Fulmer always had far more talent than anyone with the exception being Florida. The SEC was weak during his tenure. When Richt arrived at Georgia and cut off his pipeline to Georgia talent that was the beginning of the end. From there, he wasn't in the ballpark with the new coaches arriving in the SEC. He got outcoached repeatedly by the newcomers and was never going to beat them. They were smarter, better prepared, and just outright better coaches. His time had passed him by long before he was let go. I remember in a press conference he said something along the lines of we didn't forget how to coach over night. No he didn't forget how to coach, but he did fail to adjust to the times and up his coaching to a competitive level. Cutcliffe carried him even when he had more talent than all the other schools. When Cutcliffe left a second time, it just made Phil's situation that much worse. One of the biggest mistakes TN made was when Kiffin left and Cutcliffe wanted the job. TN wouldn't allow him to bring his full staff with him, so he turned them down. If TN doesn't make that mistake, we aren't in the position we have been in for 10+ years.