How could Mike Hamilton have handled this better?

[UTvol1fn]

Hammy shouldn't have had to handle it, Fulmer should have listened to the boss and retired after stepping off the plane from Tempe in 99. You could see after that Fulmer just wasn't the same, and so the results show.

forgot about all this, I don't see how one could retire so young after being so successful. I would have tried to win more like Phil did. Just wish he was more successful. You can argue when he really fell off the boat, but I like to believe it was the beatings by UF and Bama last year that made me realize it's his time.

 

[AllVolYall]

Are you serious? I agree with the decision to let him go, but you must have been watching a different press conference.

Kicking and screaming? He has poured his heart and soul into this university for over 30 years, and it was taken away from him before he was ready to leave it. I don't know you or what you do, but I doubt you have put that kind of dedication into anything. I know I haven't.

As for his football brats, that was a testament to how much those kids love CPF and a show of great respect. He helps those kids with off the field problems as well as on the field problems, and he deserves that respect.

Sure the past few years haven't gone the way we all would have hoped, and I agree with what transpired. But for anyone to think CPF was less than first class in this situation is insane.

That's right, you don't know me or what I have accomplished in my life. Life is full of joys and dissapointments. The process of maturing makes you better at learing how to deal with the ups and downs life deals you. I would have expected Fulmer to handle this situation with more maturity. Sure he is disappointed, but he has also been blessed with great opportunities that most could only dream of. Having feelings about something is a real human emotion. Putting them on public display at your workplace is usually a mistake.

As far as his team goes, I understand their feelings about losing their coach and all that means. I do however expect them to act in a respectful manner. I would expect their coach to demmand that especially in the workplace and in front of his boss as the media stands witness.

 

[NMVol]

Huh? Comment -vs- person?

Mike Hamilton gets paid to RUN the Athletic Department, not coddle it. Hard times call for hard decisions. This was one of them.

Mike Hamilton doesn't "owe" Phil Fulmer anything. UT, the fans, the players, and the alumni do. We owe him a lot. More than will fit in this post. "Phil Fulmer Day" is the UT equivalent of the ticker tape parade that most sports legends get. Phil Fulmer earned that. He's also, IMO, a first-ballot College Football HOF inductee.

Get over yourself, and get over my posts. It was past time for a change. Change was made. Phil Fulmer will survive, and handsomely at that (yes, we owe him 6 million bucks).

And UT football will survive. And recover. Which is not what it's doing at this point in time.

Go Vols.

I accept the dismissal even if I don't agree with it. You're right the program goes on. I don't blame you for wanting to change the subject.

 

[GreyWolf1129]

I accept the dismissal even if I don't agree with it. You're right the program goes on. I don't blame you for wanting to change the subject.

Very mature post. I am impressed.

You and I disagree on Fulmer's fate, or more accurately, how it came to pass.

You can point to a man who has literally given the bulk of his adult life to UT Football. Student, player, assistant coach, offensive coordinator, head coach. A rare breed: a man who literally bleeds "Orange & White".

I agree. He is, most likely, the last "UT man" who will fit that bill.

You can point to the SEC Championship(s), and the magical season of 1998.

I agree.

You can point to his overall winning percentage, the N/C, and SECCG appearances.

It's here that you and I diverge in our opinions.

Simply put, I think that, no later than the 2005 season, Phil Fulmer should have realized that the game was slipping away from him, and chosen to retire on his terms.

He didn't. The rest, and the result, is now history.

We agree to disagree.

I can live with that.

Go Vols.

 

[Volsfan895]

You think incorrectly.

on a scale from 1 to 10.. how happy were you when the news broke yesterday, I was at about a 12

 

[g8terh8ter_eric]

Very mature post. I am impressed.

You and I disagree on Fulmer's fate, or more accurately, how it came to pass.

You can point to a man who has literally given the bulk of his adult life to UT Football. Student, player, assistant coach, offensive coordinator, head coach. A rare breed: a man who literally bleeds "Orange & White".

I agree. He is, most likely, the last "UT man" who will fit that bill.

You can point to the SEC Championship(s), and the magical season of 1998.

I agree.

You can point to his overall winning percentage, the N/C, and SECCG appearances.

It's here that you and I diverge in our opinions.

Simply put, I think that, no later then the 2005 season, Phil Fulmer should have realized that the game was slipping away from him, and chosen to retire on his terms.

He didn't. The rest, and the result, is now history.

We agree to disagree.

I can live with that.

Go Vols.

One word....structure.

 

[GreyWolf1129]

One word....structure.

Structure ain't my strong suit, but you already pointed that out.

Go Vols.

 

[vol66]

If it is true that the players found out from ESPN and not from the coach, I think that blows and it might have added to their frustration. If they had all day to sit and stew and talk with one another, that might explain the press conf. behavior. That seems like it could've been done better,

 

[possumtownVol]

too much drama ; nip it , nip it in the bud ; I think Phil was looking for some sympathy from the Tennessee family. Every family goes through a divorce , this is ours and we're paying lots of child support

 

[NMVol]

Phil Fulmer should have realized that the game was slipping away from him....

This is the point where we really disagree. I don't think this was his job and I do not think he owes his critics an answer for trying even if he has failed.

 

[AllVolYall]

If it is true that the players found out from ESPN and not from the coach, I think that blows and it might have added to their frustration. If they had all day to sit and stew and talk with one another, that might explain the press conf. behavior. That seems like it could've been done better,

In the world we live in it can be difficult to keep things under wrap. I heard there were leaks that lead to text messages and so on. What ever the case, it was still no excuse for their display. Do you honestly think coach Pearl woul let his guys behave like that in front of him? Would you if you were their Coach?

 

[NMVol]

In other words Fulmer has adjusted to the game in the past. It was not unrealistic to "believe" he could turn it around. Though I do understand some had a quicker clock watching for results than others.

 

[sjt18]

It was a difficult situation handled about as well as it could have been.

I say that because waiting until December to make the move would have been disastrous to recruiting. There was no way they could wait.

Doing it now lets them do damage control with recruits then name a coach in time to re-recruit some of the guys and then make a strong January push.

 

[sjt18]

In other words Fulmer has adjusted to the game in the past. It was not unrealistic to "believe" he could turn it around. Though I do understand some had a quicker clock watching for results than others.

Actually, I made this argument for him over the past 3 seasons. The fact of the matter is this season demonstrates he has NOT turned it around.

One big thing you can look at is a modern key in recruiting the best HS players. Saban, Richt, Miles, Meyer, etc have ALL played Fr in front of upper classmen if they are better players.

This keeps upper classmen hungry and gets the best talent interested.

That's just one thing...

Another thing is that CPF has once again allowed loyalty to individuals to outweigh loyalty to the team. He did it with Crompton... maybe JC would have done better if they'd had live practice in the Spring instead of declaring him the starter.

Chavis has been outcoached by the better OC's for years... and every loss this year except Auburn... and their OC got fired. CPF has to have seen this... and that Chavis was lazy in recruiting.

He made decisions. I applaud him for that. But they didn't work out.

 

[BigPapaVol]

In other words Fulmer has adjusted to the game in the past. It was not unrealistic to "believe" he could turn it around. Though I do understand some had a quicker clock watching for results than others.

he hasn't adaptedd to jack and he hasn't given his life to UT. He had a job that thousands of people would take in a heartbeat and he was paid ridiculous money to do it in a mediocre fashion.

UT and fans owe him nothing, just as he owes nothing. You want to make it a mercenary ordeal, it's a two way street.
Posted via VolNation Mobile

 

[AllVolYall]

It was a difficult situation handled about as well as it could have been.

I say that because waiting until December to make the move would have been disastrous to recruiting. There was no way they could wait.

Doing it now lets them do damage control with recruits then name a coach in time to re-recruit some of the guys and then make a strong January push.

My take on it was that it would be a plus for Fulmer to announce now versus at the end of the season. I thought it would bring the fanbase back together and he could have a good sendoff. It appears the fact is, Fulmer did not want to leave now, this year, next year or anytime until he said so (a la Peterno and B. Bowden). The events yesterday served to furthur split the fanbase and make things worse. I fault Fulmer for that. He chose the way it would be. He could have controlled his statements and controlled the actions of his current and former players. Now this thing sits where it is until Fulmer is gone and a new Coach can come in and put this program back together.

 

[vol66]

In the world we live in it can be difficult to keep things under wrap. I heard there were leaks that lead to text messages and so on. What ever the case, it was still no excuse for their display. Do you honestly think coach Pearl woul let his guys behave like that in front of him? Would you if you were their Coach?

I understand that keeping it silent would be hard, precisely why when the meeting was over you assemble the team and tell them first. Before Chris Low can get on the horn. If it was decided Sunday night or monday morning....I don't know how BP's players would act, I bet they wouldn't be happy either and with what 15 players? there would be no excuse for them to find out from anyone but Pearl. I'm not excusing the behavior. The OP was what could Hammy have done differently. If I was their coach I would've gone classroom to classroom if that's what I had to do to tell them myself. I would think with all the technology they could've gotten the team together, even if it took the president to give the players an excused absence.

 

[NMVol]

he hasn't adaptedd to jack and he hasn't given his life to UT. He had a job that thousands of people would take in a heartbeat and he was paid ridiculous money to do it in a mediocre fashion.

UT and fans owe him nothing, just as he owes nothing. You want to make it a mercenary ordeal, it's a two way street.
Posted via VolNation Mobile

You're pleasure is that he quit. He chose to begrudgingly accept the judgment of the Athletic Department for the good of the program. You're just not happy are you?

 

[GreyWolf1129]

This is the point where we really disagree. I don't think this was his job and I do not think he owes his critics an answer for trying even if he has failed.

Alright, I'm honestly trying to follow your train of thought, and reason, here. I also read your next post, so.....

Go back to the 2001 SECCG. UT - vs- LSU. We dominated them earlier in the season, and then get beat in Atlanta. Win, and we're most likely back in the NC game. Close game, yes (pronounced "huge drop by Stallworth"). LSU beat us with their 3rd string QB. That's bad coaching, on our part, no matter which way you look at it.

That, to me, was the beginning of the end. UT never recovered from that "close but not there" game.

From that point forward, everything seemed to start to slip. Recruiting, player development, preparation, game management, intensity, etc, etc.

We had our moments. It seemed like every time the heat really started to mount, Fulmer pulled a rabbit out of his hat. There were some big wins in the following years. And some big, and inexplicable losses.

But the "Fulmer Magic" ran out in 2005. Lots of talent. Huge expectations. And a 5-6 final record. Including a loss to Vanderbilt.

Vanderbilt. Good Lord, anybody but Vanderbilt. Sad thing is, it wasn't Jay Cutler that beat us, it was Phil Fulmer. It's that simple.

I could go on, but you know my stance now. The end result was sad, but it's been coming for a long time. If Phil Fulmer saw the train coming, and I believe he did, and still chose to stand on the tracks, he has no one to blame but himself.

Go Vols.

 

[AllVolYall]

You're pleasure is that he quit. He chose to begrudgingly accept the judgment of the Athletic Department for the good of the program. You're just not happy are you?

You used a lot of words there just to say he was fired.

 

[Rasputin_Vol]

This is pompous. Fire a guy from a job he loves and then insist he has a duty to please his critics as he exits. Quite an arm chair luxury indeed.

He had a duty to control his players and the atmosphere at that press conference. And people that love their jobs lose their jobs everyday. How many of them get a $6 million golden parachute? Or o gold watch for that matter...

 

[NMVol]

Alright, I'm honestly trying to follow your train of thought, and reason, here. I also read your next post, so.....

Go back to the 2001 SECCG. UT - vs- LSU. We dominated them earlier in the season, and then get beat in Atlanta. Win, and we're most likely back in the NC game. Close game, yes (pronounced "huge drop by Stallworth"). LSU beat us with their 3rd string QB. That's bad coaching, on our part, no matter which way you look at it.

That, to me, was the beginning of the end. UT never recovered from that "close but not there" game.

From that point forward, everything seemed to start to slip. Recruiting, player development, preparation, game management, intensity, etc, etc.

We had our moments. It seemed like every time the heat really started to mount, Fulmer pulled a rabbit out of his hat. There were some big wins in the following years. And some big, and inexplicable losses.

But the "Fulmer Magic" ran out in 2005. Lots of talent. Huge expectations. And a 5-6 final record. Including a loss to Vanderbilt.

Vanderbilt. Good Lord, anybody but Vanderbilt. Sad thing is, it wasn't Jay Cutler that beat us, it was Phil Fulmer. It's that simple.

I could go on, but you know my stance now. The end result was sad, but it's been coming for a long time. If Phil Fulmer saw the train coming, and I believe he did, and still chose to stand on the tracks, he has no one to blame but himself.

Go Vols.

My responses are to the point that Fulmer should have handled the details of his dismissal differently. That is all. I applaud him for not quitting and riding it out to the bitter end dictated by both his character and the circumstances. Others would prefer he please them in this crisis where he is otherwise at a loss. Its a species of the the Burger King argument. I want it my way! I will not rehash the instances where I feel like I watched Fulmer adjust. This season has been dismal. But Fulmer is who he is and he is entitled to that. At this point comments about how he should have handled the end seem to come from a mighty high horse.

 

[AllVolYall]

I understand that keeping it silent would be hard, precisely why when the meeting was over you assemble the team and tell them first. Before Chris Low can get on the horn. If it was decided Sunday night or monday morning....I don't know how BP's players would act, I bet they wouldn't be happy either and with what 15 players? there would be no excuse for them to find out from anyone but Pearl. I'm not excusing the behavior. The OP was what could Hammy have done differently. If I was their coach I would've gone classroom to classroom if that's what I had to do to tell them myself. I would think with all the technology they could've gotten the team together, even if it took the president to give the players an excused absence.

The behavior is my main issue. I've never said players, coaches or anyone else should not have feelings. But you do need to act in a respectful manner when you are in public especially at an instution you represent. I'm glad we can agree on that point.

I think it would have been advantageous to meet with the players after the meeting with MH, but we do not know whose call it was to wait until the next day. It could have been Fulmers call to handle it that way.

 

[NMVol]

He had a duty to control his players and the atmosphere at that press conference. And people that love their jobs lose their jobs everyday. How many of them get a $6 million golden parachute? Or o gold watch for that matter...

I suppose I am responsible for the discussion devolving into a political argument.