Fulmer was head coach for the last 4 games in 1992... that team finished #12 in AP
The '93 team went 10-2 and finished # 12 in AP.
So Yes he did take over a program that Coach Majors had turned into a winning program.
There will always be a question as to how Fulmer was named HC.
Some will say Fulmer stabbed Majors in the back, others will say Majors had a drinking problem. Most schools do not fire their HC during the season, especially a HC that has brought the program back to being a top program in the nation.
The record show Majors in fact improved the UT football program.
After being named HC Fulmer did a good job 1992-2001.
He was 95-20 One NC and two SEC titles. His teams finished in top 10 six times.
We all would love to see those days again.
From 2002-2008 Fulmer did not do that well, the program was in decline.
The record shows that.
Fulmer went 57-32, zero titles and zero finishes in top 10.
Not only was TN in decline , they could no longer compete with the better teams.
The record shows that. examples losing to Maryland 30-3, Miami 26-3 in '02.
losing to GA 41-14 in '03, losing to AU 34-10 in '04, losing to ND 41-21 in '05, losing to AR 31-14 in '06, losing to FL in '07 59-20 AL 41-17 and in '08 losing to FL 30-6, AL 29-9, South Carolina 27-6.
Fulmer should have resigned at the end of 2001, instead he became content with his NC and slowly destroyed a good program.
If he had resigned sometime between 2001-2005, he would be remembered as one of the best that ever coached the game.