Firing Philip Fulmer was the worst mistake a major program has ever made

So just ignore one of TN's football golden ages that occurred in the interim??

Not all. Dam good period of football, BUT with the most talent in the SEC for about 15 years, we should have won more SEC championships. IN other words, we shouldn't have allowed Florida to dominate us in the 90s. As good as we were, we were out of the national title hunt after the third game most of those years
 
Agreed.

All I'm saying is that a program is much more than than what we see on the field. Fulmer was an excellent recruiter, and there's no doubt of that.

But, Majors didn't take any crap from the admin, nor the boosters. He ran a good program. I think it's what got him fired, him not bowling over for these people.

But the fact that Fulmer has never coached again, is telling. Unlike Fulmer, Majors' old school took him back.

Majors was an alcoholic. I’m not belittling him for it, but it caused a lot of issues on the hill and was what ultimately what led to his downfall because he alienated too many people.
 
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Good grief! Fulmer was 10-3, 5-6, 9-4, 10-4, 5-7 his last 5 years… 39-24

Jones currently 34-26

SMH at people living in the late 90’s…
 
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No

We just got completely wrecked by a 4-5 team. We are winless in the sec and we’re about to have 8 losses for the first time in school history.

Our recruiting class is in free fall. This is the low point, and you ****ing ungrateful idiots who wanted Fulmer gone are the reason.

Thanks for ruining my Alma mater’s football program you idiots....anyone who stood by Fulmer and was against the rednecky mob of pitchfork weilders, you are not part of the fellowship of morons that I am insulting so please don’t be offended.
May be that one of the idiots you're talking about looks at you as you shave.
 
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Fulmer/Hammy started the dumpster fire. The Administration has been fueling that fire ever since... Currie can put it out, but will he?
 
I'm glad we didn't have a losing season under Fulmer, glad recruiting hadn't fallen, glad we didn't lose to Wyoming... Oh wait.

Yeah, "oh wait", go back and look at the timing of things; but then you'd probably not understand that either.
 
Yeah, "oh wait", go back and look at the timing of things; but then you'd probably not understand that either.

Do you understand that after 2001, we were never a national contender? Do you understand off-the-field problems made us a laughingstock? Do you understand that if special teams are bad, that winning big games is unlikely?
 
No, letting Haslam and Hamilton doing the hiring was the worse mistake ever made.

There was a post floating around here the last few days that pretty well documented that firing a decent coach and then playing the hiring game was like diving into the cesspool. Supposedly at least some of the other schools intended to make the program better, so we can't assume everyone fires a moderately successful coach in hopes of getting worse. So, no, firing Fulmer was the worst part because it set all the rest in motion.
 
I thought so, but some will disagree. Think Phil was a better recruiter. Just saying! Trouble was beating the Gators, Georgia and Bama. We had a 5 year winning streak against Bama but couldn't beat Florida until after Peyton graduated. 13-0!
 
You are correct. Worst decision in 50 years of Tennessee football.

Anyone arguing is doing so from emotion and trying to rationalize their fairly incontrovertible wrongness. Brains on par with a sack of hammers.

Phil wasn't as great as Saban, Spurrier, Meyer. But he wouldn't be losing to Muschamp, Mason, and Sharkboy. To think how low the SEC is now, especially the East, relative to even 2008.

Now we are in real, real danger. Anything less than Gruden, even Dan Mullen who has done great things at Miss State, and we're toast for another decade.

Gruden or many of us will spend the last half of our lives without a Tennessee championship.

Never fails, Fulmer discussion and Gibbs has to show up spouting his nonsense.
 
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I would take a couple of years of mediocrity under Fulmer than anything under lame kitten, DD, and bj.

No one is denying Fulmer was struggling but he DESERVED more time. He was a Tennessee guy that bled orange, not just because TN signed his paycheck.

I think Fulmer and big booster got into a pissing match had and the booster got him canned.

By the way, Fulmer continues to win....

I'm amazed that so many people never stop to consider how the Albert Means recruiting thing turned against Tennessee. AL can negatively recruit with the best of them, and to this day AL has never quit being the "wronged party" - cheating to them is OK, but being reported because that's how the NCAA works is a mortal sin.

The SEC never supported Fulmer, and continuing the media days in AL (Hoovering up AL trash) made him a laughing stock. Pretty hard to recruit in that atmosphere. Apparently rules to keep the playing surface level are only for outside appearances, and the cardinal rule is never, never taint the AL image. Probably why in so many areas we are in the mess we are in - a nation of cowards afraid to tackle real issues, and ready to hang anyone who does.
 
Have been a dumpster fire since Fulmer. Nobody in the administration seems to grasp the concept of hiring quality and being defense oriented. It's not rocket science to see why Alabama, Auburn, Georgia (this year) win. For God's Sake fire Butch and move on - QUICKLY

Unfortunately most of VN and everyone else yapping about replacements can't get over their worship of offensive gurus (offensive in both senses of the word) when defense matters more.
 
Unfortunately most of VN and everyone else yapping about replacements can't get over their worship of offensive gurus (offensive in both senses of the word) when defense matters more.

If we were able to get Gruden you better believe he would bring in a top notch DC. Probably Rex Ryan
 
It would have taken an industrial crane to get Fulmer off of his laurels post-2000.

The equity comment from him did it for me. That and the arrogance he showed to those who had the temerity to question anything about his game planning, scheme, etc..
 
This thought is too complex for most. We've sucked since we fired Fulmer, so that must mean firing Fulmer was the problem.

Lots of simpletons in our fan base. When you see posters claiming that Fulmer has more credibility as a coach than Gruden, you know for the most part that our fan base is somewhat dumbed down
 
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The equity comment from him did it for me. That and the arrogance he showed to those who had the temerity to question anything about his game planning, scheme, etc..

I recall Phil locking the media out of practices... he would meet them at the practice facility entrance and answer a their questions. This was late in his tenure, when things were going south for him. He did not let the media circle the wagons for the kill. That stuck with me... trying to hide his problem, yet it was on full display Saturdays.
 

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