Fulmer is proud of the University

#126
#126
LegionnaireOfTheMiserable said:
How many coaches who are in their 40s and are coming off a national championship just up and retire? I think you have a very unreasonable view of Fulmer to say he should have just retired after 1998. To say he “never” beat teams he shouldn’t have is a bit unfair too. He had several notable upsets and top 10 wins.

I don’t understand how you can say he was a net negative and just poo poo the national championship away. If two SEC Championships, a national championship, and winning 75% of your games is a net negative, I’ll take living in the red.
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What was his winning % without Cutcliffe?

Here are documented facts; his wife actually suggested to him that he retire after 98. Phil himself admitted after getting fired that he had been coasting for several years.

I will contend that Tennessee underperformed the talent level on the team from 2000 on and then the cupboard was bare when Kiffen came in.

So, then you have a really bad set of coaches with no talent and then Jones who wasted a boatload of talent thru legacy players.

Then you have Fulmer return and hire Pruitt.

So, id say that if your willing to live thru 20 years of mostly crap worth a national championship a good trade that is fine with me, I just disagree and think there was so much wasted talent and time that it was not a good trade off.

Again, it is fine to agree to disagree and that is where we are at as there is nothing you can say to convince me that Fulmer was great and I can't convince you that he was a net negative.

It's all good and opinions will always vary.
 
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#127
#127
EconVol92 said:
What was his winning % without Cutcliffe?

Here are documented facts; his wife actually suggested to him that he retire after 98. Phil himself admitted after getting fired that he had been coasting for several years.

I will contend that Tennessee underperformed the talent level on the team from 2000 on and then the cupboard was bare when Kiffen came in.

So, then you have a really bad set of coaches with no talent and then Jones who wasted a boatload of talent thru legacy players.

Then you have Fulmer return and hire Pruitt.

So, id say that if your willing to live thru 20 years of mostly crap worth a national championship a good trade that is fine with me, I just disagree and think there was so much wasted talent and time that it was not a good trade off.

Again, it is fine to agree to disagree and that is where we are at as there is nothing you can say to convince me that Fulmer was great and I can't convince you that he was a net negative.

It's all good and opinions will always vary.
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His winning percentage without Cutcliffe was better than Majors’ winning percentage. The cupboard wasn’t bare when Kiffin came in, Fulmer isn’t why we had 20 years of mostly crap. Fulmer is why we had 20 years of mostly good to great football.
 
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#128
#128
ETV said:
And he had another opportunity to play for a 2nd one in ‘01, but somehow ended up blowing it against an inferior LSU team.
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Yes, you have a point and that is a painful memory that I would like to forget. That was against a garbage LSU QB by the way.
 
#131
#131
VolInNW said:
Fulmer had the luck of timing, in that all of the other SEC powers were on a down slope, AND Cutcliffe as OC developing offensive talent all over the board. Once the SEC powers took steps to right the ship in the individual cases, and Cut left, Fulmer's mediocre status was revealed and confirmed.

He 'gave' a lot to the University, and has been HANDSOMELY compensated for it. Again, I think we are square with Fulmer. I'd prefer if he would just count his money over a nice glass of STFU and allow the current staff to run the place.
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I do agree with this, somewhat. In the beginning, all that CPF really had to do was tool the program and team to compete with Florida, at that time. He accomplished that and was able to do so similar to how Majors built his program. While the other SEC schools were down, CPF was able to pluck kids from Georgia (Atlanta), Alabama (Tee Martin and others) and Louisiana among other hot beds. I remember Georgia’s come from behind win in ‘01. That TD call was good! At that time, I remember thinking Georgia finally had their coach. I didn’t know anything about Saban when he was at LSU but after that ‘01 SECCG loss, I knew LSU was going to be good. I didn’t care for Tubberville and the pine box issue but during that ‘03 game when the TV announcers stated we had Cadillac Williams before JUCO and lost the recruiting war with Auburn, I thought we weren’t maybe as dominant as we once were in getting players.

Still, a sabbatical, though!
 
#132
#132
LegionnaireOfTheMiserable said:
His winning percentage without Cutcliffe was better than Majors’ winning percentage. The cupboard wasn’t bare when Kiffin came in, Fulmer isn’t why we had 20 years of mostly crap. Fulmer is why we had 20 years of mostly good to great football.
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If Fulmer had been allowed to continue until we found our Kirby Smart we could had a transition similar to GA. Having talent and transitioning to a winner. You are 100% correct in the assessment of Fulmer is 0% to blame for where we are now. Even with how things turned out with Pruitt, Fulmer was just desperate to fix a bad coaching search. He was put in a position of power he shouldn't have been put in, and even that isn't on him.
 
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#134
#134
Hairy Vols said:
If Fulmer had been allowed to continue until we found our Kirby Smart we could had a transition similar to GA. Having talent and transitioning to a winner. You are 100% correct in the assessment of Fulmer is 0% to blame for where we are now. Even with how things turned out with Pruitt, Fulmer was just desperate to fix a bad coaching search. He was put in a position of power he shouldn't have been put in, and even that isn't on him.
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Pruitt was a horrible hire, but if he had made a Butch type of hire that showed a bit of hope before flaming out, who knows where we would be now? Most likely we’d be worse off.
 
#135
#135
LegionnaireOfTheMiserable said:
That LSU quarterback won a national championship two years later, fwiw
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That's not '01 and the collapse. LSU lost their QB1 and RB1 in the first half and was down by 2 scores. When I saw some of the staff and players with roses in their hands during pregame, some of the fanbase thought we were jinxed. They were right.

CPF had a chance to solidify his legacy at UT with a win in that game. They go on to play Miami for the NC, (2nd appearance in 4 years). Even though the team would have likely lost to Miami, it would have been a much better matchup than Nebraska was.

Instead, CPF took another trip to the Citrus bowl, beating the brakes off an overmatched Michigan team. Then slowly regressing over the next few years until 2005, when the wheels fell off.
 
#136
#136
Some of the best Fulmer gifs and memes were on VN during the final years of his career.
 
#137
#137
barrylee said:
This post reminds me of why I very seldom come to the FF!
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giphy.gif
 
#138
#138
Hairy Vols said:
If Fulmer had been allowed to continue until we found our Kirby Smart we could had a transition similar to GA. Having talent and transitioning to a winner. You are 100% correct in the assessment of Fulmer is 0% to blame for where we are now. Even with how things turned out with Pruitt, Fulmer was just desperate to fix a bad coaching search. He was put in a position of power he shouldn't have been put in, and even that isn't on him.
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He put himself in consideration for the job lol. He absolutely has some blame.
 
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#139
#139
ETV said:
That's not '01 and the collapse. LSU lost their QB1 and RB1 in the first half and was down by 2 scores. When I saw some of the staff and players with roses in their hands during pregame, some of the fanbase thought we were jinxed. They were right.

CPF had a chance to solidify his legacy at UT with a win in that game. They go on to play Miami for the NC, (2nd appearance in 4 years). Even though the team would have likely lost to Miami, it would have been a much better matchup than Nebraska was.

Instead, CPF took another trip to the Citrus bowl, beating the brakes off an overmatched Michigan team. Then slowly regressing over the next few years until 2005, when the wheels fell off.
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The quarterback who filled in for Davey was Matt Mauck, who was quarterback on their 03 championship team. My only point was that the QB Who beat us did not suck because he was good enough to win a national championship.

It was a tremendous disappointment and a game we should have won, but everything that happened after that (the backup quarterback later winning a national championship, the head coach later becoming the best college coach ever arguably) makes it make a little more sense in context beyond just saying Fulmer sucked. He ran into the birth of a legend that night.
 
#140
#140
YankeeVol said:
He put himself in consideration for the job lol. He absolutely has some blame.
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I mean that is fair and I cant argue that. I suppose my point was tho that the program shouldn't of been in the state for the opportunity for him to put himself in that consideration.
 
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#142
#142
Hairy Vols said:
If Fulmer had been allowed to continue until we found our Kirby Smart we could had a transition similar to GA. Having talent and transitioning to a winner. You are 100% correct in the assessment of Fulmer is 0% to blame for where we are now. Even with how things turned out with Pruitt, Fulmer was just desperate to fix a bad coaching search. He was put in a position of power he shouldn't have been put in, and even that isn't on him.
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I think the issue was that Hamilton thought Kiffin could transition from Fulmer. However, Kiffin was fairly immature at the time. I think he kind of regrets it sometimes with how he acted.

Gary Patterson and Chip Kelly were apparently in the running at that time. Patterson would have been a great pickup.
 
#144
#144
volbound1700 said:
I think the issue was that Hamilton thought Kiffin could transition from Fulmer. However, Kiffin was fairly immature at the time. I think he kind of regrets it sometimes with how he acted.

Gary Patterson and Chip Kelly were apparently in the running at that time. Patterson would have been a great pickup.
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My incredible hot take that I can't prove is that Patterson would not have been successful here.
 
#145
#145
zjcvols said:
They should rename Phillip Fulmer Way to David Cutcliffe Drive.
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Fulmer's staff was a three headed monster with Chavis, Cutcliffe, and Fulmer. All three were the key ingredient. After Cutcliffe left, the defense still held up from 2001-2008. In fact, it was arguably better during that period.
 
#146
#146
Hairy Vols said:
If Fulmer had been allowed to continue until we found our Kirby Smart we could had a transition similar to GA. Having talent and transitioning to a winner. You are 100% correct in the assessment of Fulmer is 0% to blame for where we are now. Even with how things turned out with Pruitt, Fulmer was just desperate to fix a bad coaching search. He was put in a position of power he shouldn't have been put in, and even that isn't on him.
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The problem is that Fulmer himself fenagled and sabotaged his way to that position of power. It's not like he was gardening on a Wednesday and then Davenport called him to fire Currie and ask him to take over. He saw a vulnerable position in the fanbase after Schiano Sunday and instead of being a positive presence to try and bring things together, he snaked his way to Davenport's ear and got Currie fired and the Leach hire revoked.

Then he had the greatest gall I've ever seen to hamstring the university to call his firing a "retirement" because Donde/Byrd didn't want to divide the fanbase anymore and went up there to say during the middle of a major NCAA investigation that he left the football program better than when he got there, all while taking a firing buyout disguised as retirement. It's appalling
 
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#147
#147
zjcvols said:
The problem is that Fulmer himself fenagled and sabotaged his way to that position of power. It's not like he was gardening on a Wednesday and then Davenport called him to fire Currie and ask him to take over. He saw a vulnerable position in the fanbase after Schiano Sunday and instead of being a positive presence to try and bring things together, he snaked his way to Davenport's ear and got Currie fired and the Leach hire revoked.

Then he had the greatest gall I've ever seen to hamstring the university to call his firing a "retirement" because Donde/Byrd didn't want to divide the fanbase anymore and went up there to say during the middle of a major NCAA investigation that he left the football program better than when he got there, all while taking a firing buyout disguised as retirement. It's appalling
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My favorite Fulmerism of ALL TIME was that during that VERY SAME presser, he was completely tone deaf enough to comment that recruiting had really picked up during his time as AD.

I mean, really?? Really?? The University has just fired the HC, and announced an investigation moments before you spoke into.....RECRUITING VIOLATIONS, and old Phlegmatic Phil has the gall to call out recruiting as a bright spot.

Fulmer was the living embodiment of the Peter Principle. After Cut left, he was MARGINALLY competent as HC, but truly reached his personal level of incompetence with the AD position.

Please, can Fulmer just go away, count his millions, and be happy?
 
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#148
#148
VolInNW said:
My favorite Fulmerism of ALL TIME was that during that VERY SAME presser, he was completely tone deaf enough to comment that recruiting had really picked up during his time as AD.

I mean, really?? Really?? The University has just fired the HC, and announced an investigation moments before you spoke into.....RECRUITING VIOLATIONS, and old Phlegmatic Phil has the gall to call out recruiting as a bright spot.

Fulmer was the living embodiment of the Peter Principle. After Cut left, he was MARGINALLY competent as HC, but truly reached his personal level of incompetnece with the AD position.

Please, can Fulmer just go away, count his millions, and be happy?
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Perfect example of stating facts yet not "hating" in any manner. Unfortunately there's a portion of the fan base that will quickly label it as hate
 
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#149
#149
BernardKingGOAT said:
Perfect example of stating facts yet not "hating" in any manner. Unfortunately there's a portion of the fan base that will quickly label it as hate
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Even simpler, 152 wins, and that is not Coach speak. 100 games over .500 in the SEC. HOF. Street in his name. His body of work is what it is, regardless of both endings. Damn few have given more to this program, even with two horrible tenure ending hires. No matter how many times folks repackage their hate.
 
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#150
#150
GUNTERSVOL said:
Even simpler, 152 wins, and that is not Coach speak. 100 games over .500 in the SEC. HOF. Street in his name. His body of work is what it is, regardless of both endings. Damn few have given more to this program, even with two horrible tenure ending hires. No matter how many times folks repackage their hate.
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That's all true. Do you feel he should have been financially compensated even more than he was during his tenure at UT? He certainly should be lauded for his time as an assistant and HC for most of that time. After that, not so much. Your brain has the ability to distinguish time intervals and the changes that result
 
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