Fulmer is proud of the University

[brockytop]

I’d be proud of the university that paid me $6 mil not to coach too.

 

[Behr]

I guarantee it’s more than care what you think.

 

[molsen81]

I’m surprised that people are so hard on a guy that gave us a naty. It may seem like a while ago but so many other football programs are bumping their gums and never won one or haven’t been winning since Michael Jackson’s Thriller.

 

[ETV]

I’m surprised that people are so hard on a guy that gave us a naty. It may seem like a while ago but so many other football programs are bumping their gums and never won one or haven’t been winning since Michael Jackson’s Thriller.

And he had another opportunity to play for a 2nd one in ‘01, but somehow ended up blowing it against an inferior LSU team.

 

[Carl Pickens]

Nope, is Fulmer your's?

 

[onevol74]

He's also done more to damage the program than I could ever do. See how that works?

Hopefully the OP is getting a share of that sweet buyout money

You talking about Vicky?

 

[onevol74]

I agree! The man made a mistake with Pruitt. But I bet all of us on here did too!! Let's not crucify him but celebrate what his accomplishments were. He was no Donnie Tindell

No, I thought Pruitt was a totally underwhelming hire with no head coaching experience. The only way he could be competitive was to bring the Alabama methods of cheating with him. That decision completely blew up the program.

As far as accomplishments are concerned I credit David Cutcliffe since Fulmer’s record was totally different when he was on the staff.

 

[Iravolfan]

Well I’m gonna get Crucified , but November 3rd 2008 was worst decision UT has ever made , PERIOD!! Tennessee had the #5 recruiting class in the Country , with Tajh Boyd and Bryce Petty both committed . Just 11 months Pryor to being in Atlanta! HUGE MISTAKE ! Finally got a good coach in Heupel , reminds me a lot of Fulmer

 

[Carl Pickens]

I’m curious as to the age breakdown of the Fulmer haters vs the supporters.
I’m 57 and witnessed the ‘77-‘92 Majors era up to current day. The Fulmer years were by far the best. He assembled loaded rosters year after year and probably underperformed based on this, but he took the program to new levels.
It’s true he sucked as AD, but had he not hired Skoal Can Beldor we wouldn’t have CJH now.

 

[BernardKingGOAT]

I’m curious as to the age breakdown of the Fulmer haters vs the supporters.
I’m 57 and witnessed the ‘77-‘92 Majors era up to current day. The Fulmer years were by far the best. He assembled loaded rosters year after year and probably underperformed based on this, but he took the program to new levels.
It’s true he sucked as AD, but had he not hired Skoal Can Beldor we wouldn’t have CJH now.

It's not a binary thing. It certainly isn't either support or hate. There's also plenty of middle ground in an opinion

 

[Pennheel]

Ah,if someone of his standing with the university is asked a question about how he feels about a topic then I'd understand why he would give his opinion. He won the last national championship for the school.

 

[Behr]

I’m surprised that people are so hard on a guy that gave us a naty. It may seem like a while ago but so many other football programs are bumping their gums and never won one or haven’t been winning since Michael Jackson’s Thriller.

I'd probably never say another bad thing about him if some of the others would just stfu about how damn great he was almost 30 years ago.

Hes proud of the university. Good for him. Yay. Is that okay or do others need more?

 

[#1fulmerite]

Well I’m gonna get Crucified , but November 3rd 2008 was worst decision UT has ever made , PERIOD!! Tennessee had the #5 recruiting class in the Country , with Tajh Boyd and Bryce Petty both committed . Just 11 months Pryor to being in Atlanta! HUGE MISTAKE ! Finally got a good coach in Heupel , reminds me a lot of Fulmer

I wonder if a sabbatical would have helped but, then I think of that recruiting class and how ‘08 went or began with the change in offensive style.

It would have taken two more years (at least) with those QB’s and implementation of that type of offense.

Had CPF not been fired in ‘08, would Hamilton have stayed with him the two more years he would have needed?

 

[EZE]

I’m curious as to the age breakdown of the Fulmer haters vs the supporters.
I’m 57 and witnessed the ‘77-‘92 Majors era up to current day. The Fulmer years were by far the best. He assembled loaded rosters year after year and probably underperformed based on this, but he took the program to new levels.
It’s true he sucked as AD, but had he not hired Skoal Can Beldor we wouldn’t have CJH now.

I’m 58 and became a Vols fan when I became a student in the late 80s. Fulmer has been the best HFC since that time IMO. By far.

He got a little lazy and complacent in the 00s, and that complicates the issue for some. I get that, but the run from the mid-90s to the mid-00s was a lot of fun.

 

[volbound1700]

Well I’m gonna get Crucified , but November 3rd 2008 was worst decision UT has ever made , PERIOD!! Tennessee had the #5 recruiting class in the Country , with Tajh Boyd and Bryce Petty both committed . Just 11 months Pryor to being in Atlanta! HUGE MISTAKE ! Finally got a good coach in Heupel , reminds me a lot of Fulmer

In hindsight, you are correct. I was mixed at the time.

A lot of fans were very angry about the UCLA loss (rightfully so). UCLA finished 3-9 and was terrible. I think people quickly turned on Fulmer and overall staff after that loss (although it had been brewing for some time with thoughts that we were falling behind the other programs). If only Arian Foster had not fumbled that ball.

That being said, I don't see Fulmer competing very well against Urban Meyer, Nick Saban, Mark Richt, and others at that time. Tennessee took a gamble with Kiffin and it failed miserable.

Fulmer had been making adjustments that were not pointed out very well such as hiring Dave Clawson as OC (had he been given more than a single year, we might have seen different results).

The issue with Fulmer is that I rarely saw him beat a team that was a favorite. 2001 at Florida, 2003 Miami, 2004 Georgia, and 2007 Georgia stand out as major exceptions and, IMO, are some of Fulmer's best wins.

 

[EconVol92]

Let’s say he takes your advice. If someone asks him to comment on the situation and he responds, “no comment,” how do you think that comes off? You’d be pissed that he threw Heupel under the bus.

Aside from the 152 wins he had, there is no winning for Fulmer with some. The guy devoted most of a 50 year chunk of his life to the program and delivered the only national championship you will ever see. I think he earned the right to comment if asked a question about it.

Take away the Cutcliffe years and what is Fulmer? not much.

Give credit to Fulmer if you want, but the true source of his record was Cutcliffe.

 

[LegionnaireOfTheMiserable]

Take away the Cutcliffe years and what is Fulmer? not much.

Give credit to Fulmer if you want, but the true source of his record was Cutcliffe.

Take away the Cutcliffe years, and Fulmer’s winning percentage is still better than that of Johnny Majors.

 

[Vol865]

I’m curious as to the age breakdown of the Fulmer haters vs the supporters.
I’m 57 and witnessed the ‘77-‘92 Majors era up to current day. The Fulmer years were by far the best. He assembled loaded rosters year after year and probably underperformed based on this, but he took the program to new levels.
It’s true he sucked as AD, but had he not hired Skoal Can Beldor we wouldn’t have CJH now.

I'm 33 and I don't get it. As of right now, he's the best coach we've had in 70 years and made us a dominant football program that we've been trying to get back to for almost 30 years.

 

[VolInNW]

I'm 33 and I don't get it. As of right now, he's the best coach we've had in 70 years and made us a dominant football program that we've been trying to get back to for almost 30 years.

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.

 

[EconVol92]

Take away the Cutcliffe years, and Fulmer’s winning percentage is still better than that of Johnny Majors.

I guess we will just have to agree to disagree.

But I feel that Fulmer inherited a much better roster than Majors did.

Majors got some talent, but he was still coaching field position football with quick kicks and such.

I will give Fulmer his due as far as recruiting goes, but he never beat the teams that he shouldn't have and always lost a game or two to teams that he never should have.

He should have retired after 98, but instead he got lazy and was just trying to hang around to get more wins than the General and pretty much admitted that himself after he left.

The game had passed him by just like it had passed Majors by earlier.

Currie should never have been hired as AD as Blackburn was the much better choice.

To me Phil will always be a net negative as what happened after 98 did much more damage to the program then winning did to help it.

Just my opinion and you can disagree if you like.

 

[LegionnaireOfTheMiserable]

I guess we will just have to agree to disagree.

But I feel that Fulmer inherited a much better roster than Majors did.

Majors got some talent, but he was still coaching field position football with quick kicks and such.

I will give Fulmer his due as far as recruiting goes, but he never beat the teams that he shouldn't have and always lost a game or two to teams that he never should have.

He should have retired after 98, but instead he got lazy and was just trying to hang around to get more wins than the General and pretty much admitted that himself after he left.

The game had passed him by just like it had passed Majors by earlier.

Currie should never have been hired as AD as Blackburn was the much better choice.

To me Phil will always be a net negative as what happened after 98 did much more damage to the program then winning did to help it.

Just my opinion and you can disagree if you like.

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.

 

[LegionnaireOfTheMiserable]

I'm 33 and I don't get it. As of right now, he's the best coach we've had in 70 years and made us a dominant football program that we've been trying to get back to for almost 30 years.

It’s insane, frankly. Absolutely nonsensical the amount of hate that the guy gets.

 

[Carl Pickens]

I'm 33 and I don't get it. As of right now, he's the best coach we've had in 70 years and made us a dominant football program that we've been trying to get back to for almost 30 years.

Yep…..

 

[Vol865]

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.

Sounds like he knew how to delegate and put people in position to succeed. Say what you will. I remember when he was coach thinking we could win against anybody and that was all the way into the mid 2000s. I'd rather appreciate the guy who brought us the only National Championship since before my dad was born than tear him down.

 

[Hairy Vols]

Who cares what he thinks.

As someone who attended Phillip Fulmer’s summer football camp several times as a kid, I’ve always appreciated how kind, respectful, and genuine he’s been every time I’ve met him. He’s a good man, and regardless of how his time as Athletic Director ended, he remains a national championship-winning coach and the last one to bring that title home for our Vols.