leach. In a time where Tennessee fans were fuming, hurt and lost, Phil could have rallied the fanbase or offered public support to the program in a grave time of need after "Schiano Sunday". Instead, like a snake, he weaseled his way with boosters, taking advantage of a chancellor who was over her head and desperately needing some guidance. He spilled lies and led a mutiny (confirmed by Brett McMurphy) to take back power over the football, not in good faith, but because he held a grudge over being fired by an AD that had not been involved with the program in almost a decade. He then took over the AD with no actual experience how to run a modern P5 collegiate program, didn't hire a search firm to help vet or assist in the hiring of a football coach during a critical moment for the program and hired a goober that almost destroyed the program. He then let Pruitt run amok, who could have gotten us severe sanctions if Donde Plowman and Randy Boyd hadn't stepped up. Instead of doing the right thing and take responsibility for his actions, where he could leave with some dignity and with some form of a good name and retire properly, he once again made sure to line up his pockets. He took a $1M buyout and was fired but had enough pull as a former national title winning coach to disguise his firing as a retirement and took the money. Because Phil doesn't care about the University of Tennessee, he only cares about himself and his pockets. He lied about knowing what was going on as Pruitt ran rampant, breaking NCAA rules even though he guaranteed he was going to fix the football program. He had the gall to say he left the program better than what he had, which was a total lie, and couldn't take any ownership in his press conference, not once apologizing to the university or its fans for letting it get as bad as it did.

Not only that, he alienated Rick Barnes (MAYBE THE EASIEST DUDE TO DEAL WITH IN COLLEGE BASKETBALL) so bad Barnes was going to take the UCLA job WITHOUT A COUNTEROFFER. Randy Boyd and boosters actually got involved to retain Barnes because Barnes was so fed up with how Phil did his job. He hired Kelly Harper, who while a good person, had shown she could not win at a P5 school because she was a UT alum and he didn't know enough about women's basketball to know who to actually hire (and once again eschewing a search firm to assist). He did zero in terms of renovations or progress for facilities, somehow made the football program worse from the day he was hired and embarrased the program once again with the disgraceful exit of Pruitt.

He constantly suppressed his coaching staff, perpetually fearing he would get replaced because as a snake, that's how he got the job to begin with. David Cutcliffe carried his water and showed he was a mediocre coach once Cut left. He's a blight on this program and the 1998 National Title doesn't cover his sins. He squandered countless teams while the SEC was down, got his ass handed to him by Steve Spurrier year after year and then by Mark Richt and Urban Meyer. He somehow managed to win just a singular SEC title with freaking Peyton Manning as his QB and in 16 years only managed two. He's a mediocre football coach that lucked into an awesome situation that Johnny Majors built, all while incredibly lucky that David Cutcliffe/John Chavis was already on staff when he backstabbed Majors for the job.

He's a disgrace to the university and the athletic department and they should rename Phillip Fulmer Way, instead calling it David Cutcliffe Road. I hope he never gets honored at the university again. He's a selfish con artist who cared more about himself and used his status as an alumni and "aw shucks" demeanor as a ruse to step on people and destroy careers to get what he wanted.

I like you!

 

[Hairy Vols]

I agree with that.

I suspect that NIL has created an immediate financial reward so staying focused on goals has become easier than before.

Couldnt agree more. Between the NIL and social media its a whole different world than back then.

 

[whobethis16]

Hmm, I wonder what could have changed that morale when Johnny came back. Maybe the OC going behind the HC and lobbying for the job himself while flirting with Clemson for 2 months may have something to do with that!

Also, please tell, who was the OC when Tennessee put up 10 points against Alabama?

Fulmer wanted to be a head coach. He never hid that. And the OC has to follow the HC's philosophy, right? You really think an OC is going to go rogue with the playcalling?