Mr. Hamilton:
As I pen this to you, Im taken back to close to 4 years ago when you showed tremendous courage in making the difficult decision to terminate Buzz Peterson as the Basketball Coach at UT. I was tremendously proud of you as you showed temerity and clarity in making the best decision for our program. What a courageous stance you took in the face of public pleas from the likes of Pat Summitt, Todd Helton, Peyton Manning , Phillip Fulmer, as well as various media members and supporters! The pressure must have been enormous at the time. Yet, you refused to settle for a mediocre coach who was a friend to many. The fact that you made a tremendous hire is beside the point because you scored in my mind with the way you pulled the trigger on a popular guy! Sometimes it works the first time with the first hire after a messy termination. Sometimes it takes a coach or perhaps two to find the right guy.
Now youre in a similar position - and this time youre on the line with the deal that you presented to the Vol Nation for Coach Fulmer which essentially said he was your guy come Hell or high water. Well, Mr. Hamilton this torturous football season has given a little of both Hell and high water. This season has been excruciating on the common fan as none in UT history. Vol fans feel alienated from the very program that means so much to them. In my 15 years of taking calls from the Tennessee fan, this is the high water mark of fan discontent. We all want to feel good about our program, but right now were not being rewarded with a team worthy of this fan base. And its more than just winning and losing. Its about presentation. Its about something thats just tired and worn out. We understand that were not going to win all of them every year, but were tired of fightin like heck, workin like heck and seeing football that is undisciplined and hard to watch. Ive tried to encourage Vol fans not to stay at home during this difficult season. Boycotting is not the answer. I believe the young men need our support in the pursuit of wearing the Big Orange. Still I cant help but feel for a tired fan base that in several cases is resorting to quietly cheering against their team for the sake of change. The exhaustion of Tennessee fans matches what they see on a weekly basis from a regime that seems equally tired, stale and out of steam.
I know this is an incredibly difficult and embarrassing time for you with the way this season has unraveled. I dont want to bore you with the numerical arguments on why coach Fulmer needs to be gone at years end. You know the numbers. You understand more than anyone as you told us on my air 5 years ago to expect 3 SEC Football Titles every 10 years during your tenure as AD. Now, were hearing from Vol Network programming that Tennessees program is akin to Arkansas and that the landscape of the league has changed. Therefore, we are all too demanding. While college football is a cyclical game, weve proven through over 100 years of football to be a program of resilience and excellence. Our history speaks for itself and should not be diminished for the sake of fear of change. Truthfully, there is nothing to fear in change because Tennessee football has lost its way and should not be relegated.
Quite simply, no one person is bigger than the Tennessee football program. No one, no matter how long theyve been here or how much they are one of us deserves a decade plus without winning a league title. We are not winning it this year, and next year is practically out of the question in our current configuration. I begged you on the air when Buzz was dangling and Im begging you now, please be strong.
I understand that coach Fulmer is a special person and a Hall of Fame football coach. He no doubt counts many allies among former players, fellow Tennessee citizens and fans and coaching and media brethren. Coach Fulmer has been a terrific ambassador for OUR program.
Its OUR program! Its not HIS program. Its OUR program! Thats why Im calling on you sir to seek and accept nothing less than Coach Fulmers resignation before the seasons end. If he refuses to resign, then Im calling on you to terminate him effective seasons end. It would be better to get this done as soon as possible so as to bring healing and allow us to work to find the next man to lead us into the next era of UT Football!
You always conclude your letters to Big Orange fans expect to win. I believe that you truly desire this. That is why I want to encourage you to stand strong at the helm of Big Orange Country as I remain,
Sincerely,
Tony Basilio
UTK Class of 90
