Fire Fulmer.

#201
#201
I have no problem saying Fulmer is a legendary coach, he won the only modern NC we're probably going to see anytime soon and went 152-52. Should have won more than 1 NC, I mean....I guess. But the Cubs should have won more than one WS in the past 5 years and it didn't happen, but I still think Joe Maddon is a pretty legendary manager.

From 1995 to 2001, 5 of those 6 years we were legit NC contenders. Generally speaking, there was 1 team in our way that whole time from playing for the NC (assuming we won the SECCG). Yeah I know, 96 Memphis, 99 Arkansas but still, generally speaking.
 
#203
#203
I
'Boro-vol said:
Why do people keep saying this? Many of us never wanted his hands on the program again. It was a HORRIBLE idea.

He was a way to calm the sheep after the Schiano debacle. He's never been qualified for this job...and he has too much of a bad taste in his mouth to be the impartial executive he is called on to be. It's not his fault...he's as unfit for the job as Pruitt is for his. But it was offered, and honestly, any of us would have taken it.
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It all happened so fast from what I remember. First there was a royal outcry over Schiano's announced hiring followed by a quick renunciation of it, quickly followed up with Becky Davenport's announcement that Fulmer was AD replacing Curry. Six days later, he hired Pruitt and the rest is history. Now Currie is AD at Wake Forest where Clawson is HC and they are headed to a 5th consecutive bowl and doing just fine while our football program is in disarray and considerable partisan dissatisfaction all around.
 
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#204
#204
LibertyVolance said:
I
I all happened so fast from what I remember. First there was a royal outcry over Schiano's announced hiring followed by a quick renunciation of it, quickly followed up with Becky Davenport's announcement that Fulmer was AD replacing Curry. Six days later, he hired Pruitt and the rest is history. Now Currie is AD at Wake Forest where Clawson is HC and they are headed to a 5th consecutive bowl and doing just fine while our football program is in disarray and considerable partisan dissatisfaction all around.
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#205
#205
Coaches with one head coach job in their life, eventually run out of the program on a rail do not systemically equal legendary status, Fulmer's "legendary career" came crashing down, through self inflicted and publicly recognized ways, such that no other program would hire him and the Mt. LeConte size ego that goes with him every where he appears.

Neyland is legendary given his exit to protect our nation and then his return, legendary coaches are consistent winners, not slugs that claim "equity" in the program when they drive it in the ground 2 of 3 years, Urban Meyer, Nick Saban, possibly Spurrier are legendary, Fulmer not so much and his continuing to suck up dollars and benefits from the trough, when that money could be better spent on a real athletic director continue to tarnish whatever is left of his reputation at Tennessee.
 
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#206
#206
'Boro-vol said:
Well...you learned something today. I try to learn something new everyday...and when I do, it's been a pretty good day.

Here's what you learned today...not everybody agrees with you about Phillip Fulmer. In fact, many don't. And you know what? That's ok. It's the beautiful thing about being an American. We are allowed to take the information at hand, and form our own opinions. That doesn't mean we are any better or worse than you...just that we disagree, based upon our own personal experience and the factual information at hand. I choose to look at his declining record after 98, the missed opportunities, and the ditch he drove the program into late in his tenure. You probably lean more toward the way his good years made you feel, and the memories you collected during that time. Both views are fine, and factual in their own way. Your views certainly won't make me think less of you as an individual. That would be silly. I hope, unless you are actually Phillip Fulmer, my views don't effect your personal opinion of me.

If you are Phillip Fulmer....please, resign and take your Head Coach with you. Turn the job over to a qualified AD, and retire with our love and respect.

And have a Merry Christmas.
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Brother, I didn't learn that today. I've known it for a while. It still disappoints me.

I'll still wish you the best, but yes. It disappoints me that any Volunteer fan could be so ungrateful. Have a great Christmas.
 
#207
#207
VFL-82-JP said:
Brother, I didn't learn that today. I've known it for a while. It still disappoints me.

I'll still wish you the best, but yes. It disappoints me that any Volunteer fan could be so ungrateful. Have a great Christmas.
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You too. I hope we meet on better terms next year.
 
#211
#211
PulaskiVolFan said:
We've had 20 Ten win seasons, Fulmer has 9, Neyland 5 and Battle with 3. It's the dumbest thing ever to say what else did Fulmer do minus '98.
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Scheduling is way different in terms of game than how things used to be.

Look, I'm not saying he shouldn't be respected, but he certainly has flaws. LSU in '01, Arkansas in '99, Florida during the entire Peyton Manning era, stabbing Johnny Majors in the back, etc. He is Mark Richt 2.0, other than a natty. But, like I said, he deserved praise for '98, something Richt never did.
 
#212
#212
TennesseeFan07 said:
Scheduling is way different in terms of game than how things used to be.

Look, I'm not saying he shouldn't be respected, but he certainly has flaws. LSU in '01, Arkansas in '99, Florida during the entire Peyton Manning era, stabbing Johnny Majors in the back, etc. He is Mark Richt 2.0, other than a natty. But, like I said, he deserved praise for '98, something Richt never did.
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You find me a coach who has done what he's done, including devoting his life to UT, and I'd be for hiring him tomorrow. Those types are rare in the coaching profession, Mark Richt included. Acting like he's never done anything but win a championship is a joke.
 
#213
#213
What does John Adams have to say? He wrote a scathing article which preempted Fulmer’s ouster before.
 
#215
#215
VFL-82-JP said:
With fans like the two of you, Tennessee certainly doesn't need enemies. Character Assassination R Us, huh?

I'm just glad neither of you were alive while General Neyland was coaching.
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Me too because I’d be dead or damn close to it.
 
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#216
#216
VFL-82-JP said:
You did. Because I'm a Vol fan. And Phillip Fulmer is the second best coach we've ever had. He's the only coach we've had win a national title in most of our lives. Call me old fashioned, but I think we ought to be deeply grateful to the man for that.

I know for a fact folks 100 years from now will look back at him as one of the best in Tennessee history. And 200 years from now. In fact, barring a string of Neylandesque performances, Phillip will forever be enshrined as one of our most legendary coaches.

So yep. You stepped on a nerve. The only thing that surprises me is that it's not a raw nerve for you and every other Tennessee fan, as well.
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Sounds like your more of a Fulmer fan than a fan of the Vols. I’m a fan of the Vols and want us to strive for excellence every year and could care less who gets us there.
 
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#217
#217
VFL-82-JP said:
Brother, I didn't learn that today. I've known it for a while. It still disappoints me.

I'll still wish you the best, but yes. It disappoints me that any Volunteer fan could be so ungrateful. Have a great Christmas.
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What some of you always seem to conveniently forget is that Fulmer inherited the successful program that Majors had to rebuild from the ground up. And that potshot that Fulmer took at Majors first 5 years was inexcusably cheap and ignited some old kindling. Majors was the coach that brought Fulmer to UT in 1980 and gave him his first success, first as an OL coach and then promoted him to OC. Those were Majors' recruits that Phil coached with good success and that he prospered with as an asst. Talk about "ungrateful"? That cuts 2 ways. Those Majors teams also played Auburn annually when those teams were often as good as Bama's.

I give credit to Fulmer for the 98 championship. Those were his recruits. But the Mannings, Prices, and Wilsons came on the heels of the recruiting base and program that Majors put in place and he had the good fortune of inheriting. And once Majors had established a solid program, he never let if fall. We had pitfalls like the start of 88, but a year later we were back to 11-1 and tied for the SEC crown. Before the conference championship games, the Majors teams tied or won the SEC 3 times, we were always competitive and provided Vol fans with some of the most memorable games in our sports history.

Some of us grew up watching the Majors brothers as players and their legacy is as important to us as any other name that isn't Neyland. My favorite memories from my youth and active adult years came long before Fulmer took the job in 92 from the coach who got him started in his coaching career at UT. Until Fulmer rolled out that disparaging discredit to Majors in defending Pruitt, much of the old animosities had died away with time. But coming within 6 months of Majors' death, uh-uh. Fulmer is a self-serving opportunist imo, who won a NC but will step over people's bodies to achieve power for himself. Majors won a NC, too, and he didn't betray a friendship or a mentor to do it.
 
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#222
#222
The extension and raise Fulmer gave to Pruitt reminded me of Doug Dickey awarding Fulmer an extension and raise after going 8-5 and getting ran out of the Georgia Dome by Maryland in the Peach Bowl in 2003. Dickey used "extenuating circumstances" as his reasoning then.

I always felt that administration decided on "acceptable mediocrity" after 1998.
 
#224
#224
It’s fascinating how people can look at the same thing yet interpret it so differently. I see CPF’s career and I see an above average coach that benefited greatly from those around him . . . Majors, Manning, Cutcliffe, etc. I did a little napkin math and I don’t think it points to Fulmer being a legend or even an elite head coach. His record against P5 teams without Cutcliffe as OC is slightly under .600, and some of those were Vandy, Kentucky and the likes who had vastly inferior talent. Once Saban went to Alabama, Fulmer’s days were always numbered. It was obvious that one guy was playing chess while the other was playing checkers.
 
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#225
#225
cbrown said:
It’s fascinating how people can look at the same thing yet interpret it so differently. I see CPF’s career and I see an above average coach that benefited greatly from those around him . . . Majors, Manning, Cutcliffe, etc. I did a little napkin math and I don’t think it points to Fulmer being a legend or even an elite head coach. His record against P5 teams without Cutcliffe as OC is slightly under .600, and some of those were Vandy, Kentucky and the likes who had vastly inferior talent. Once Saban went to Alabama, Fulmer’s days were always numbered. It was obvious that one guy was playing chess while the other was playing checkers.
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I agree completely. Still a HOF coach whether by luck or talent or a combination of both
 
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