FULMER LEGACY: (What will sports historians write??)

#1
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rockydoc

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#1
Coach Fulmer has been head football coach at Tennessee for 15 seasons (counting the partial '92 year). Let's say he continues the modest sucess that he had in 2006 and coaches another 7 to 10 years and then retires. Let's even be generous and say he wins another SEC championship during his remaining years. How will he be viewed in the context of ledgendary coaches past or present.

Examples:1)Barry Switzer(?sp)...wishbone, charismatic, players coach...2)Bobby Bowden (in prime).......gambler, great recruiter, play anyone anywhere........3) Tom Osborne......cerebral, dignity, etc. 4) Paul Bryant......brilliant football mind and motivator 5) Bob Stoops....great defense. and lastly 6) John Majors who will be remembered for the great number of his assistant coaches that turned became future college and pro head coaches.

This is not to be another Anti-PF thread (we have plenty, thank you) but I'm just curious. Will he be a footnote in college football history like a Lavelle Edwards at BYU that with a lot of good luck, stuck gold and won a solitary National Championship?
 
#3
#3
As a GREAT representative, recruiter, a GOOD manager of the program, a GOOD player-relation coach, and an AVERAGE strategist.

Fulmer's strongest asset is that he is willing to let others make decisions during the game, b/c he isnt the best at it. He isnt bad by any means, but I will never forget the complete look of fear Spurrier used to put on his face, as recent as the 05 SC game.

I love CPF, and he will always be special to me b/c he brought UT to the highest level Ive seen it at in my life to this point, but history will remember him as somewhat of an underachiever, given the amount of players we've poured in the NFL, you'd think we couldve had more than 2 SEC ships.
 
#4
#4
however you can credit NFL success to players working their asses off on their own to improve and get better. Sometimes kids do that without coaches pushing them. ie Terrel Owens
 
#5
#5
blaker024 said:
however you can credit NFL success to players working their asses off on their own to improve and get better. Sometimes kids do that without coaches pushing them. ie Terrel Owens
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Not as many as we've turned out... If it were 1 every 50 years "(TO from UTC), then I'd agree, but that isnt the case.

Donte is notoriously lazy, and look at his success coming out of UT.
 
#6
#6
i think by the time he decides not to coach anymore, most of the fans will be glad to see him go. i believe most of his major accomplishments are in the past, so i have a bad feeling his legacy will be on the average if he can't get us back near the top of the SEC. it's sad because phil has done alot of good at UT, he just let the program fall to far to be considered as greatness.
 
#7
#7
Unfortunately, if he continues with the success of late - 2nd/3rd in SECE and only squeeks out one more SEC Champ, he will be remembered as an above average coach that was a great recruiter. He will need more success in his twilight to be remembered as great.
 
#9
#9
Realistically he will be remembered like Vince Dooley is down in Georgia. He will always be be fondly revered for the NC, and will be extremely popular in the state, but will not receive too much national attention.
 
#10
#10
He got a street named after him way too early. What else does he have to look forward too? All the praises and acolades have already been given to him. Had he or should he leave on a high note his legacy will live on. If not, It might be one of those should haves. JMO
 
#11
#11
How well he will be remembered will also depend on what he does the next couple years. Right now he has a great NC and average success over a good number of years with on black eye last year. The average seasons continue and he'll leave (not sure how long that'll take) on a low note with fans wishing he left a long time ago. If he gets a couple more SECG and somehow a NC then he'll go out on top. To me right now he is just a couple chapters into a book of which many pages still have to be written. We'll see how it comes out.
 
#12
#12
Two things will be his lack of success versus Spurrier and the Bama-NCAA scandal. His entry in Wikipedia has a large section about the Bama scandal.

From Wikipedia:

Fulmer has dominated Alabama to an extent never seen before in the Southeastern Conference, losing the Tide only twice and tying them once. Off the field, Fulmer was one of several coaches to report Alabama's illegal recruiting practices to the NCAA, particularly the recruitment of Memphian Albert Means, which ultimately led to probation for the Alabam program, the firing of Tide Coach Mike DuBose and a felony conviction for Tide booster Logan Young. Rogue Tide boosters and their attorneys responded with a raft of lawsuits against Fulmer personally -- none of which were successful. [Memphis Commercial Appeal, July 30, 2004]

Alabama columnists and talk show hosts attempted to fame the flames of the "controversy" while Fulmer gamely defended his, and the NCAA's, actions to preserve college football's system of self-governance: "When you get behind all the smoke and the big pile of lawsuits, the truth still stands: rules were broken, an investigation proved it, those who broke the rules admitted their guilt, and a university paid the price. There are a few people who cannot accept the truth, so they file lawsuits hoping the truth will go away."
 
#13
#13
IMO the Alabama scandal will be a distant memory within just a few years.
 
#14
#14
98 will be a defining year for Phil. My opinion his legacy hasnt been written yet. I will say one more great season like 98 & he will be there with switzer & bowden ect. he will be known as a winner if that rings true.
 
#15
#15
fishing.gif
 
#16
#16
Fulmer is in his mid 50's so he's still got a good 10 or more years left in him so I think its too early to say what they'll write about him
 
#17
#17
IMO CPF will be seen as an above average recruiter who turned them into average players. The potential for true greatness has been there, but not realized. How can you have Manning, Lewis, Henry, Price, Wilson, Kent, Fair, (I think), def end no. 1, etc. getting too damn old, cant think of the names anymore, Im not at home, at the library trying to remember what I came here for, and too damn stubborn to call my wife. She is a damn Buckeye. Went to OSU.
 
#18
#18
not even i'd be that harsh to phil fulmer. If his legacy was written today he'd be considered a great recruiter who was able to put an great product on the field, but could rarely pull off the major wins. he didn't do any harm to the players IMO, his teams just rarely won the big game. we all know i'm turning more and more anti-fulmer by the day, but he still has time to put his stamp on the game.
 
#19
#19
dobre_shunka said:
Two things will be his lack of success versus Spurrier and the Bama-NCAA scandal. His entry in Wikipedia has a large section about the Bama scandal.

From Wikipedia:

Fulmer has dominated Alabama to an extent never seen before in the Southeastern Conference, losing the Tide only twice and tying them once. Off the field, Fulmer was one of several coaches to report Alabama's illegal recruiting practices to the NCAA, particularly the recruitment of Memphian Albert Means, which ultimately led to probation for the Alabam program, the firing of Tide Coach Mike DuBose and a felony conviction for Tide booster Logan Young. Rogue Tide boosters and their attorneys responded with a raft of lawsuits against Fulmer personally -- none of which were successful. [Memphis Commercial Appeal, July 30, 2004]

Alabama columnists and talk show hosts attempted to fame the flames of the "controversy" while Fulmer gamely defended his, and the NCAA's, actions to preserve college football's system of self-governance: "When you get behind all the smoke and the big pile of lawsuits, the truth still stands: rules were broken, an investigation proved it, those who broke the rules admitted their guilt, and a university paid the price. There are a few people who cannot accept the truth, so they file lawsuits hoping the truth will go away."
Click to expand...

That "tie" was later turned into a "win" because of the Bama forfeit of nine games that year. So I wish someone with better computer skills than me would correct that egregious error on Wikipedia.
 
#22
#22
Lexvol said:
Realistically he will be remembered like Vince Dooley is down in Georgia. He will always be be fondly revered for the NC, and will be extremely popular in the state, but will not receive too much national attention.
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that's kind of how i see it as well. and it's not a bad thing......of course if he wins the SEC a few more times and maybe another national championship...this could all change. otherwise, i agree with you Lex.
 
#23
#23
Well it won't be in the infamous words of Bum Phillips who said "he can take his'un and beat your'un or take your'un and beat his'un!
 
#25
#25
GAVol said:
I laughed when I read that, but it is SO true.
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Honestly, I think he peaked too early! Oh he can rebound ! His legacy is left up to him. But other than $$$ what else can be done for him? Anybody know how much $$$ CPF gives back to UT? I heard Joe Pa has donated over 10 million to PSU.
 
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