TENNESSEE
KNOXVILLE — What a week, huh?
From a failed attempt to hire Ohio State defensive coordinator Greg Schiano, to trying to lure Mike Gundy from his alma mater Oklahoma State, to botching a deal with Purdue’s Jeff Brohm and having N.C. State’s Dave Doeren elect to stay in Raleigh, then having an all-out attempt to hire Washington State’s Mike Leach on Thursday lead to the firing of athletic director John Currie on Friday.
That’s quite the ride, with as many twists and turns as a journey on I-40 from Knoxville to Asheville. But the bumpy road led back home.
Currie’s firing led to appointing former UT head coach Phillip Fulmer as AD. Fulmer is tasked with stabilizing the Volunteers football program that has experienced four winning seasons in the nine seasons since his last season as head coach in 2008.
He will hire Tennessee’s next football coach.
“Our football teams in recent years have struggle for a variety of reasons, but through it all, we have been supported by the most passionate fan base in the country,” Fulmer said simply at his introductory press conference being named AD.
Fulmer talked about goals, faith, unity and a vision. He had a message for Vol Nation.
“Let’s go have fun winning championships,” he said.
AD Fulmer: "Our football program has the history, facilities, tradition & resources to play with anyone, any time, & that is what we're going to do again. We all agree on the objective. We all agree on the urgency of achieving our objective. It's time to be part of the solution." pic.twitter.com/RUE7dKfAKx
— Dan Harralson (@danharralson) December 1, 2017
Fulmer’s presence and new role bring an energized pulse to a university and football program reeling from the past week.
“I’ve been charged to find the right coach for these circumstances — head coach, assistant coach, coordinator,” Fulmer said. “I wasn’t a head coach when I started, and I’ve had some success. More times than not, you like experience — somebody who has been a head coach to come in. We’ll see where that goes.”
Fulmer takes on the role of restoring a program that he has dedicated more than 40 years of his life to.
A 1972 UT graduate, he was an offensive lineman from 1969-1971, serving as team captain as a senior and winning an SEC championship and a Sugar Bowl. He returned as an assistant coach in 1980 before being named head coach in 1992.
His 152-52 career record in 17 seasons made him the second-winningest coach in school history. He won two SEC championships and the 1998 national championship.
He’s been where he wants this program to go, and he’s confident he can play a role in getting them there.
How long will it take to turn things around? It will take time, he said. But it will work.
The wildest week in Tennessee football history tested everybody’s patience. Friday, the program took a huge step toward regaining respectability.
Fulmer wants to take them a lot further than that.
The Battle Captain Phillip Fulmer is back. pic.twitter.com/WVF9wLnRM4
— Dan Harralson (@danharralson) December 1, 2017
This is All John Currie’s fault. That’s what Vols fans want you to believe. He didn’t hire Dooley or Jones but he is why you are here? Nope. It’s the people still there including Phil.
Fulmer didn’t hire Dooley or Jones. But Currie waas at UT when we hire Doofus and Kiffin.
When you post things you don’t have a clue about you look very foolish.
I understand why you’re worried about Fulmer running things.
Tennessee playing football looks foolish. It’s still the same thing it was yesterday. Fulmer changes nothing. Coaches are turning the job down not because Currie was there. They are turning it down because Tennessee fans are there.
Enjoy this while you can fool. I can see the fear in your words. UT will own your leg humpers again soon.
Clausen you have to be the biggest loser I have ever seen on a website. Do you even have a job. You must spend more time on Tennessee articles than you do working, seeing a loved one or having a life in general. I think you are sick and need help. Seriously. Someone or something in Tennessee must have really harmed you to have so much hate and vitriol inside you. It’s not healthy. Get a life son and find something productive and useful to do. Going through life fat, dumb , stupid and full of hate is not a good life.
…volbeef sharing his leg humping fetish again
He’s scared. They all are. They’re getting their talking in now because they know it won’t last much longer. Notice how Tennessee had the worst season of any SEC team, are one of 5 teams who had coaching searches this year, yet no one is talking about anyone else. Auburn and Georgia are playing in the SECCG literally tomorrow… but everyone is focused on Tennessee. The spotlight sure is bright!!
I guess you don’t realize or care that those who have followed SEC football for years know how ridiculous you sound.
Volbeef what’s up with this “leg humping” insult? You’re really overusing it and drawing some bizarre attention to yourself. The “leg humping” and “the fear in your words”. Did you hear this on TV recently and thought it sounded cool, or something? Sup with that, brotato chip?
Is Fulmer going to keep the “Hide the Ball” trash can?
you can hide in it, w/ the trash.
Tigurr, you’re really DD2 that little UGA troll. You were the one making fun of Maty Mauk’s dad having cancer.
I usually do not post comments, but after the last few weeks I felt I had to. CClausen71 you are an absolute idiot. If you hate the Vols so much why are you consistently posting stuff about them??? Why don’t you do everyone a favor and shut the heck up. Go Vols
He must have a secret crush on the vols he spends all day and all nite talking to us and visiting our site. Clausen u r a closet vols fan! Come on out. The truth will set u free!
Yeah he must of had his girl taken from him by a Vols fan.
Because the fans defamed a coach with a lie. A coach that was good enough to get the head coaching job at Tampa Bay and be the Ohio State DC wasn’t good enough for Tennessee. He probably wasn’t the right hire but to say he covered up rape with no proof? That’s garbage. The fact that the Tennessee administration didn’t have the balls to push back says the administration has no backbone.
Son your love affair with the vols goes back long before this coaching fiasco. Why don’t we discontinue every football team whose fans or I should say who had a fraction of a percent of their fans do something bad. Would your team still be in existence? Would any team? Give it a rest and get a life.
Yep a failure at Tampa…one good year at Rutgers…a success on Urban Meyer’s team as a DC. How about this. Would you take him as a head coach? Would you be happy with him or expect different than his years as a HC? No. You leg humper a would love for us to get someone like him. We may win a few games but we’d be mid tier like y’all have been. Don’t make this into something it’s not.
No proof? What about a sworn statement made UNDER OATH? Why doesn’t the innocent and pure as the driven snow Schiano file a suit against the guy who made the statement UNDER OATH? You know if the guy lied under oath it’s a felony. So why doesn’t Schiano fight
tClausen you’re a damned fool
You people gave your opinion of Schiano. I’m just giving you my opinion of you and the school you root for. There is a reason you paid out millions in the title 9 suit. It’s because Tennessee doesn’t have good people in charge.
You should probably go on a hunger strike
No Clausen you didn’t just give an opinion, you made a false statement. You said that UT fans were defaming a man with no proof. 1st how is quoting a court document that was made PUBLIC defaming? And how is a sworn testimony in a case of law not proof? See Clausen you are wrong on both. You’re either an idiot or a liar. So you tell us which one you are.
Spot on..
There have been poor decisions made over the years, but Mike Hamilton and Dave Hart are not there now and Phil had been out of the athletic department for almost ten years. You don’t sound very informed, but I guess you enjoy the troll thing.
Clausen your an idiot. Mike Hamilton hired Dooley. Currie left that year. He was a part of Hammys inner circle,right hand man. Currie has messed things up since he arrived.
The pendulum of the media…
Awful nice to sit on that fence they created. Karma comes around. Maybe ESPNs layoffs will spread to other spineless media.
Or he will be fired from the same school twice…
LOL not worried at all.
Good luck finding a decent coach.
Thanks, we will.
UT’s in serious trouble.
lol that’s cute… You’ll learn soon enough. Stay tuned, kiddo.
Be carefull we will report you to Missouri universities hurt feeling police….lol.
You vol fans are really funny. Go look in your plastic trash can where you’ll find Team 121’s season.
Where is Les Miles these days. I think LSU screwed up by letting him go. Good Luck Vols, the SEC needs you.
This is the biggest chit show in football.
Ever. It’s worst than Ole Miss.
Bwhahahaga that’s funny coming from you. Msu fans talking smack. Yeah you guys are great. We may be down but we will be back. You will never be great. Never have been and never will be.
Ummm didnt a MSU player admit to receiving money yesterday?
Yes, he did. It’s also funny a State fan thinks he has room to talk considering where the Egg Bowl Trophy is sitting right now.
Bulltitty, when are you going to learn how to put together a sentence? CHALLENGE: Go ONE(1) day without misspelling something. Worse*
Um….not Ole Myth bad.
Maybe Cclausen71 is really the failed Tennessee QB who never made a name for himself in the NFL and had to settle for coaching High School Football. I wonder why he blames Tennessee or Fulmer?
No he is an insult to casey
No he’s a bitter leg humper fan. Just sick to his stomach that Coach Fulmer is back in charge. He knows what that means.
Volbeef leg humping twice in on thread? Say it isn’t so.
You’re so stupid you don’t even understand the reference. Now go play in the street.
Don’t be so sensative volbeef. We all unserstand your reference. I’m merely calling attention to your limited insult rotation. You’ve fixated on leg humping so regularly that we’ve all begun to associate you with leg humping.
Umm, the “leg jumpers” are playing in the SECCG tomorrow. You vols do remember what that is, right? Do tell, how is the Pumpkin as an AD going to derail what Kirby has going on in Athens. We now have someone who can actually coach and apply the 4/5 star (not heart) talent we bring in.
Fulmer is a clown
Congrats to Rocky Top. Hopefully, Fulmer will bring down the curtains on this clown show.
This Clown.is a cut throat moron!
So you are obviously a closet fan of Somme school. Which one.
Im a Vol fan…………
The Good Ole Boy meddling from these type rogue boosters has been the downfall of a lot of football programs and this has turned to all of that and more. If the next HC comes into this mess with all these meddling hands in the kitchen nothing will change because nothing can change.
I think Tennessee should turn their coach search into a reality show like “The Apprentice”. Plenty of drama and comedy for everyone. Or they could do it like the lottery, put everyone’s name in a hat and the name they pick is the next coach. Are they even interviewing these people before they offer them the job, or just throwing names against the wall and seeing what sticks?
This might be better than than any sitcom out there. The admin, big money boosters, and radical fans have had to scare off a lot of good coaches. I expect that some talented coach would still take the job, but can UT identity that guy? I have serious doubts. The judgement from the leadership at the school has not been good for years.
I just got a call from Fat Fulmer. With much thought I have just accepted the Head football coaching job at tenn. The details of my contract are 1 million a year with no buy out… I can be fired for any reason after any season. This is all they could afford and actually it’s a really good bargain for them. (By the way I’ve never coached football before). Now let’s have some fun and win some championships!
WAIT!?!?! Didn’t UT fire Phat Phil? Now he is going to be relied on to resurrect a program from the dead, with sound logical decisions. And win championships now? The Siftshow continues. I hope he does hire Martin , the guy won’t make it through one year, he’ll get eaten alive.
So they hire a guy with zero experience to run their entire athletic department, seems legit, lol. Good to see it’s not just the fan base that is delusional.
Do not have a dog in this fight, but from the outside looking in, UT’s athletic department (not the players, or even the most recent coaching staff) has no leadership. Its puzzling, and the last presser was just…. wierd.
Clausen = idiot
Schiano was a bad coach! His record sux!
Go learn your facts. You really think it was about child rape? His record spoke louder than his personal choices.
That’s not why the fan’s protested.
Tonytiger
Nooe the trashcan is gone. Butch took it with him. Schiano is hiding inside it.
This is a very positive step for Tennessee. Firing Fulmer was a travesty and the program went from the top to the bottom dumpster without Fulmer. It will be interesting to see who Fulmer hires.
Fulmer was the National Champion but it was Majors who built the program that eventually led to that. I don’t know what went on behind the scenes but Fulmer is a guy who will give his all to get Tennessee back to winning…he will put in the hours and the effort.