Wow, I'm still amazed by the silliness of some of the comments still. I think alot of people hated on Phil unfairly, and a lot of people loved Phil more on emotion than numbers......and so it was a personal thing. The people who hated on him, in general did not respect what he brought to the program, and felt anyone could do better. They were wrong, and we've suffered since. The numbers do not lie.... Likewise many of those who defend him through thick and thin do so because of him being just a really "good" guy, and loved by his players, and remembering him in his prime. Clearly he had not been at that level for some time. Clearly he was NOT able or maybe just not willing to push it to the level Tennessee is expected to.
Was it time for him to go? maybe, but there is zero doubt our recruiting, record, and program suffered for the transition. Are we better off now? Unknown, we lost alot of people and alot of recruits we might otherwise have had, if Dooley turns it around we'll know. I think Phil himself hopes Dooley succeeds.
The fact is Fulmer's recruiting class with berry is still the best we may see for some time. Yeah he had slipped recruiting but I would say Chavis is partially responsible on that front as well. Both of them got a lil too comfy....
Most like Dooley me included, and hope he's the right one.....but really all the hate for Phil is just nucking futs. More about your own thin egos, then his actual record.
He was no Bear Bryant, and he was no Spurrier. However he had an impressive winning streak, and when he first came on he single handedly should be given credit as OC for turning Vols around under Majors when they were in a bad losing streak. That was why he got the Job after all. If only he could have stayed at that prime or grown more... He's sent ALOT of people to the NFL. very few coaches have sent as many players to teh NFL as Fulmer... No not just anyone could do what he did at TENNESSEE....how long did we own Alabama and Georgia under him? You don't think those programs were spending money like mad to get back on top? He was deffinately an above average coach. He is maybe elite as a person, as most of his players will tell you. Truthfully he's more of a die hard VOL himself then 90% of the fans in here..... But yeah, he let our competativeness slip, he chose to be a nice guy when a lil more discipline and fear were maybe what the players needed to get it done. Still....I'm not convinced yet Dooley will match his record, and I imagine Dooley would be pretty happy to get that far at the moment....stop being so classless to not respect what the man did for UT....Great coach....and a great Vol.
Alot of people quite frankly are not old enough to remember much of his best days...many are older but loved Majors and because Majors blamed him for losing his job they do too. (nonsense I was on campus when that went down, Phil or no Phil, Majors signed his own last paycheck when he started "losing it" at practices, and telling the wrong people off. ...and quite frankly should have thanked Fulmer for his last couple of years being winning sesons. ) ..I loved Majors. I still do.....but something made him mean and hateful...and it happened years before he left. There's alot of stories that could be said.... but I don't like people hating on him either....it's in the past.
Anyway whatever, flame me if you like. Fulmer will still have a street named after him, and he'll still have a lot of fans, and his players will continue to think of him as a second dad, and he'll still have a National Championship. The majority of regular fans that actually continue to go to the stadium season after season still like the guy......and while you online nubtards may think your the center of the VOL Universe....your not....that center is still among the Stadium faithful....
As a University we were spoiled with General Neyland...heck even Bear Bryant looked up to Neyland......The man was a Legend. We started with one of the absolute best there has ever been or will be.........but men like that....they are not likely to appear anymore in the world of sports. Not in todays buisiness first, honor second climate.
Dooley is funny, smart, has his accent down...and if he can some how summon some of his father's infamous fourth quarter luck.....we have a bright future.... what's done is done.....enough bitterness already....
Fulmer is gone as a coach....respect him as the Great Vol he was and still is and move on.....
Or just continue to be classless......but you just make many many fans (and players) have contempt for what we might otherwise have listened to had you not felt the need to unfairly attack an old friend of many at UT.