Number of NFL Draft Picks Fulmer vs Saban

[jakez4ut]

Fair point. I wasn't saying that Fulmer and his staff couldn't recruit; just that their abilities at it might have been overrated.

I'd have to research to know for sure/to what extent, but the impression I'm under is that in his glory days Fulmer stocked his rosters with talent mostly from the Southeastern states and supplemented it with guys he picked off from the non-SEC schools you mentioned. I'm not sure Fulmer was necessarily competing with Notre Dame, Nebraska, etc. for a top player out of Birmingham or New Orleans, for example. Players out of Louisiana, Mississippi, Alabama, Georgia, and South Carolina I think either wanted to go to Tennessee or Florida in those days.

Once competitive recruiters showed up in multiple SEC states, Fulmer lost the ability to stock his rosters with SEC state talent, and he couldn't load it totally with the non-SEC state talent either. Fulmer had a recruiting model that worked very well in a certain environment, but once the competitive landscape changed it seemed as if se couldn't adapt.

Geography dictates that most of the recruits we got were probably from that 4-6 hour radius of Knoxville.

we did well in GA, SC, NC and FL for the most part. we also did well in North MS....but Fulmer had a knack of going in to OH and getting a couple difference makers...Oklahoma, Alabama...Louisiana etc....California....hell, even Alaska. he did ok in Virginia too. he had to recruit outside the region, and the state, b/c another thing to consider is that the in state talent back then was not where it is today, especially in the mid state....

 

[jakez4ut]

I'm a full on Fulmerite Jakey old pal.....just like I'm a huge fan of General Neyland, Doug Dickey, Bill Battle, Johnny Majors and now Butch Jones. Each of these guys gave their heart and soul to the University that I've loved for 40+ years and for that I'm very grateful.

So that's why I've chosen to highlight the fact that Spurrier was damn near unbeatable at Florida during his tenure as I attempt to defend Coach Fulmer....Spurrier pretty much beat all comers, and while I pulled "like heck" for Fulmer's teams to have more success vs the Old Ball Coach back then, in retrospect it's difficult for me to be overly critical of him for falling short vs Florida so many times. Spurrier was an all-time great and as we now know, Tennessee just has a very difficult time ever beating Florida, no matter who our coach is.

yeah, it's like being Ernie Els while playing against Tiger Woods. you don't suck, in fact, you're one of the best in the world. you just had the mis fortune of playing with "that guy", that casts a long shadow.

 

[05_never_again]

yeah, it's like being Ernie Els while playing against Tiger Woods. you don't suck, in fact, you're one of the best in the world. you just had the mis fortune of playing with "that guy", that casts a long shadow.

Spurrier, as good as he was, has as many national titles as Fulmer. It's not quite Tiger vs. Ernie Els.

I think it is completely fair to say that Fulmer should have fared better against Spurrier than he did. He only beat him twice in 9 years. Only 2 of the 9 games were decided by more than 1 possession...and we almost always came out on the losing end of them.

 

[Daloth]

Luck is where opportunity and preparation meet. What others call luck, to me, is just great preparation to take advantage of an opportunity. Clint Stoerner stumble and fumble? An opportunity presented itself and Billy was prepared to take advantage.

JMO

Someone has never gambled in their life.

 

[KBVol]

Spurrier, as good as he was, has as many national titles as Fulmer. It's not quite Tiger vs. Ernie Els.

I think it is completely fair to say that Fulmer should have fared better against Spurrier than he did. He only beat him twice in 9 years. Only 2 of the 9 games were decided by more than 1 possession...and we almost always came out on the losing end of them.

3 times in 10 years iirc.

 

[AM64]

Disagree. I think the coaches felt like the stategy they picked would work if the players executed properly. Many teams have went conservative in the 4th and won. Many have lost as well. I see your argument though. But one 4th down stop or a couple extra first downs and this isnt even a conversation. As I have said before, football requires execution and coaching. To be successful, both need to be good.

Going conservative on offense late in the game when you are ahead works if you have a dominant defense, and the defense has plenty of depth and isn't tired. Otherwise, it's still a team game and offense is a part of the team.

 

[AM64]

If Saban is so far above the rest how come he never won the B1G while at Michigan State. In fact Dantonio has done better at Michigan State than Saban did. Saban has got the best players . So if you said Saban is head and shoulders above the rest in recruiting I tend to agree. Great all around coach but not head and shoulders above other elite coaches on game day.

Saban and Alabama recruiting. Remember the complaints about Alabama recruiting tactics have been around a lot longer than Saban one of the main reasons GA Tech left the SEC in the early 60s. Now some people say correctly that success breeds success, but sometimes there's a bit more involved - kinda like a well oiled and funded political machine.

 

[99gator]

If the last several years hasn't enlightened everyone as to how good Fulmer was, I don't know what can.

I really, really don't understand how people denigrate the man who was in charge during the best era of Tennessee football that anyone alive has been able to see.

An alumnus, too

 

[VolinMC]

You sure about that? What if I wanta lay blame on someone? Just one. And what if I never wanna lay blame on poor player execution or one player just getting beat by a better athlete? What if I'm gonna say it's always, always the head coaches fault for losing?

Does that make sense?

I have seen a lot of that also. Only players win games and only coaches lose games according to some.

 

[HoptownVol]

If the last several years hasn't enlightened everyone as to how good Fulmer was, I don't know what can.

I really, really don't understand how people denigrate the man who was in charge during the best era of Tennessee football that anyone alive has been able to see.

An alumnus, too

Now thats funny right there.

 

[volfanecs]

Not to mention, it is also true.

 

[KBVol]

If the last several years hasn't enlightened everyone as to how good Fulmer was, I don't know what can.

I really, really don't understand how people denigrate the man who was in charge during the best era of Tennessee football that anyone alive has been able to see.

An alumnus, too

Lotta "Pro-Majors" guys who resented thst Phil was tabbed to be the guy after the administration was fed up with Johnny and ready to move on. They're hardliners and nothing will change their minds.....will argue with you 24/7 that he was better and more successful than Fulmer.

Still others that saw the last 3-4 years of Fulmer's era and let that overrule his full body of work. It's a weird deal.

I was one who was ready to move on from Fulmer in 2008, just didn't like the way it was handled. But I've always greatly appreciated Phil and incredible success he had here. I think he's the second greatest head coach we've ever had here, a good bit behind The General and ahead of guys like Dickey, Wyatt and Majors.

I don't get the dislike/disparagement for a guy who gave so much of himself and brought so much success to the University and football program.