I don't understand: Was he fired?

#26
#26
Wow, just heard about and watched the PC on Youtube, it sucks, As a Razorback fan I know what yall are going through, but I can tell you, you're in for some exciting times, I couldn't hardly work last year, running home to get on the computer to see if we had a coach yet. Don' worry, you guys are a great school and team, you'll get a good coach, and the future is bright for yall, good luck, as long as you're not playing us.
 
#28
#28
Agreed.. Today was hard.. even I got emotional in while watching the press conference..

and hearing briscoe all teared up in the background made it worse..

I wish it didn't have to be this way... but its the only way..

=( sad day to be a vol...
 
#30
#30
Fulmer lesson: Coaches beware
Nov 3rd, 2008 by Cyd Zeigler jr..
The firing of Phil Fulmer as the University of Tennessee head football coach reflects the ugly underbelly of sports. Fulmer has the third highest win percentage (.746) of active coaches in Div. 1 college football. He just signed a seven-year contract extension. But the university is letting him go. The university will point to his team’s 3-6 record this year (his second losing season in 17 years) and a recent mixed record against other top SEC teams. But the real reason for his firing: The fans. Far too many of them, after a couple years of sub-par results from their teams, start demanding the heads of their team’s head coach.

Then you have fans and athletic directors like those of Penn State. Their football team had four losing seasons from 2000-2004. Some called for coach Joe Paterno to be fired, but the school didn’t act. Enough alums wanted to keep Paterno. Since then, they went 11-1 in 2005 and won the Big Ten, their worst record is 9-4 (twice), and they’re now undefeated and poised for a berth in the BCS Championship game.

It’s sad to me to see guys like Fulmer, who’ve done so much for a team and a school, get ousted because “what have you done for me lately” fans want him gone, despite the success he’s brought to the school. It’s the mark of spoiled fans, to me. You never hear fans of teams that are up-and-down calling for the heads of coaches.

This isn’t an across-the-board criticism of those who question their team’s head coaches. Clemson fans have been critical of head football coach Tommy Bowden for the last few years and have wanted him fired. But Bowden had no great success at Clemson to mark his time there. The best he mustered was a 9-2 record and a second-place finish in the ACC; this was after an 11-0 season at Tulane before taking the Clemson job.

But seriously, Volunteers fans. Couldn’t you have laid off Fulmer a bit? Did you really need to cost him his job? For your sake, I hope you get the coach you want, but beware the devil you don’t know . . . .
 
#31
#31
volandtitanfan said:
Fulmer lesson: Coaches beware
Nov 3rd, 2008 by Cyd Zeigler jr..
The firing of Phil Fulmer as the University of Tennessee head football coach reflects the ugly underbelly of sports. Fulmer has the third highest win percentage (.746) of active coaches in Div. 1 college football. He just signed a seven-year contract extension. But the university is letting him go. The university will point to his team’s 3-6 record this year (his second losing season in 17 years) and a recent mixed record against other top SEC teams. But the real reason for his firing: The fans. Far too many of them, after a couple years of sub-par results from their teams, start demanding the heads of their team’s head coach.

Then you have fans and athletic directors like those of Penn State. Their football team had four losing seasons from 2000-2004. Some called for coach Joe Paterno to be fired, but the school didn’t act. Enough alums wanted to keep Paterno. Since then, they went 11-1 in 2005 and won the Big Ten, their worst record is 9-4 (twice), and they’re now undefeated and poised for a berth in the BCS Championship game.

It’s sad to me to see guys like Fulmer, who’ve done so much for a team and a school, get ousted because “what have you done for me lately” fans want him gone, despite the success he’s brought to the school. It’s the mark of spoiled fans, to me. You never hear fans of teams that are up-and-down calling for the heads of coaches.

This isn’t an across-the-board criticism of those who question their team’s head coaches. Clemson fans have been critical of head football coach Tommy Bowden for the last few years and have wanted him fired. But Bowden had no great success at Clemson to mark his time there. The best he mustered was a 9-2 record and a second-place finish in the ACC; this was after an 11-0 season at Tulane before taking the Clemson job.

But seriously, Volunteers fans. Couldn’t you have laid off Fulmer a bit? Did you really need to cost him his job? For your sake, I hope you get the coach you want, but beware the devil you don’t know . . . .
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WE caused this?? The fact that you used "Volunteer fans" in the 2nd person tells me you aren't a Vol fan, no matter what your screename says...so just stfu
 
#33
#33
dan4vols said:
Cartervol said:
How was it you put it to me..salty tears? Search your own posts and answer that. Yeah he's lazy,apethetic, stubborn,, egotistical, and pig headed but he was our guy. Today had I been in the room and someone from the press or another team's camp had mouthed off at him it'd have been fix bayonets, cause it would have been on.
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I said don't cry a river yet, because he was still our coach at the time. Feel free to let those salty tears flow now, if you choose.
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#34
#34
Alchovol said:
Fulmer loves UT through and through but I guarantee you a lot of it was about money. Money is what has clouded his perception of his ability to right the ship for the past 5 years.
I wish him well as well as his family but do not think for a minute you will see Phil picking up cans on the side of the road for gas money. He needs to separate himself from UT and build something somewhere else or just enjoy his life. He would be a distraction if kept around UT football in any capacity as you could see there was some resentment in his demeanor.
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You hit the nail on the head here my friend. I think it will dramatically effect the turn around time if he is around. A successful head coach that we would like to hire will have his own thoughts and ego and will not want to come somewhere where a revered past coach is hanging around looking over his shoulder. They will see too much potential for drama and they will take a pass. It's like divorcing and deciding to remary only to inform your new wife that your exwife will be living with them. Who in their right mind would want to walk into a mess like that?
 
#35
#35
I dont see what you gain by a mid-season firing. We shoud have atleast given him the dignity of coaching a full year and allow him an opportunity to step down on his own and if he doesnt then do something like this. Just another Mike Hamilton screw up
 
#37
#37
volandtitanfan said:
But seriously, Volunteers fans. Couldn’t you have laid off Fulmer a bit? Did you really need to cost him his job? For your sake, I hope you get the coach you want, but beware the devil you don’t know . . . .
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give me a break with blaming the fans. Cyd Zeigler jr would be better served observing the effort on the field instead of the effort in the stands. I never have a voice left on Sunday and that's all I can do.

You know, since 2000 I have traveled back for 1-2 games per year (about 12 total and usually reserved for a big rival or the SECCG) and have only seen 2 wins. I gave the effort and gave CPF every opportunity. It's time to move on
 
#38
#38
mattvols said:
I dont see what you gain by a mid-season firing. We shoud have atleast given him the dignity of coaching a full year and allow him an opportunity to step down on his own and if he doesnt then do something like this. Just another Mike Hamilton screw up
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I could not disagree more. Fact is that at least half of the fans were over the product that Fulmer was putting on the field. They we either staying away from the games or booing him on a consistant basis. If Fulmer would have accepted this announcement in the proper way, it would have allowed him a greater ammount of dignity. More fans would have gotten off his back and embraced him and the team for the last few games. With him going out kicking and screaming, I'm not sure that even this will be possible now.
 
#39
#39
erob3833 said:
agreed. i'm glad fulmer didn't make it harder by kicking and screaming out the door, which he very well could of given his tenure at tennessee.
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I have a feeling we may hear some negative talk from him at the end of the season, i don't know that for a fact, but just something i'm feeling. You could tell he was not happy about the decision that had been made in the press conference yesterday, nor were some of the players. I didn't notice the players getting up and leaving when they started the interview with MH, but they were saying that a lot of the players that were there did in fact get up and leave after Fulmer was done speaking.
 
#40
#40
AllVolYall said:
I could not disagree more. Fact is that at least half of the fans were over the product that Fulmer was putting on the field. They we either staying away from the games or booing him on a consistant basis. If Fulmer would have accepted this announcement in the proper way, it would have allowed him a greater ammount of dignity. More fans would have gotten off his back and embraced him and the team for the last few games. With him going out kicking and screaming, I'm not sure that even this will be possible now.
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I don't really think he is going out kicking and screaming yet. He could have said a lot more in the interview yesterday, but he kept his cool for the most part.

End of season may be a different story, but when he said he would consider staying at UT and basically giving them help in whatever aspect they ask for it in, i don't see happening.
 
#41
#41
Announcing now allows the fans to celebrate the man and what he has given to the university and it allows the team to rally around him for these last 3 games. No matter when/how this was handled it was going to be difficult/ugly/awkward. I just didn't see Phil ever leaving on his own since his adult life was UT football.
 
#44
#44
Had the players played up to their recruited/playing ability,not party as some did,kept their grades up as some struggled with, not fumble,throw interceptions,drop passes,get knocked around on the line,etc., you know, the things coaches assume automatically, not play like a jr. college team,he would probably still have a job IMO. I have watched UT football for over 40 years and I can honestly say Bear Bryant may not have survived this year.
 
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#45
#45
utfantilidie said:
Had the players played up to their recruited/playing ability,not party all the as some over did,kept their grades up as some struggled with, not fumble,throw interceptions,drop passes,get knocked around on the line,etc.,
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but his job description is to make sure all of that happens. The players definitely have responsibility here, but they're only following their coach's lead in passing that buck.
 
#46
#46
What have you done for me lately?

That crowd is killing me, he hasn't done anything in 10 years.
 
#48
#48
utfantilidie said:
Had the players played up to their recruited/playing ability,not party as some did,kept their grades up as some struggled with, not fumble,throw interceptions,drop passes,get knocked around on the line,etc., you know, the things coaches assume automatically, not play like a jr. college team,he would probably still have a job IMO. I have watched UT football for over 40 years and I can honestly say Bear Bryant may not have survived this year.
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BigPapaVol said:
but his job description is to make sure all of that happens. The players definitely have responsibility here, but they're only following their coach's lead in passing that buck.
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From my perspective, the problem was basically two-fold.

First, I maintain that UT has not kept up with recruiting. I know people disagree with me on this and think the raw athletes were there to compete with Florida and UGA and that it was just that they weren't developed. (And if so that would clearly be a Fulmer issue).

But my sense has been that with some notable exceptions (Berry comes to mind) UT has not been getting its fair share of top drawer talent for awhile. In fairness, the state is not as big as others and so you don't have the same raw number of players to pick from. Florida has a huge advantage there, simply based on locale. So do USC and Texas. But as we all know there are schools from smaller states comparable to Tennessee that nonetheless recruit nationally and get the very best.

Second, UT's schemes have simply not kept up with the times. The offense is stodgy and unimaginative. Now that is definitely a coaching issue.

I think UT will go out and bring in some new blood, hungry to take the program back to the top of the SEC. You need a Meyer, someone with relentless recruiting skills and who will innovate.

Given what you need and what you had, it seems to me that Fulmer was indeed holding you back. And it was likely going to get worse, not better.
 
#49
#49
He's definitely didn't quit---he would have blown the $6 million payday, the largest in college football history!!!
 
#50
#50
Cartervol said:
Yeah fired in a nice way. To the tune of 6 million dollars.
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I would be surprised to find that he gets the entire buyout. I bet there was a renegotiation of the contract, where Fulmer receives a portion of the buyout in exchange for not forcing Hamilton to actually can him. So, I doubt that this is either actually a resignation or actually a firing. Just spitballing here. If I'm correct, I could understand how the media is having difficulty explaining the situation in sound bites.
 
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