Majors still fuming over circumstances of firing

But the bleeding from what, in his words, was a "deceptive, dishonest and disloyal" firing from the UT head coaching position at the end of the 1992 season might never stop.

Majors hosted and played in the Johnny Majors Invitational charity golf tournament at Lake Tansi Golf Course on Sunday afternoon. Proceeds from the scramble go to the House of Hope, which benefits children who are victimized by the arrest or usage of methamphetamine of their parents.

The 70-year-old Majors greeted former coaches, players and friends on the 15th tee where he putted and teed off throughout a sun-filled afternoon.

"I come back to visit in Tennessee eight to ten times a year, and this tournament gives me a chance to see a lot of the friends that I care for that I might not get to visit with otherwise," said Majors, who resides in Pittsburgh and serves as a special assistant to Pitt's chancellor and athletic director. "It's really too nice of a day to get caught up in negatives. I'm not looking for a debate.

"I have a great affinity for the people of Tennessee; I have no complaints about the way they have treated me," said Majors, a Lynchburg native who was runner-up for the Heisman Trophy in 1956 and coached UT to a 116-62-8 record from 1977-1992. "But I know what happened to me and I could validate if I needed. I was undercut when I was being cut on."

Majors underwent quintuple bypass heart surgery prior to the 1992 season, and he believes current Vols coach Phillip Fulmer was among those who maneuvered to get him ousted during and after his recovery.

Still, Majors said he takes many positives from his career at UT, and he's looking forward to returning to Neyland Stadium for the Georgia game at which his 1985 team will be honored.

"I have lived my dream. I guess I'm way ahead of the game, even though I (experienced) one of the greatest deceptions I would have never anticipated," said Majors, whose only other appearance at UT game came in 2000 when he was honored with other former Vols' lettermen. "We're going to have a reunion of the 1985 team at the Georgia game, and I appreciate Mike Hamilton for that. He has been very kind to me, and I've enjoyed getting to know him."

Majors, who coached at Iowa State and Pittsburgh prior to coming to UT, said he doesn't keep a close watch on the UT or the SEC. But he has taken note of happenings at Alabama and Florida.

"I've never seen anyone mess up one of the great traditional programs in the country like the people did at Alabama," Majors said. "The guy that's coaching (UT) now has never gone up against a true Alabama team. They've been short-handed, short-legged and short-armed."

Majors can be counted among a growing number who expect a Gators' revival under new coach Urban Meyer.

"If I were coaching now I'd be spending time down there (watching); he has the best system in the country," Majors said. "I tried to hire him before. He's a quality person."

Former Vol Dewey "Swamp Rat" Warren, who played in the scramble, said the same can be said for Majors.

"People still love coach Majors because he was true Tennessee," Warren said. "Nobody wanted to win more than Johnny; his blood runs completely orange."

Former Michigan coach Gary Moeller, who also played in the scramble, said Majors will always be known for his intense desire to win.

"As a competitor he demonstrated his abilities, and as a coach he turned around programs," Moeller said. "You always hear about his toughness and discipline, and those are the things that makes great coaches."