Never should have fired Fulmer

#126
#126
WesternNCVol said:
He was fired the wrong way. THATS what went wrong. It was time.

You fire a guy like that with his record and other coaches wonder what it takes to stay employed.

Fire behind the scenes, but give him his buyout with the opportunity to say at the end of the year I am retiring. Launch a search and you land a big time winner.
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Fulmer forced the firing. He was asked to retire and said no. Hamilton's mistake was allowing Fulmer to hold that presser that was beyond immature and unprofessional.
 
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#127
#127
Phil was a good coach and I appreciate his contributions to the program. I don’t think he was a great coach. Food for thought, when Cutcliffe was OC that first six years of Phil’s tenure Tennessee had an 85% win record in the conference and overall (and 5 of his 11 conference losses in that time came at the hands of Spurrior). After that, Phil without Cut won 66% in conference and 67% overall. So without Cut, Phil was an 8-4 coach. You are what your record says you are. Being tied with Georgia for the East Division title the year before he was let go doesn’t change that downward trend.
 
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#128
#128
harley1995 said:
Thats what started this whole nightmare

Should have just let him coach till he decided to retire ....his seasons couldn't have been worse that what we have had!

I would take 7 to 8 wins and a bowl game last 12 years than what we have had!

The man had us in the SEC Champ game in 07..and then fired

Belichick had a bad year...they gonna fire him?
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No. Fulmer had become complacent. He stubbornly refused to change with the game even as opposing coaches passed him both on the field and in recruiting. He lost control of the team both on and off the field.

The option wasn't 7 or 8 win seasons and what we've seen. The option was certain decline or try to avoid the decline. The fact that the decisions since have been awful does NOT mean it was a mistake to fire Fulmer. Without Cutcliffe... 2005 and 2008 were indicative of what you were going to get from Fulmer. The roster he left Kiffin was thin and had huge holes. OL's and DL's in particular stopped listening to Fulmer's pitch. Remember Kiffin had one true SEC ready DT and had to start a 270 lb RS Fr and two walk ons on the OL.

Thing were NOT on an upward or even level trajectory with Fulmer. His fate was sealed when Cut left again.

As if you needed more proof, consider who Fulmer hired and why. Pruitt sold himself as "old school"... power run game coupled to defense. Fulmer ate it up because he never came to terms with the fact that the game passed him by.
 
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#129
#129
LongTimeVol said:
Phil was a good coach and I appreciate his contributions to the program. I don’t think he was a great coach. Food for thought, when Cutcliffe was OC that first six years of Phil’s tenure Tennessee had an 85% win record in the conference and overall (and 5 of his 11 conference losses in that time came at the hands of Spurrior). After that, Phil without Cut won 66% in conference and 67% overall. So without Cut, Phil was an 8-4 coach. You are what your record says you are. Being tied with Georgia for the East Division title the year before he was let go doesn’t change that downward trend.
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Fulmer did not know how to hire or discipline a staff. That apparently didn't change.
 
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#130
#130
harley1995 said:
That lazy coach was in 2007 in SEC Champ game and ranked 12th and was fired 10 games later...bet u would take #12 ranking now
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Hhhmmm, what happened between the 2007 and 2008 season? I can’t quite put my finger on it. It’s almost like after Fulmer fell on his face in 05 someone was brought in, the team did well in 06 and 07, then that person left and Fulmer fell on his face again in 08.
 
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#135
#135
malibuvol said:
Actually, when Kiffin was hired, he started 6:00 am weight room workouts to see who really wanted to be here. I think 13, or so players quit; some of them OL, so I think the program overall had gotten soft under Johnny Long. Playing the Sullins twins was a have to that year as the number of OL was down...
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When Cut came back in 06 he said none of our wide receivers could bench 300 lbs. He said most of our WRs in the 90s could bench 300, including the back ups. He used this example to illustrate how soft the program and players had gotten.
 
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#136
#136
These “in hindsight” takes are the absolute worst. Sure, his firing was a catalyst to get us where we’re at now, because that’s simply how space and time work—one event leads to another to another etc.

But to take that and just assume that means some hypothetical alternate timeline, and use that as justification to criticize past actions is just lazy.
 
#137
#137
08Vol said:
When Cut came back in 06 he said none of our wide receivers could bench 300 lbs. He said most of our WRs in the 90s could bench 300, including the back ups. He used this example to illustrate how soft the program and players had gotten.
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He also said in an interview on 104.5 that he had never seen such an undisciplined group of players.
 
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#138
#138
In the same spat this morning my wife accused me of not drinking the bottled water she buys, and also said I leave my empty water bottles everywhere. She made a better argument than several in this thread...
 
#140
#140
harley1995 said:
Thats what started this whole nightmare

Should have just let him coach till he decided to retire ....his seasons couldn't have been worse that what we have had!

I would take 7 to 8 wins and a bowl game last 12 years than what we have had!

The man had us in the SEC Champ game in 07..and then fired

Belichick had a bad year...they gonna fire him?
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Phil Fulmer left this program TWICE in worse shape than he found it.
 
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#144
#144
harley1995 said:
Thats what started this whole nightmare

Should have just let him coach till he decided to retire ....his seasons couldn't have been worse that what we have had!

I would take 7 to 8 wins and a bowl game last 12 years than what we have had!

The man had us in the SEC Champ game in 07..and then fired

Belichick had a bad year...they gonna fire him?
Click to expand...
It was time for Fulmer to go. Problem is that this university let him back in the damned door. Can't believe we're going to still pay this guy after the way he handled things with Pruitt not to mention his own contract/salary in light of the covid impact on at will employees. He lost my respect with those moves.
 
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