People upset over Phil

[MWAVolfan]

1. Phil wouldn't be afraid to do what is needed to protect his football program.

2.the boosters will love him and give him the money he needs to hand pick his coach

3.plenty of former coaches went on to be ADs for a long time

4.you would have a leader who actually knows why winning football looks like

5. He could fire the head coach and take over on an interim basis at any moment just like Barry Alvarez did at Wisconsin.

 

[Rynovol]

All that you have to do is look at Blackburn's recent tweets and his pissing match with a top level booster to see that he might not be the ideal candidate for this particular job.

Did that come after he found out that Anderson was getting him screwed out of being hired? No one would take that well.

A petulant booster who in instrumental in blocking what could be a very successful hiring should cause a pissing match, not only with the screwed over candidate, but the entire Vol nation.

If this one piss ant moron uses his place on the board to block Blackburn over some alleged personal slight (in which Blackburn was proven correct), he should have been forced to back out of having anything to do with hiring an AD.

But that's business as usual at the 103rd ranked athletic department in D-1's fall rankings.

 

[powerTvol]

Fulmer knows what it takes for a program too win
Knows what it takes for a program too lose
He has been on both sides
His experience should be worth a lot !

 

[m1al]

Oh I wasn't saying anything negative about you having your opinion.
I just found the other posters "wasting your breath" comment funny. Given that nothing we say here has any influence on anything.
We are all wasting our breath (fingers), but like I said, that's what this place is for.

My comment was not meant in general terms but referring specifically to the one poster in he was arguing with. I was not trying to be funny or condescending.

My apologies....

 

[BeecherVol]

Phil being a UT guy holds no more relevance than Blackburn being a UT guy when it comes to doing this job well. I don't care which one gets the job and don't care if it goes outside UT connections as long as the job is being done right. It has a nice feel when one of your own is able to do the job well but it doesn't really matter as long as it is. It has worked in some cases in the past and it hasn't in others.

 

[revjayp]

I want to believe that Phil's time away has allowed him to sit back and see where he failed and hopefully he sees what we all see which is he was too loyal to coordinators who couldn't get the job done. I hope as he was on the sideline at the lady VOLs game last night he saw a product that was sub par at best and not a friend working like heck. I hope he saw the SC and Vandy game this year and recognized how far Butch is from an SEC coach not a new friend who's doing good things and has us on track. I'm just afraid that he's not changed and sees this as a way to be seen again. Don't get me wrong, l love all that Phil gave us in the 90's but that time has come and gone. It should be Blackburn's turn but I'm afraid it's not. Long live mediocrity.

 

[slickmo3]

I understand you probably wanted Blackburn, but the reasons NOT to hire Phil I don't think are very solid. After all Bill Battle wasn't a good Head Coach, but just look where he got Alabama football. (Obviously Phil was light years above Bill)

I'm looking at the situation this way, even tho he has never been an AD before I think if he didn't have enough knowledge they wouldn't consider the hire, what would be the point?

And on a final note I think what Phil brings to the table as a recruiter can definitely translate to his new position with making hires, influencing boosters, ect ect.

I get not everyone will like the hire, I just don't understand why everyone is being so nasty about someone who loves the place so much. Hell he could of taken another job after we fired him, but didn't because he loves this place so much because this is the only place he wants to be.

How is that not someone you want in charge of Tennessee athletics?!?

he tried to get other coaching jobs...no one was interested...and his recruiting was trending down from where it was...revisionist's history at its finest

 

[jakez4ut]

I'm excited about the hire! After he was forced out like that, he's trying his hardest to come back and serve the place he loves. He wants to be here! Phil was a winner (152-52) And hey, if bill battle could do it at bama, why can't Phil do it as his alma mater?

i think if Phil fails at this, you can look at lack of experience, and maybe even more importantly, you can still look at the overall lack of leadership capability from the power brokers at UT.

if he succeeds,i think it will have way more to do with Fulmer.

 

[wmcovol]

This is a top 10 AD job. I refuse to believe the two best candidates in the US are 1) a AD at a FCS school or 2) a 65 yr old man who's never been an AD before......

 

[Rynovol]

Once again. How hard do you think Clemson and Bama are having to work. Hire the right coaches and the money makes itself. Hire the wrong coaches pay giant buyouts and see decreased revenue. If you're a UT fan have you paid no attention for the last 8 years?

He hasn't. He was apparently carrying water for Phil the whole time.

 

[livefaith]

Phil's been working in successful real estate ventures for several years now. Basically he's like Trump. :-D

Make TN Great Again.

 

[BeecherVol]

Fulmer knows what it takes for a program too win
Knows what it takes for a program too lose
He has been on both sides
His experience should be worth a lot !

True. Will be interesting to see how he reacts to obvious problems and if he is able to handle changes when they need to be made. Assuming he does get the job.

 

[MWAVolfan]

This is a top 10 AD job. I refuse to believe the two best candidates in the US are 1) a AD at a FCS school or 2) a 65 yr old man who's never been an AD before......

You mean a guy like Hart? Like Hamilton? How'd that work out?

 

[Mick]

i don't know how i feel about this. i'm doing more listening and reading at this point.

i do know this. i think the dragging of feet on this, and the indecisiveness of the power brokers at ut is still a huge issue, and this whole thing just reeks of "settling".

that, in and of itself, doesn't mean Fulmer won't be a good/bad AD. i just don't think an institution like UT does itself any favors by having an 10 month long retirement party for the outgoing AD, a chancellor search, and anyone/everyone supposedly reporting on it, sourcing or "in the know" not having a clue as to what the plan was/is. last week we're told it may be 3-4 months, that a search firm had to be hired, and a committee formed to make the "right hire".

this week, it's Fulmer....seemingly out of nowhere. sure there were always rumblings about Fulmer and the AD position, but we were always told it's not viable. so it went from pure rumor and speculation to "all but done". we have boosters and donors writing letters of support for Blackburn. a fan base clamoring for blackburn, and an administration that apparently just threw it's hands up.....

at this point, i'm less concerned that it's, by all indications, going to be fulmer, than i am with how we arrived at Fulmer.

if this turns out to be successful, i don't get the notion that it's because of any type of process that occurred, with a true purpose behind it, rather, that they just got lucky. if it goes South, then it will be directly related to the lack of process and decision making ability by those in charge of the future of this program.

as to Fulmer being the AD, again, i'm just going to listen and read. i have no idea if he'll be good or not, so i'm not going to speculate either way.

I feel the same way.

 

[chargervol]

You right.

I'm not sure how I feel on the actual hire. We are discussing it as Fulmer vs Blackburn but it's not Fulmer that removed the Blackburn option. That appears to be just a good old-fashioned grudge.
So removing DB from the discussion, I see points on both sides that I agree with. The obvious for those opposed is not having true ad experience.
That's more than a legitimate and fair point.
Loving the University, is honestly more than just a joke though. An AD can perform his duties and keep us in the black and attendance for the games with no more than 8 to 9 wins. But when you have someone who is either competitive or love the University or both, they want more and that's a good thing.

I do concede that's what makes Blackburn of great hire in theory. But once again, I removed him because it's not David vs Phil, it's David vs a guy with a lot of money and influence, that doesn't care for him. And Phil vs our judgement of him before we see the results.

 

[livefaith]

Phil being a UT guy holds no more relevance than Blackburn being a UT guy when it comes to doing this job well. I don't care which one gets the job and don't care if it goes outside UT connections as long as the job is being done right. It has a nice feel when one of your own is able to do the job well but it doesn't really matter as long as it is. It has worked in some cases in the past and it hasn't in others.

This is a nice sane post. Expect to be banned soon. LOL.

 

['Boro-vol]

This is a top 10 AD job. I refuse to believe the two best candidates in the US are 1) a AD at a FCS school or 2) a 65 yr old man who's never been an AD before......

Blackburn is only an AD at an FCS school to keep him in the "family". He was being groomed for this job, and kept close for just this hire. UT has never had an AD as vastly qualified as DB would be.

It'll be fun to watch the success he will soon have at a major Power 5 school. Our luck, it will be one of our rivals. They all know his sterling reputation.

 

[Thunder Good-Oil]

Did that come after he found out that Anderson was getting him screwed out of being hired? No one would take that well.

A petulant booster who in instrumental in blocking what could be a very successful hiring should cause a pissing match, not only with the screwed over candidate, but the entire Vol nation.

If this one piss ant moron uses his place on the board to block Blackburn over some alleged personal slight (in which Blackburn was proven correct), he should have been forced to back out of having anything to do with hiring an AD.

But that's business as usual at the 103rd ranked athletic department in D-1's fall rankings.

I think that it's more of a pattern of his behavior when facing a disappointing situation rather than a single regrettable tweet.

 

[chargervol]

My comment was not meant in general terms but referring specifically to the one poster in he was arguing with. I was not trying to be funny or condescending.

My apologies....

The odd thing is, most people are familiar with Thunder from Fulmer versus Johnny threads.
I've seen more comments from him about Fulmer, that I would consider negative, than any other poster. Never thought he hated Phil by any means, but would never have considered him someone who loved Fulmer either.

Now that he's been accused of both, I'm just confused LOL

 

[Thunder Good-Oil]

He hasn't. He was apparently carrying water for Phil the whole time.

If you believe that go find the Phil Needs a Statue thread.

 

['Boro-vol]

I'm not sure how I feel on the actual hire. We are discussing it as Fulmer vs Blackburn but it's not Fulmer that removed the Blackburn option. That appears to be just a good old-fashioned grudge.
So removing DB from the discussion, I see points on both sides that I agree with. The obvious for those opposed is not having true ad experience.
That's more than a legitimate and fair point.
Loving the University, is honestly more than just a joke though. An AD can perform his duties and keep us in the black and attendance for the games with no more than 8 to 9 wins. But when you have someone who is either competitive or love the University or both, they want more and that's a good thing.

I do concede that's what makes Blackburn of great hire in theory. But once again, I removed him because it's not David vs Phil, it's David vs a guy with a lot of money and influence, that doesn't care for him. And Phil vs our judgement of him before we see the results.

I agree with it all. For once, we could have done worse....At least that shows improvement. It's not Phil vs David. My concern is, what did Phil have to promise to get his name in the hat, seemingly out of nowhere, over somebody so vastly qualified as an AD? Who is he beholden to?

I remember the age of purging all of the Orange blood from the AD....And the disdain for Fulmer by the administration as the most powerful man on campus.

This is quite a turnaround in a fairly short period of time.

 

[LibertyVolance]

I honestly don't know why some here are completely sickened by the idea of CPF becoming AD.

Probably because Blackburn is so highly regarded for his accomplishments at UTC and that they expected him to be hired. They have come to distrust the Board of Trustees as being a politically corrupt board of power brokers who represent the bigtime boosters who anticipate and expect perks for their support. They suspect this sudden last minute change to Fulmer was the result of their determination to keep them in control.

It's not so much that they have any dislike for Fulmer, but that so many fans were anticipating the Blackburn hire and were counting on it. He has both youth and experience and a resume for making good hires in athletics at UTC. Once again, it leaves the average fans (non boosters) wondering what the heck is wrong with the UT administration and will UT sports ever have any success with the people who have run it for so long.

 

[BeecherVol]

i think if Phil fails at this, you can look at lack of experience, and maybe even more importantly, you can still look at the overall lack of leadership capability from the power brokers at UT.

if he succeeds,i think it will have way more to do with Fulmer.

Its an interesting move for him. It has a redemption feel to it. Maybe even some "I told you so" from years ago if he is successful.

While he has probably been appreciated more over the last few years for what he did instead of what he left, this can either make that situation easier to forget or throw gas on that perception.

 

[MWAVolfan]

I agree with it all. For once, we could have done worse....At least that shows improvement. It's not Phil vs David. My concern is, what did Phil have to promise to get his name in the hat, seemingly out of nowhere, over somebody so vastly qualified as an AD? Who is he beholden to?

I remember the age of purging all of the Orange blood from the AD....And the disdain for Fulmer by the administration as the most powerful man on campus.

This is quite a turnaround in a fairly short period of time.

Hopefully he is beholden to the people that want Butch gone.

 

[joevol33]

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Awesome