well, I am a card carrying member of Mensa
the only point I was trying to make is that as UF and LSU win Natl Championships, we compete for 4th place in the SEC. Their present success just ensures a tougher and tougher road for the Vols. Is Fulmer up to the task? I think not.
Well. Tougher? Sure. It is always getting tougher. Saban will probably find the SEC tougher than he left it. No one stood still.
But the Vols didn't compete for 4th place. Mensa?
The Vols lost by one to UF and 4 to LSU without Ainge. Before the Ainge injury, they were 8-1. That's called competing for 1st place.
In honesty, where do think the Vols would have been without the Ainge injury? Do you think they'd have lost to LSU? Do you think they'd have been blown our or even lost to Arkansas? What about the Harrell/Johnson injuries? If none of those had occurred, where do you think the Vols would have been... following a 5-6 season?
Be honest. Instead of saying you "think not", say you "feel that he isn't" or else say specifically what Phillip Fulmer should be doing differently.
Did he personally fail to make good leadership decisions resulting in the "decline" since 98? (Decline as in being consistently competitive and appearing in two championship games.) Yes he did. He let distorted loyalty to players and coaches hurt the program.
Has he corrected the coaching problems? To a large extent, he has. The defense with the injury to Harrell lost all 7 of their front 7. That means they had 3 holdover starters and still allowed only 19.5 ppg. In 2005, it was 18.6. On offense, the Vols went from 18.6 ppg to 27.8 ppg (29.5 with Ainge in the game).
He addressed coaching.
He addressed discipline.
He is recruiting well.
The program is doing comparatively well academically.
He is running a clean program.
The Vols were out of only one game all year long.
Who according to your apparently very intelligent opinion should get the credit for the monumental turnaround? Should Fulmer get none?
What specifically is he not doing?... or do you not like him simply because he isn't new and glamorous like Meyer?
Fulmer learned some difficult lessons the hard way and like Bowden had to discipline someone very close to him. The "family" attitude that might have caused too much personal loyalty is also what makes kids willing to move 1500 miles from home to play for UT.
I'll admit that part of the reason I like him is that he looks, acts, and talks like a football coach rather than a politician.
Is there anything you are willing to give Fulmer credit for?
