Fulmer's Silence ?

[volmandu]

Fulmer's silence abut Tennessee's season so far is quite quizzical to me. As a former successful coach who is now AD, I am sure he knows what a good coach looks like. He sees Pruitt on daily basis, sees what Pruitt is doing, sees his daily calls etc. If anyone, Fulmer should know whether Pruitt can get it done by now. That is why it is surprising that Fulmer hasn't come out in support of Pruitt. He could come out and say 'this place was a mess when we got here. I know Pruitt will right this ship, we just need time'. Something like that could calm the fan base down a lot and also not hurt recruiting. Fulmer knows that Tennessee fan base, he knows how impatient and passionate we are.

So could it be that he knows Pruitt is over his head and is waiting for opportune time to make a move (end of season or October) or he is still running around getting support from his bosses to make his next move ??

I really dont think if Fulmer thought Pruitt was the right guy, he would have kept quiet so long. He would have definitely come out and said something to calm the fans down.

 

[hog88]

WTH do expect him to say?

 

[vanillagorilla]

Maybe it's his way of saying this is what you get for firing me.

 

[Doberman]

If you don’t have anything nice to say, say nothing at all?

 

[Titan05]

If Fulmer starts speaking up about this, Pruitt knows his days are numbered.

 

[FLVOL_79]

Its part of his Coup that happens in October!!

 

[EODVOL]

If anything he needs to show he stands behind his coach, if not publically, than at least to the boosters. I do think depending on what is said, Fulmer could silence some fans, especially the ones who think he is the second coming. The national media has been eating TN football alive and that honestly doesn't bode well for recruiting those 4 and 5 stars which many think are the only type of players that can win.

 

[volmandu]

WTH do expect him to say?

Read the post. Its in there lol !!

 

[Volsfaninva917]

WTH do expect him to say?

 

[Vol$_Deep_11_9]

Have you read some of the posts our fan base has made? If nothing else I think it would stir the pot even more. Phil is doing right by keeping quiet. Nothing he’s going to say at this point is going to make anybody feel better after a 1-3 start and I think he knows that

 

[Tennesseefan2019]

Phil Fulmer is probably trying to get up the nerve to make the big decision at the end of the season

 

[DiderotsGhost]

I really dont think if Fulmer thought Pruitt was the right guy, he would have kept quiet so long. He would have definitely come out and said something to calm the fans down.

Why?

There are always lunatic fans. The AD shouldn't have to give a speech after every loss. What good would that even do?

I've been around long enough to remember when we were a great program. And there were still fans who wanted the coach fired after a 10-2 season. The AD's job is not to soothe every irrational fan reaction.

 

[Pride85]

Is there anything that Fulmer could say that would not cause some members of the fan base to act like fools, not very likely. Praise or condemnation would make no difference.

 

[VolunteerCeltic]

I think his silence is a good thing, if he came out with "I support Pruitt" many would think it was the nail in the coffin. Fulmer is letting Pruitt do his job and attempt to fix this team.

 

[volmandu]

Why?

There are always lunatic fans. The AD shouldn't have to give a speech after every loss. What good would that even do?

I've been around long enough to remember when we were a great program. And there were still fans who wanted the coach fired after a 10-2 season. The AD's job is not to soothe every irrational fan reaction.

I would have agreed with you if this was an over-reaction. However this is a disaster of epic proportions. We lost at home to GAST. To prove that the loss wasn't a fluke, Florida dominated us like a team that lost to GAST. Fulmer not speaking in support of an embattled coach says a lot about which way Fulmer is thinking.

 

[HooahVol]

This is Phil right now when asked about Tennessee:

 

[37620VOL]

I think his silence is a good thing, if he came out with "I support Pruitt" many would think it was the nail in the coffin. Fulmer is letting Pruitt do his job and attempt to fix this team.

Exactly. As soon as he says "Pruitt is our coach and we have complete confidence in him", it's over.

 

[superdave1984]

Why?

There are always lunatic fans. The AD shouldn't have to give a speech after every loss. What good would that even do?

I've been around long enough to remember when we were a great program. And there were still fans who wanted the coach fired after a 10-2 season. The AD's job is not to soothe every irrational fan reaction.

Michigan fans want Harbaugh fired.

I think Phil loves UT. I also think he has an ego. I wonder if he really really wants a coach that will win 150+ games at UT? Will his ego prevent him from hiring the guy who could get us to, and keep us at, the level of top schools like Clemson, bama, uga, etc.? Or will he allow UT to remain mediocre and thereby preserve his own legacy as coach?

To me his legacy would be dramatically increased if he were to hire the guy who did just that. He would be a legend as coach AND as AD. And, by the same token, his legacy would be forever tarnished if he doesn't find the right coach.

 

[Cobb-Webb 1989]

It's all good, Fulmer will hold tight with Pruitt like he did with Randy Sanders.

 

[superdave1984]

Exactly. As soon as he says "Pruitt is our coach and we have complete confidence in him", it's over.

Like Saban saying "I'm not going to be the Alabama coach"?

 

[wmcovol]

Calling for the infamous "Vote of Confidence"? Yeah im ready for it also.

 

[GameTime]

A.D. Fulmer knows this fan base is being led by a group of posters that think they know the answers to all the questions....No sense trying to calm those that don't want to be calmed....

 

[PF4UTNOW]

Maybe it's his way of saying this is what you get for firing me.

You reap what you sow.

 

[PF4UTNOW]

Phil Fulmer is probably trying to get up the nerve to make the big decision at the end of the season

What CPF needs to do is announce that he will return to right the ship, ideally before the Bama game, so we can pull out a big W in Tuscaloosa.

 

[bamawriter]

What CPF needs to do is announce that he will return to right the ship, ideally before the Bama game, so we can pull out a big W in Tuscaloosa.

There is absolutely nothing that Bama fans would love more than Fulmer being UT's head coach come October 19th.