KNOXVILLE — Butch Jones is under fire, but he has another prominent supporter: former Tennessee head coach Phillip Fulmer.

Ahead of the showdown with No. 7 Georgia, Fulmer told Saturday Down South “that you shouldn’t even go there” regarding growing angst from some fans who want Jones fired.

“I do not think it is right to go there,” Fulmer said. “You have a guy that has back-to-back 9-win seasons and where we were four years ago as a program, we are not even close to where we were. There is a lot of progress and a big game this weekend and there is a lot of football to be played left this season.

“I think it is silly to even talk about his job being on the line.”

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Fulmer discussed other topics that are currently looming over the UT athletics program.

One area is the direction of the athletics as a whole.

The national championship head coach was in the running earlier this year for the athletics director position to replace the outgoing Dave Hart.

But on Feb. 28, UT Chancellor Beverly Davenport announced that John Currie would leave his post as Kansas State athletic director and return to Tennessee for the same position.

The hiring prompted many to wonder whether Fulmer would stay around the program; Currie was Senior Associate AD under then-AD Mike Hamilton, who relieved Fulmer of his head coaching duties in 2008.

But over the past few months, Fulmer has been around the University and athletics program and approves of Currie’s short time on the job.

Currie has fired the 11-year men’s tennis coach Sam Winterbotham, did not extend baseball coach Dave Serrano’s expiring contract and hired his own guy, Tony Vitello. He brought back the Lady Vols’ logo, name and brand, and extended contracts to co-softball head coaches Ralph and Karen Weekly.

A lot has happened under Currie’s direction at the six-month mark.

But there’s still a storm cloud brewing over the biggest revenue sport of football and how many have voiced their opinions of wanting to take the next step and compete for championships.

Fulmer likes how Currie is uniting people throughout UT and believes it is the start of building a solid foundation, something that was missing under Hart.

“He (Currie) has some familiarity with the program and that is a big plus because we have not been as culturally together for a period of time,” Fulmer said.

In June, Fulmer was hired as the University’s special adviser to UT President Joe DiPietro for community, athletics and university relations.

“I really have not gone anywhere,” Fulmer said of his time since 2008. “Some of the same things I am doing now I have been doing. My whole thing is to be here and connect the dots and bring people together.”

Does he miss the fall and being the battle captain on game days? Of course.

“You do not do something for that long and not miss it,” Fulmer said. “I have certainly found ways to enjoy life with the fans and with my family, but you miss it.”

He misses this time of year in which he was a successful head coach at his alma mater Tennessee, winning the 1998 national championship, two SEC championships, five SEC East division titles and posting a 152-52 overall record.

Some say that the game has changed since his 2008 departure, but he insists he would have adapted to the current around-the-clock coaching model that centers around social media.

Fulmer understands the landscape of college football in 2017. He understands how recruiting plays out on social media and says he would “knock it out of the park” with outlets such as Twitter being mainstream now.

He glowingly said he “would have killed it” in today’s recruiting.