Retread University

#151
#151
Somewhat overlooked is the fact that Fulmer was the primary advisor for several years on the re-starting the football program at ETSU which has been quite successful. This was controversial due to the resources involved but Phil went all out to sell it to alumni and the community as well as put the key steps in place to start a program. They do have a couple of older guys heading up ETSU football - Carl Torbush, former HC at North Carolina and Mike O'Cain as OC - former head coach at NC State. It is a fun team to watch and the new on campus stadium was well done. Of course ETSU under President Brian Noland has been far better managed that UT - no comparison really.

Back in the game: Phillip Fulmer and the rebirth of East Tennessee State football | SI.com
 
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#153
#153
ksgovols said:
Coach Fulmer to AD feels alot like Bob Woodruff and Doug Dickey to AD. Familiar faces that had gone elsewhere or been out of the loop and asked back to fix things on the Hill. Many forget that Fulmer was the president of the coaches association back in the day. He is way more connected as any jackleg pencil pushing sports management major that's been leading us into the desert for the last 15 years. It would have been much easier for him to hold a grudge and turn his back on his university 10 years ago. He's always referenced UT as 'We and 'Us'. Think Hamilton, Hart or Currie will? I trust Coach Fulmer implicitly with making me proud of my alma mater once again.
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Even with that Rolodex full of contacts, my concern is that he still only has a handful of targets on his list. That concern is based off of what he was (or was not) able to do here as a coach to fill voids on his staff.
 
#161
#161
VolByBirth said:
Ok so this will rub people the wrong way but I’m looking for some decent feedback. First, Fulmer doesn’t excite me at all - in fact, it’s the opposite. It feels old and stale. In addition, what little “insider” info I have on him isn’t good (this was from when he was fired). He’s power hungry and always has been in my opinion (which means Gruden is out for all the Grudenites). Regardless, he hasn’t been involved in college football in a decade, no one hired him after he was fired, and now he’s rumored to be looking at Les Miles - who also went unhired after being fired (and LSU seems to be doing fine without him).

So what I’m asking is - why does hiring retreads that didn’t get hired by anyone else feel exciting? Because Fulmer bleeds orange? I bleed orange and I have no business near an AD office or football field.

I fear Fulmer is on a power run to get back everyone that “wronged” him when he was fired. That’s the wrong motivation. He has no attachment to younger coaches or fan bases. In the end, he doesn’t excite me and neither does Les Miles.

It feels like Retread University.
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Ohio State ended up with SEC retread Meyer.
Alabama ended up with SEC retread Saban.

Anymore brilliant observations you care to offer?
 
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#162
#162
Wolfeman_Vol said:
I think he's an excellent stabilizing figure. I just don't think he's an excellent decision maker in the hiring process. He will look for friends and former vols as qualities over winners.
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Miles is a winner. Record proves it. But I get what you are saying.
 
#165
#165
VolByBirth said:
Ok so this will rub people the wrong way but I’m looking for some decent feedback. First, Fulmer doesn’t excite me at all - in fact, it’s the opposite. It feels old and stale. In addition, what little “insider” info I have on him isn’t good (this was from when he was fired). He’s power hungry and always has been in my opinion (which means Gruden is out for all the Grudenites). Regardless, he hasn’t been involved in college football in a decade, no one hired him after he was fired, and now he’s rumored to be looking at Les Miles - who also went unhired after being fired (and LSU seems to be doing fine without him).

So what I’m asking is - why does hiring retreads that didn’t get hired by anyone else feel exciting? Because Fulmer bleeds orange? I bleed orange and I have no business near an AD office or football field.

I fear Fulmer is on a power run to get back everyone that “wronged” him when he was fired. That’s the wrong motivation. He has no attachment to younger coaches or fan bases. In the end, he doesn’t excite me and neither does Les Miles.

It feels like Retread University.
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One of the dumbest, stupidest, most ignorant posts I’ve ever read on VN
 
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#169
#169
KBVol said:
One of the dumbest, stupidest, most ignorant posts I’ve ever read on VN
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That’s an amazing honor - because I’ve seen some sh*t on here that makes my jaw drop.

Glad you could contribute to the conversation with such a thought out rebuttal. By the way, dumb, stupid and ignorant are really saying the same things over and over again. That makes your entire statement ironic.
 
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#170
#170
VFL-82-JP said:
Heh.

Fulmer, old? Absolutely. Stale? Not for a minute.

Dunno if you watched the press conference Friday, but the aura of command about Phil was palpable. He is a unifying force, a reassuring presence, and a catalyst toward championships.

His character has always been noted for selflessness. That should continue. Your fears of a "power run" are baseless.

It is true that he hasn't been directly involved in leading a football program in a decade. That is hardly pertinent, since he is not being asked to lead one now. He is the AD, not the coach.

I certainly hope Les Miles is not the best we can do in this search (no dig on Les, he's a very good coach, I just have my sights set a bit higher). But I trust Phil implicitly to do what's best for Tennessee. He will find us the best coach current circumstances will allow.
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Totally agree, disappointed that your post does not have more likes!

We have protected this University by ousting currie, and Schiano come together and support this University!
 
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#172
#172
Mark Richt got fired too but I doubt Miami regrets hiring him. He was proven and they got pretty much what they expected.
 
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#174
#174
Vol_Doc said:
I'm going to use a medical analogy here. If you look at the most successful hospital systems in the country, you'll find they have hired physicians as CEOs, rather than MBAs or accountants or lawyers.

Why is that? The most likely reason is that a physician has worked within a hospital system, delivering care to patients, working next to others involved in healthcare delivery. In short, the physician "gets it."

This is what we're getting by having someone like Fulmer at the helm, rather than Currie or Hart or Hamilton. Fulmer has coached, knows what it takes to win, and knows how to relate to those involved in coaching athletes.

He's not here to coach anymore, as he plainly said, so the fact that he was fired on the tail end of a Hall of Fame career isn't really pertinent. Nor is the fact that he's not coached since. He still has that experience, which should serve him well in his new role.

Does he have certain political allegiances within the university? No doubt, but who doesn't. Currie was clearly Haslam's lackey, and we see where that got us.

I'm going to give Fulmer a chance, and I'm betting we won't be disappointed.
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I'm constantly amazed by a couple of university induced failures. Business majors and teachers, and the same theory behind their educations fail both.

Teachers need to master the subject material to be taught rather than to master the "art of teaching" with subject material being secondary. By far, my sons' best teachers were math and science retreads (since that's a popular theme here); they became teachers after engineering careers. The US public education system used to work well; it's in a death spiral now.

Business majors are taught how to manage, and the thought that just perhaps baking cookies is different from baking airplanes doesn't matter. Everytime I hear some self assured ass talking "product", I imagine some fool who either doesn't have a clue what his company produces or is too damn lazy to find out.

The last ten years of business clowns failing at running the UTAD where coaches had excelled for decades is simply another example of failed business strategy caused by not knowing the nuts and bolts and believing it doesn't matter.
 
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#175
#175
Power T-Rev said:
I’m still amazed at the amount of hate for Phil. He played here, coached here, and came back to help even after he was treated like crap on his way out.
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It's sad that most schools,even Tn,can't see that they are often stopping off points for coaches climbing the ladder.The best coaches,best AD are those who bleed orange and will stick around and that is usually an alumn from within. Getting a big name coach who bails after 2 or 3 years is non-productive.
 
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