AV dropping discouraging news...

[bigorangepoppa]

Not an insider, don't have any connections, so this is just me blabbering. I was a Fulmer supporter when he was the HFC, probably for about 2-3 years too long. I finally had to admit that he needed to go, seemed to have become too lackadaisical in recruiting. I actually thought at the time of his hiring as AD that it was a good hire. It was supposed to be a temporary deal, I think for two years, then he was going to ride off into the sunset again. I was shocked when it was announced that he had been retained and given a raise after the two years were up.I understood the hiring then, but don't understand the reason for keeping him. Maybe it's because he fired Holly and brought in a former Lady Vol who seemed to be trending upward, and I think she will be successful, but it's still too early to tell. Pruitt is on Fulmer, and the only reason I can think of for keeping him at this point is fear of being sued by Pruitt if he should be exonerated. Like I said just me blabbering out loud.

 

[Birdie]

You extend a contract for performance or to get back leverage. Neither item existed here so that's pure incompetence...

I think it was because he didn't want to fire him this year regardless of what happened.

 

[Undercs]

Is it true Wanya might leave? sorry to ask just that I don't have any "insiders"

He is in the portal last I heard

 

[photovol]

Is Bailey really a top notch player?

probably Not

 

[Vol4life2]

probably Not

But you don’t know for two reasons. A) questionable QB coaching. B) no summer/ fall practice to build his knowledge/confidence.

He is still just a freshman. Give him a chance.

 

[photovol]

But you don’t know for two reasons. A) questionable QB coaching. B) no summer/ fall practice to build his knowledge/confidence.

He is still just a freshman. Give him a chance.

Bailey has talent, I just don’t think he is mobile enough to survive with UT’s Oline woes
The Oline will be worse next year with all the departures

 

[ThreatLevelOrange]

But you don’t know for two reasons. A) questionable QB coaching. B) no summer/ fall practice to build his knowledge/confidence.

He is still just a freshman. Give him a chance.

We should not anoint him the next JG and assume he’s gonna be great for 4 years. Pruitt failed by not recruiting a guy capable of unseating JG for 2 years. Chryst was probably better but Pruitt punished him because he was a Helton guy. If Bailey can’t handle competition, he can leave.

 

[OrangeBeachVol]

If TN gets hit hard by NCAA sanctions we may have to keep Pruitt as the bridge coach until we get on the other side of sanctions, then hopefully go after that top coach. Don't have any confidence in UT admin doing that but what kind of coach could we get with the program going on sanctions/probations. Team is probably not going to be any good anyway until all this is over so save the $ and let Pruitt muddle thru until its over.

 

[Vol4life2]

Bailey has talent, I just don’t think he is mobile enough to survive with UT’s Oline woes
The Oline will be worse next year with all the departures

Definitely won’t have Trey so automatically they will be less talented. If we get the right OL coach and settle the people in at spots maybe they can play better as a whole, but will probably regress.

As to QBs, we still need to have two that are more than capable just because of injuries. I hope Bailey can be one of those.

 

[Birdie]

I’ve never been a Fulmer guy, but I was optimistic when he took over as AD... until the Pruitt hire. Here’s why...

Yes, it was the 11th hour, but stay away from Alabama. Fulmer knew what Bama was doing when they were winning 8 games, what did he think the coaches were doing when they were winning NCs? Does it really surprise anybody that a Gump is about to get us hit with violations? The second reason you stay away from Bama is that school has a long and undeniable track record of using 5 star players to get 2 star assistants multi-million dollar HC buyouts

Agree with the 2nd part. I think we should have looked at Oklahoma, Ohio State, and Clemson models for replication. Still not sure who else was available.

TN has always done what Bama does. Al Wilson drove a brand new Expedition with 20's back in the 90's and he is from a poor family. My brother was at TN then, had classes with football players, I won't get into specifics but I'll say the professors, whether they supported football or not, knew what they were supposed to do. Majors did it. Fulmer did it. TN isn't this perfectly clean program some think. We just did it well and everybody was on board similar to how it is at Bama now.

This is why, while I fully agree that Fulmer made some serious missteps that deserve criticism, I don't necessarily want to see him go. Plowman supports athletics, Boyd supports athletics, and Fulmer is the first AD we have had since Dickey that will provide all resources necessary to win. Including being willing to and knowing how to operate in the grey area. I don't think anybody expected a staffer to rat them out but that is on Pruitt for treating people like garbage.

If we fire Fulmer and get another Hamilton and Currie then we are worse off, we're going back to square one. We finally have leadership at all levels, the first time since Johnson and Dickey, that fully support athletics. Things are ugly, but it can get worse by going back to what we had before.

 

[DaddyChad]

Just because people may like Fulmer gives you my friend no reason to be calling people morons!! Might want to ease up on the name calling!!! Keyboard warriors seem to find this pretty was tho!!!

You may want to pump the breaks on the caffeine, Mr Exclamation Points.

 

[MaTaLa]

You may want to pump the breaks on the caffeine, Mr Exclamation Points.

*brakez

 

[Birdie]

He is in the portal last I heard

Austin Price stated last night he isn't. Rumor he may, something to keep an eye on but not official yet.

 

[Vol4life2]

We should not anoint him the next JG and assume he’s gonna be great for 4 years. Pruitt failed by not recruiting a guy capable of unseating JG for 2 years. Chryst was probably better but Pruitt punished him because he was a Helton guy. If Bailey can’t handle competition, he can leave.

As I noted above, we need two more than capable QBs to compete for the East. I don’t know that we didn’t have talent in the QB room or if it was the Coaching. I blame the coaching. Weinke has shown nothing.

 

[preacherwebb]

Just because people may like Fulmer gives you my friend no reason to be calling people morons!! Might want to ease up on the name calling!!! Keyboard warriors seem to find this pretty was tho!!!

 

[JacketVol]

Ok, I'll bite. Outside of his hire having a terrible season this year after posting only the second winning SEC record since 2007 last year, what has Fulmer done poorly as an AD?

Every program on campus is better today than it was when he took over Dec 1, 2017. Every one. Fundraising is up as well, and has increased every year under his tenure, even in a pandemic year.

I don't think some people (I won't resort to name calling) understand that the job of an Athletics Director is not judged solely by the on-field performance of the football coach.

I agree with a lot you say. However, football drives the department as a money maker to help with ALL sports. Also, as Bama has shown, it can produce tuition in the form of student growth. You need a successful football program to make money. In the last few years by virtue of the SEC, we have made a lot of money despite below average results. However, if they get football right, they could be number 1 in the country.

The issue I think is they are happy to get their checks for now but do not realize how much harm will be inflicted long term continuing the course they are on. More UT families have kids going to schools besides UT and they will not be able to replace the old guard if it doesn’t change quickly.

We have guys who could donate a lot of money to help who are younger but stand on the sidelines and want no part of this circus.

Other smaller 5 and 6 figure donors are leaving and we are now at the point unlike Auburn, Texas, and even S. Carolina, we can’t afford his dang buyout.

He’s done the things you said but he knows as well, football is the driver long term and it is presently in the ditch.

 

[orange blossom]

Sometimes, to rise again, you just gotta burn it all down.

They have been doing that for 7-8 years now.... maybe for the last 20 years.

 

[DaddyChad]

*brakez

Lol. I may want to pump the “breaks” on spelling apparently.

 

[tennrich1]

Yeah I mean this is the same dude that said Gruden was a lock and Freeze was supposed to be hired a week or two ago lol

And we had half this board believing him! When people reject the truth it is amazing what they will believe.

 

[VaBornVol]

Agree with the 2nd part. I think we should have looked at Oklahoma, Ohio State, and Clemson models for replication. Still not sure who else was available.

TN has always done what Bama does. Al Wilson drove a brand new Expedition with 20's back in the 90's and he is from a poor family. My brother was at TN then, had classes with football players, I won't get into specifics but I'll say the professors, whether they supported football or not, knew what they were supposed to do. Majors did it. Fulmer did it. TN isn't this perfectly clean program some think. We just did it well and everybody was on board similar to how it is at Bama now.

This is why, while I fully agree that Fulmer made some serious missteps that deserve criticism, I don't necessarily want to see him go. Plowman supports athletics, Boyd supports athletics, and Fulmer is the first AD we have had since Dickey that will provide all resources necessary to win. Including being willing to and knowing how to operate in the grey area. I don't think anybody expected a staffer to rat them out but that is on Pruitt for treating people like garbage.

If we fire Fulmer and get another Hamilton and Currie then we are worse off, we're going back to square one. We finally have leadership at all levels, the first time since Johnson and Dickey, that fully support athletics. Things are ugly, but it can get worse by going back to what we had before.

Ha! Your brother and I were at UT at the same time, and your comment brought back some fond memories. While I never knew Al, the four girls that lived in the apartment beside us (all four were smokeshows!) dated some of the star players at the time. From getting to know them a little and hearing their stories, yeah...

You may remember Linda Bensel-Meyers tried to blow the whistle on Fulmer, and was ran off to Oregon

 

[Johnnyreb#VFL]

And we had half this board believing him! When people reject the truth it is amazing what they will believe.

People just hungry for information

 

[DaddyChad]

Agree with the 2nd part. I think we should have looked at Oklahoma, Ohio State, and Clemson models for replication. Still not sure who else was available.

TN has always done what Bama does. Al Wilson drove a brand new Expedition with 20's back in the 90's and he is from a poor family. My brother was at TN then, had classes with football players, I won't get into specifics but I'll say the professors, whether they supported football or not, knew what they were supposed to do. Majors did it. Fulmer did it. TN isn't this perfectly clean program some think. We just did it well and everybody was on board similar to how it is at Bama now.

This is why, while I fully agree that Fulmer made some serious missteps that deserve criticism, I don't necessarily want to see him go. Plowman supports athletics, Boyd supports athletics, and Fulmer is the first AD we have had since Dickey that will provide all resources necessary to win. Including being willing to and knowing how to operate in the grey area. I don't think anybody expected a staffer to rat them out but that is on Pruitt for treating people like garbage.

If we fire Fulmer and get another Hamilton and Currie then we are worse off, we're going back to square one. We finally have leadership at all levels, the first time since Johnson and Dickey, that fully support athletics. Things are ugly, but it can get worse by going back to what we had before.

I just don’t think Fulmer survives this. I think Haslam wants him out and he will be out after this investigation. I think that maybe why Pruitt is also in limbo right now. Pruitt is done regardless of what happens, it just depends on when it happens.

 

[jim pique]

I have not read it,but,is Gilbert commiting to georgia with its two frosh TE's one being Darnell Washington?Just haven't heard;could someone verify,please.

 

[Birdie]

I just don’t think Fulmer survives this. I think Haslam wants him out and he will be out after this investigation. I think that maybe why Pruitt is also in limbo right now. Pruitt is done regardless of what happens, it just depends on when it happens.

I've begun to wonder the same about Fulmer too. Clearly there is a lot of politics going on. I think that was the reason behind the extension for Pruitt. A bad political maneuver by Fulmer if so because I think everyone (fans and admin) would have given him the mulligan on Pruitt due to the circumstances around that hire and let him conduct a proper, organized search for the next HC.

I just don't want another Haslam yes man. Seems that is exactly what we will get if Fulmer is let go. Only hope I have in all this is Randy Boyd. Have a lot of respect for him. He knows how to invest in a businesses long-term success and manage its assets. He is also friends with the Haslams, maybe that relationship can help keep the Haslams from exerting too much control over the next coach and AD hire if Fulmer is out.

 

[TGFHeupel16]

Bailey has talent, I just don’t think he is mobile enough to survive with UT’s Oline woes
The Oline will be worse next year with all the departures

Oh God, I guess Peyton Manning wasted his whole career not be in Mobile enough. What a waste of scholarship we used then.