Posted via VolNation MobileI would hope to lend some objectivity to the debate with my reply to the thread, but I'm not sure if it's possible with the hardened positions many of us have taken.
I would have liked to have kept Fulmer for the following reasons: He played for UT, was an Assistant for UT, was Johnny Major's best recruiter, had been promoted from OL to Offensive Coordinator and Assistant Head Coach, was named interim HC, took over the program and won a National Championship. He's a Tennessee guy who exceeded anyone's expectations. His program's eventual decline never reached the depths that it is at now. Anyone who thinks Phillip would have gutted the program of players and tradition and National Stature as is playing out before us is exaggerating his failure as a coach.
I would have liked to have had Lane Kiffin and his coaching staff around longer than a year to see what he could have done. He would have struggled this year for sure, but if he didn't land most of his players in jail or the University on probation, I believe he would have been very successful at UT. However, I would not have wanted to see LK succeed in "his way" over the Tennessee way in the end, and I'm glad he's gone. I would have taken some mediocre years with Johnny or Phil before trashing Tennessee's traditions.
None of us could have expected the adversity that Derek Dooley is now facing. Of all the coaching options availableto Mike Hamilton; Fulmer, Kiffin, Muschamp, Cutcliffe, etc., I truly believe Dooley is the best guy for the job right now. I think he has all the right answers for what Tennessee needs. Granted, there was a good arguement for change before firing PF.....but if anyone thought that firing Fulmer was going to land Tennessee this far out of contention.....NOBODY would have asked for the change.
Ironically, Tennessee may have landed the right person for the job. If DD leaves for greener pastures within the next 2 years, then I think we all will admit the terrible mistake. If however he turns the program around and stays long enough to compare himself to Fulmer and Neyland, or Dickey and Majors, then the change might have been worth it.
Blaming Fulmer for everything that happened after his termination is foolish.
I seen nothing wrong with the article. One day, 5-10 years from now, people will look back at Fulmer's era and appreciate it.
A couple of years ago I would of agreed with you. But this man simply does not get it. He is living in his own little delusional world. He honestly does not see what he did to the program the last five years he was here. The best thing he could do for his legacy is STFU and go count his money. Everytime he comments in public he will lose some of his following. I want to respect what he did but he just cant let it go. He thought he was untouchable and he got fired. He is bitter and will never get over it just like Majors.
Your foolish to think he isn't to blame!!! Kiffin had one recruiting class, they are all sophmores the rest are fulmers!! So tell me again why we lack depth? And talent? Gotta hear the excuse you make for fulmer now!
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He single handedly did so? If that is the case then he has to get all the credit for the good he accomplished.
Phil gets way too much hate.
Those of us who see the situation for what it is place the blame where it belongs, at the feet of Fulmer.and then he should say " and here is an example of how dumb they are. They get a new coach that had every bit the resume of the last loserwho they loved" " in his second game he battles arguably the best team in america to a standstill for 2 and a half quarters with the supposed terrible talent i left behind" then two terrible momentum killing plays come along that would bury any football team that had absolutely nothing to do with the coaching" " and they blame the head football coach for that"
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Your foolish to think he isn't to blame!!! Kiffin had one recruiting class, they are all sophmores the rest are fulmers!! So tell me again why we lack depth? And talent? Gotta hear the excuse you make for fulmer now!
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I'll never get over that tackle I missed in the SEC title game we backed into when Mauck was running wild.... And that Wyoming loss, I got nothing, everything snowballed.... :cray:Well all you Fulmer haters got us here. I know you will never take blame for your hate that cost us our reputation as a football school, but you are to blame. Not Phil, not kiffen, not Hamilton, not Dooley, Just you haters with no appreciation for what we had. Stupid bunch of hating jerks.
Ummm , yeah he recruited the crap we had at qb! He hired clawson! He stuck his nose in the offensive playcalling.. He didn't coach up the talent that he did recruit! I give much of the offensive success to cutcliff, we sure went down hill after he left, and when he came back we were better, only to see him leave for duke, and everything goto crap again.
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Your foolish to think he isn't to blame!!! Kiffin had one recruiting class, they are all sophmores the rest are fulmers!! So tell me again why we lack depth? And talent? Gotta hear the excuse you make for fulmer now!
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