Fulmer’s Legacy at Tennessee

#79
#79
GAVol said:
I've never understood the fascination some have with minimizing Fulmer's career. He was a very good OL coach and OC helping Majors build the program and then had a great run that lasted 12 years before things started to fall off.

I agree that he kept some assistants around too long and recruiting faltered and he needed to be replaced. You'll also find a ton of posts from a few years ago where I was not in favor of a football coach getting the AD job. But when he was good, he was good and there's no point trying to explain it away.
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exactly. He and Majors both were the most successful coaches we have had since Neyland and both had their faults and their successes but people act overly emotional about them without reason and then blame everyone else for the mediocrity we have had since they both were fired
 
#80
#80
I think ole Majors knew a good witch doctor, put a spell on UT football, when Phil won his natty in 98.. all down hill from there.
 
#82
#82
Fulmer was the coach over our most memorable time as fans. I'd rather leave it at that but he kept trudging forward and it's culminated in disgrace as an AD. He should have left well enough alone.
 
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#83
#83
I'll remember the great teams we had in the 90's leading to the National Championship. In hindsight, maybe he reached the coaching pinnacle too early in his head coaching career. Maybe better for him and the university if he gets a National Championship 10 years later, after he has struggled and overcome more obstacles. Its time for him and the university to move forward separately now. Sad ending.
 
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#85
#85
1998 will override all things as time goes on.


But the people who write the history will note his culpability in the decline of this program and his responsibility in seeing it reach the embarrassing nadir of its existence in 2021.
 
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#86
#86
TN/LA said:
For the record, 76-38 in the 2000's including his only 2 losing seasons.

His two losing seasons sandwiched a 9-4 and 10-4 season.

Look up his record and show me a long slow glide into mediocrity.
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----

I guess living through it made it feel long and slow, but going from 7 conference losses from 2001-2004 to 15 conference losses from 2005-2008 is a slide into mediocrity, especially coming off of his highs of the 1990s (when he had only 12 conference losses in his first 8 season.)[/QUOTE]

I had no problem with them searching for better coaching after his last season, but replacing him with a slime ball has led to the Kiffin curse on our program. I bet he is going to continue the Ed O., Houston Nutt, Hugh Freeze legacy down there... They screwed up by hiring Matt Luke to raise the integrity meter up a few points. Will watch to see if the NCAA comes back to town to wipe away some of his wins too. The good news for UM is that he is evidently trying to get out of town as fast as he can by putting his name in a few hats. That should cheer them up.
 
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#87
#87
Phil will be remembered as one of the best HCs we’ve ever had. A great advocate for Tennessee and true VFL. Although he was an awful AD that’ll be forgotten in time.

Once the Fulmer/Majors warriors all die out everyone left will just remember the good ole days when we had two great HCs and a wonderful couple of decades.
 
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#89
#89
It’ll be a complex legacy. Most fans will remember ring on top in the 90’s and appreciate his efforts. But his time was clearly over as a head coach when he had 2 losing seasons in his last 4 years. But then for him to come swooping in and back door his way into the ad office was ridiculous. We are in this mess because of fulmer making that decision. He worked his way into a job he wasn’t qualified for and made himself a few million dollars more. But this is the lowest we’ve ever been and it’s fulmer’s fault. Nobody wanted Pruitt as the coach. And that contract extension was horrific. It meant we had to go public with these infractions to get rid of Pruitt. So definitely a complex legacy. He should stayed away. There’s a lot of sayings for things like this. Stop while you’re ahead etc.
 
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#91
#91
Vol49er said:
Worst AD? Please. Most of our programs are very healthy right now. Mike Hamilton is and likely always will be our worst AD
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Hired the worst coach of all time. Presided over a program that had one of the worst runs of all time. Leaves with his hire being fired for cheating. Leaves with the program in shambles and a certified dumpster fire. Make a case for him NOT being one of the worst AD's of all time.
 
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#92
#92
PNW Huskie said:
Hired the worst coach of all time. Presided over a program that had one of the worst runs of all time. Leaves with his hire being fired for cheating. Leaves with the program in shambles and a certified dumpster fire. Make a case for him NOT being one of the worst AD's of all time.
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Other than the coach being fired for cheating, all of those fit Mike Hamilton as well, and Hamilton inherited a much better situation and also, there are other sports at UT than football
 
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#94
#94
Am I the only one here that thought Fulmer was a snake? Since day one after he kicked Majors to the curb I knew then he was nothing but a fool. For the ones that like Steele, just remember he and the big money people at Auburn got Gus fired so Steele could move into the head coaching job. The only difference is the Auburn president set up a coaching search committee in spite of the big money guys. If UT would have done that we would have been better off and this BS wouldn’t be taking place now.
 
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#96
#96
Vol49er said:
Other than the coach being fired for cheating, all of those fit Mike Hamilton as well, and Hamilton inherited a much better situation and also, there are other sports at UT than football
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Compelling argument. Pffftt 🙄
 
#97
#97
Vol49er said:
Other than the coach being fired for cheating, all of those fit Mike Hamilton as well, and Hamilton inherited a much better situation and also, there are other sports at UT than football
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Sports relying on football revenue for funding.

If you get football wrong at Tennessee, then you've failed as an athletic director.

If your hire for football at Tennessee gets it the worst probation it has received in the history of the program, then you certainly qualify as one of the worst athletic directors this school has ever hired. No one will ever confuse you with Dr. Dougherty or Doug Dickey.

Fulmer's actions with regard to football at Tennessee have put this program that much closer to entering a second generation of sub-standard performance. If apathy grows out of that, then the revenue decline will grow with it.

Football will not be the only sport to feel the impact of such a loss.
 
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#99
#99
COACHING RECORD

Success at Tennessee
  • 17 seasons as Head Coach (152-52)
  • National and SEC Coach of the Year in 1998
  • .743 winning percentage (top 5 among active coaches)
  • Undefeated record against 31 of 50 Tennessee opponents
  • Tennessee ranked in 171 of 204 games
  • 94 SEC regular season conference wins
  • 7-1 in overtime games
  • 5-0 as nation's No. 1-ranked team
  • 11+ win seasons: 4
  • 10+ win seasons: 9
  • 9+ win seasons: 11
  • 8+ win seasons: 14
  • 98-37 vs. record ranked teams
  • 54-15 vs. non-conference teams
  • 52-23 on the road in SEC
Championships
  • National Championship: 1998
  • SEC Championships: 1997, 1998
  • SEC Eastern Division Titles in last 11 years of coaching: 1997, 1998, 2001, 2004, 2007
  • SEC Championship Game appearances: 1997, 1998, 2001, 2004, 2007
  • 15 Bowl Games
  • 13 January Bowl Games
 
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