From my perspective, they need to toss Fulmer overboard (again) as he is a divisive figure in Tennessee athletics that just won't go away, he claims "equity" in the program and started the culture of football mediocrity with that silly automatic extension contract on 8 wins per season in 2008 with what was at that time an incredible $6 million buyout. He couldn't win 8 games in 2008, he had an inexperienced unproven offensive coordinator and we had many seasons between 2005 and 2008 where "the defense played well enough to win".
No solid head football coach worth millions per season wants to come into this environment where a divisive sometimes toxic figure is running the athletic department, where fan anxiety and angst is already boiling. There are plenty of other opportunities to coach elsewhere without a controversial figure and shadow already in the athletic department, fully claiming he is bigger than the program, claiming ownership in it. Nobody wants to work, coach and try to succeed in that environment. If you don't see that, just ask Rick Barnes, Randy Boyd had to add $1.3 million to Barnes' salary, throw in some extra perks and several hours on his private jet just to keep him in the house. All driven by Fulmer's ego, failure to attend Barnes' winning the Naismith Award, figuring Barnes was getting more attention and recognition that he was, so simply wouldn't participate. Terrible management, sad environment, in serious need of a major housecleaning.