Question for those in the know

[GAVol]

lot of different therories on what was the "reason" for failure of continuing the 90s run. Many of the things mentioned likely played a part in the program falling back, but its just conjecture. No good way to pin it on any one, two or 6 things.

One thing not mentioned, I don't think, was how the SEC as a league was getting stronger. Like with recruiting. The other teams started keeping the better players at home. Is that because UT fell off or that the home schools were getting better?? The other schools improved recruiting, development and coaching..

It was a lot of factors with one major issue that led to the program dropping and moving into a 15 year cycle of poor performance was the horrible leadership of the administration of the university down through the athletic department. An athletic department going through as many ADs, chancellors and Presidents as UT did from 2003 until Boyd brought in Plowman and then Danny White, is setup to fail. and it showed with the majot program in the AD, football.

JMO

I think that’s right. It got harder to recruit out of state - which Fulmer always had to do. And a dysfunctional administration made a lot of things more difficult from fundraising to admissions to compliance. I’ve heard Fulmer talk about how much harder it got to get academic exceptions made in the 2000s.

 

[Tin Man]

Or, you know, just let Cut name his staff and price.

Shoulda called Cut.

This and I really wonder what he could’ve done here.

Cutcliffe had left to be HC at Ole Miss. Fulmer brought him back when Ole Miss fired him. Dave took the HC job at Duke. He wasn’t going to leave Duke when Fulmer was fired. In hindsight, given UT’s administration at the time, I think he did the right thing for him and his wife by staying at Duke.

 

[SNAFU]

Shoulda called Cut.

The gig at Ole Miss about killed him. Duke was the best thing for him. Go 6-6 every year and you’re golden. He far exceeded that.

 

[kcvols1]

Cutcliffe had left to be HC at Ole Miss. Fulmer brought him back when Ole Miss fired him. Dave took the HC job at Duke. He wasn’t going to leave Duke when Fulmer was fired. In hindsight, given UT’s administration at the time, I think he did the right thing for him and his wife by staying at Duke.

Oh there’s no denying the circumstances worked out perfectly for Cut.

I love it for him.

 

[LWSVOL]

Cutcliffe had left to be HC at Ole Miss. Fulmer brought him back when Ole Miss fired him. Dave took the HC job at Duke. He wasn’t going to leave Duke when Fulmer was fired. In hindsight, given UT’s administration at the time, I think he did the right thing for him and his wife by staying at Duke.

He stayed because Hamilton was not going to let him bring the Duke staff with him. I think he would have taken job if not for that. Which likely would not have been best for him.

 

[SWC - GBO]

Cutcliffe had left to be HC at Ole Miss. Fulmer brought him back when Ole Miss fired him. Dave took the HC job at Duke. He wasn’t going to leave Duke when Fulmer was fired. In hindsight, given UT’s administration at the time, I think he did the right thing for him and his wife by staying at Duke.

There was a rumor at the time, when everybody knew Dooley was going to be fired, that Cutcliffe was interested if he could bring his whole staff from Duke. Which UT rejected.

 

[UTFanForLife]

I think that’s right. It got harder to recruit out of state - which Fulmer always had to do. And a dysfunctional administration made a lot of things more difficult from fundraising to admissions to compliance. I’ve heard Fulmer talk about how much harder it got to get academic exceptions made in the 2000s.

I do not remember the years, but I do remember there being a big issue with UT admissions being different than other schools. Can’t remember the exact issue though.

 

[GetYouSomeofThat]

Which big donors wanted Fulmer out?

If I recall correctly, there was a bit of a showdown between Thunder Thorton and the other major donors. Thunder was a Fulmer guy but the other big money fellas were over the slide the program seemed to be on.

Maybe that was just internet rumor. I am definitely not in the know

 

[Unconditional Surrender]

Cutcliffe had left to be HC at Ole Miss. Fulmer brought him back when Ole Miss fired him. Dave took the HC job at Duke. He wasn’t going to leave Duke when Fulmer was fired. In hindsight, given UT’s administration at the time, I think he did the right thing for him and his wife by staying at Duke.

Cut would have been a good fit at Tennessee. He wasn't a great recruiter and Oxford aint easy. Plus, the SEC West was completely rabid by then.

 

[Volizona]

Personally I think we woulda been better off keeping Phil around a year or two longer. Should’ve seen more success once Clawson got the offense going

A sabbatical?

 

[PC Jr.]

Release the files!!!

Lol

 

[Brave Volunteer]

Lane was THE foundational building block. Being trashed after ONE season, as early enrollees were arriving, and triggering the whole ESPN “trailer trash” mattress burning saga. It did spiral on for a while, but make no mistake he layed THAT foundation.

Lane would've been a speed bump if our admin handled it correctly, not a 10 year spiral.

 

[ftsandersvol]

Which big donors wanted Fulmer out?

 

[GUNTERSVOL]

Lane would've been a speed bump if our admin handled it correctly, not a 10 year spiral.

His particular level of lack of character left its mark and triggered the risk cycle that we fell prey to. Yes, our own marginal fans provided the EPIC MELTDOWN that was ESPN fodder that complicated finding replacements by an inept not immoral leader. It is not THAT he left, but WHEN and HOW he left that amplifies his share of responsibility for our wild ride.

So yes, I will hope this next stop in his saga ends so epically bad that his reign of pain ends.

 

[columbia vol]

His particular level of lack of character left its mark and triggered the risk cycle that we fell prey to. Yes, our own marginal fans provided the EPIC MELTDOWN that was ESPN fodder that complicated finding replacements by an inept not immoral leader. It is not THAT he left, but WHEN and HOW he left that amplifies his share of responsibility for our wild ride.

So yes, I will hope this next stop in his saga ends so epically bad that his reign of pain ends.

He definitely put a beer and eggs fart haze over the program

 

[golfballvol]

Release the files!!!

Lol

The Fulmer files

 

[Brave Volunteer]

There was a rumor at the time, when everybody knew Dooley was going to be fired, that Cutcliffe was interested if he could bring his whole staff from Duke. Which UT rejected.

Which was a weird flex by our admin. They thought enough of Cutcliffe to hire him but not enough to trust his judgement on hiring his staff??? Who does that?

 

[guesscrazy]

Lane was THE foundational building block. Being trashed after ONE season, as early enrollees were arriving, and triggering the whole ESPN “trailer trash” mattress burning saga. It did spiral on for a while, but make no mistake he layed THAT foundation.

Tenn was
called trailer trash by ESPN long before Lane came into the picture. At the NC game the fans chanted " Trash is good" Fowler and Herbstreit got tired of hearing that. We didnt leave the stadium for hours. Sang Rocky Top 100 times that night.

 

[ALLVOL 4LIFE]

Yes, I should have mentioned this to coincide with the fall off in talent. Fulmer was no longer coaching/recruiting against the likes of Mike DuBose, Ron Zook, and Jim Donnan. Mark Richt had essentially shut off the talent spigot in Georgia to Fulmer, which was essential to those talented 90's teams. Not to mention Florida getting Urban Meyer and Alabama getting Saban. The league was getting in younger, hungrier coaches and Fulmer just couldn't keep up.

Couldn’t? Wouldn’t? Seemed like complacency from the outside looking in.

Just like in the movie “The Blind Side” when Fulmer showed up, everyone was basically in fear from his recruiting. I know that could have been dramatic for the movie, but I’d say there was a lot of truth to that as well. And drive to out recruit everyone doesn’t just stop unless you allow it to. I’m a big guy, so not poking fun at him, but Fulmer got Fat and Lazy and it showed up all over the program after the National Championship.

Maybe that one was enough for him, maybe he felt he’s reached his Pinnacle. Who knows? At least that’s my take on the situation and the only evidence to back it is what we all saw with our own eyes.

 

[SpookyAction]

Hamilton was a big part of the problem. He was a feckless, pencil sharperner, who lacked the command that Dickey had. Trust me, Dickey has his faults, but he could go to Fulmer and say, focus on football, quit privately investigating Bama and hire an OC you can entrust the offense to 100%. Hamilton mishandled the firing and certianly mishandled the next hiring. Still, we’ve seen programs survive much worse and not have the extended cycle of suck we experienced. There was a lot of behind the scenes failures that shipwrecked the program.

Fulmer couldn’t see the forest for the trees. The fact that he never seriously pursued coaching again is all the evidence one needs to see where his heart was. He didn’t try to restore his legacy and show he still had it. He just quietly retired. Well, until he returned to finish the demolition he had started.

There was talk of Fulmer getting interest from other programs and the Jaguars. I think all of that was agents' whispers for raises from the AD. With all his faults, Fulmer was a UT guy and wasn't going to coach elsewhere.

I do think the last 2 decades would have been better if Fulmer had been coach during the Kiffin and Dooley years.

Gary Patterson of TCU is the wild card possibility we missed. I think he could have been successful here.

 

[EtowahVol]

Should have been run off 2005