Do you think Phillip Fulmer deserves a contract extension and raise, as is likely to be finalized after the Outback Bowl?
Cast your vote to the left and sound off below.
© 2007, Knoxville News Sentinel Co.
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Comments » 195
chrisw2967 writes:
bflynn I have to disgree with you , he doesnt deserve neither one. we had to depend on other teams to lose to get into the SEC CG and in each of our wins except for Ga we struggled in every game and didnt play a complete game except for Ga and the most part of the Ark game.
you may be proud of Fulmer for what ever reason but what has he given us since 98 ? nothing.
nobody can justify him getting a raise or an extension, why because we made it to the SEC CG ?
THANKYOU4GETTINGRIDOFTHENOTSOSLIMONE writes:
no comment. It's basketball season!
PureOrange writes:
Apparently the poll wasn't going like the KNS wanted so they closed it down and will not give the results.
Phil Fulmer is a great guy, but 9-4 records are not worth 2 million plus. UT should just not talk about it.
BigUn writes:
Fulmer doesn't deserve a raise or extension. He's 23-14 over the past 3 years and this year he won the East which was great, but again, we fell short in the championship game.
With that being said, he doesn't need to be fired or retired, but some new position coaches, coordinators with some new ideas instead of the old rehashed same UT schemes would be nice.
ONUV writes:
hell no
bigtimevol writes:
Once again, KNJ throwing blood in the water. "Do you think Fulmer should be fired?" "Do you think Fulmer deserves a raise?" What 5th grader comes up with these questions...all designed to solicit mostly negative, or controvercial responses. I've go one..."Do you think a writer should be fire when they bomb an article?"
pdhuff#552644 writes:
Who authored this poll? Suspect a trap. Any coach that can go 23-15 (after Wisconsin) the last three seasons deserved a large raise if you goal is to have a warm and fuzzy pre-game experience in K-town. The Tennessee river will run backwards before Phil ever wins another NC. Thats his stated goal which is admirable. Methinks he might need to lower the bar if you haven't succeeded in your last nine tries.
Well, time to retreat to the cave and await the Fulmerites. They've been greasing their spinning wheels to make another scarf to wear to K Kreme. Don't be too hard-core, I'm kinda getting used to seeing the SEC crown go elsewhere. Joshin' with facts. Merry Christmas to all.
billnewton#588776 writes:
Enough is enough!! Write about something else!!
eb502us#225637 writes:
A small (very small) raise shows a commitment to Fulmer for recruiting purposes and takes away all the "on the hot seat" talk swirling around the program. A contract extension like the one ge got only means a larger buyout, which is rediculous for Hamilton to give considering how close we came to another losing season. A small raise doesn't hurt, a large buyout will.
bobo_the_vol writes:
He deserves an extension, no doubt. Look, if he screws up he can be fired .. but give him job security. A raise? If we beat Penn State, yes.
ODA751 writes:
Yes
VOLinDAWGland writes:
Wow...must be a slow news day in K-town. I believe this has been fully hashed out several articles ago. They probably just threw this out to watch every one bite and have a good laugh.
This could be a secret plot by the pro Fulmer crowd to stir up a bunch more anti-Fulmer venum to squeeze out an extension of the extension and a higher raise from Hamilton. Those dastodly wabbits.
glenncandrews#217154 writes:
Why did the KNS disable the voting on this? It would be great to see how the voting actually went.
volfanincarolina writes:
It is past time for a change. I can not understand that some are content on been an average team year after year after year. You know about this time every year there is talk how Fulmer had pull this team back together after struggling the first half of the year. It will not change if he and his crew stays. True, we would need to be careful whom we would get cause you can do worse. You could be in a situation where you would not get any bowl games which the way they been out coached in the past they may had been better off.
vol52 writes:
How are the Outback ticket sales going? That might give a good read of the mood of the fans. Hamilton is spineless. I wonder if the really big money people will pick up the slack on bowl tickets?
james#216392 writes:
I voted this morning so it is working now. 41% said no raise or extension. I agree. This year he just did the job he was paid to do, nothing more nothing less. 9-4 for Tennessee is very average. If you comes back next year with a SEC Championship, then give him the raise/extension. But don't give it for average results.
DennisVols writes:
Leave it to KNS to try and come up with something to keep the boards moving during the down time.
First quit with the "we had to depend on other teams to lose to get into the SEC CG" bull. Unless you go undeadeated, and don't expect that to happen you will always need someone to lose something. The final week had GA not UT depending on someone to lose to get into the game. Florida dropped 3 SEC games and was depending on more than UT to lose to get there.
Does Fulmer deserve a raise or contract extension? The person who came up with this poll deserves a demotion. Haven't we discussed this enough already? The big boosters think Fulmer deserves both. Enough said> No one else's opinion counts so why waste the space. Lets discuss just how lucky we are to not be AR or Mich and having every coach turn us down for the job.
jocy_vol writes:
The pool is only as accurate a the voting public. The bottom line is ... none of us are Mike Hamilton. He said yes and yes. Opinions are like noses, everybody’s got one. It’s your nose, but I do not want it on my face. Mike H. - Stay on top of the scene! You have done a good job! IMHO.
GreerVol22 writes:
No on both counts. Nothing short of and SEC Championship should warrant raise or extension.
Lets face it, it was the kids that were the differece in a few W's and few L's....not that his outstanding coaching overcame....
TommyJack writes:
He deserves a couple of dozen and a road map.
arkyvol writes:
yes to both if he fires chavis.
jobrando#216494 writes:
I think he should get a raise but not extension. Best thing Phil can do to help himself is push to move VANDY and Kentucky to the front part of the season and Florida and Georgia to November. He just cant seem to get the team ready in the beginning.
eefor10c writes:
The jerks may think that Fulmer doesn't deserve a raise/extension but people who are in a position to make the necessary decisions do. They know more than you whiners who are legands in your own minds.
tnecvol#477125 writes:
let's not be like Arkansas, nuff said
Pullingguard writes:
With Salaries spiriling out of control for College Football Coach's and Fulmers dedication and resuslts its only good sense to give him an extension (1 year) and a raise.. Now Fulmer get rid of some assistants, like the DB coach and get some firebrand coach's in there to improve areas of needed improvement. If Fulmer fails to make the adjustments and the Vols have a bad or medium year in 2008 then the rooster has crowed on Fulmer when it comes to his management ability.
Colliervol writes:
They forgot to put the 5th choice on the list:
"Doesn't matter what any of us think."
Can I put in a write-in vote?
waterskier3#226480 writes:
lets quit talking about it... we're stuck with these clowns so lets hope they get the players in here to make us champions again... becasue we know they won't out coach anyone....
if we lose to Wisc how will the A.D. feel then... 4 years straight we've ended the year will a loss.....
GerryOP writes:
When I vote, I get a message "We didn't record your vote, because you or someone from your computer's address has already voted." No one else uses this computer! Anyone else get the same message?
Perhaps there is some mystical force inhibiting non-pro-Fulmer folks from voting?!?!?!?
RemembertheAlamo writes:
bobo....when do we play Penn State?
Stumps writes:
no.
you have to beat the top teams in the SEC in order to be competative. sorry. he earns enough considering his performance.
Southland writes:
no one that matters gives at ratsa@# what we think but no, no raise no extension. The record was decent but the play was horrible Slade needs to be fired. Cutcliffe needs to be put on probation until he learns a new system. Yes whiney worshippers we scored a good number of points but we are so predictable my grandmother who never watched football could figure out what we were going to do after watching one quarter of football
hueypilot writes:
CollerVol and 3rdtenn get it and I think I do. TouchdownTN says the majority on this thread say Fulmer doesn't deserve a raise or extension. Actually something like 4 in 10 think he doesn't but again nothing anyone on here says matters one rat's patootie. It is the people who have the gold that make the rules. I know that makes some of you mad, but the armchair fans don't get to make that call. Lots of you puffed up like a big toad when I said there's varying degrees of being a true
Vol fan. But if you don't think Haslam and Thornton are more of a fan in that they have more influence than you do, you're living in a dream world. As for fan support falling off, we outnumbered LSU two to one (at least) at the SEC championship game. As long as the people who buy tickets keep doing so and the big donors keep coming forward, joe schmoe has no say. Don't like being irrelevant? Then go donate a million or so to the VASF and you can have input.
THANKYOU4GETTINGRIDOFTHENOTSOSLIMONE writes:
Top 10 paid coach not producing a top 10 caliber team. Enough said. You should get what you pay for. If not, it's time to go.
eb502us#225637 writes:
3rdtenn, glad someone like yourself finally agrees that Slade and Cutcliffe are the main problems. Yes, we scored points, but the potential was for so much greater. Unitl they go, neither will the Vols.
volmac72 writes:
As fans, we can expect to to lose to Wisconsin on Jan1st, then again to the Annual Ass-Kicking at Florida next year, and/or til Fulmer's extension ends, the potential losses to LSU, Alabama and maybe UGA and the likes will continue. Good Ole Boys win again,nevermind a SEC championship and forgetaboutit! The national championship will not see Knoxville anytime soon. Is the Heisman of any interest to anyone associated with the football program at UT?
jdcvols#230433 writes:
The reason that we outnumbered the LSU fans was easy. LSU thought their season had gone up in flames with the ARKY loss. The other is all of the people who actually believed that CPF would win this game and take the bowl game seriously. Were we all Fooled Again??
grogpaw#362163 writes:
Who cares? I'm not a trustee so I don't have a vote and neither does anyone else writing on this site to include the News Sentinel staff. All this bickering does is degrade the entire program. Everyone on this site has an opinion and as the old saying goes; opinions are like rectums - everyone has one and they all probably stink.
Carlitovol writes:
My brother came up with a new word that I really like: Fulmediocrity.
Here is my recommendation to www.dictionary.com:
Fulmediocrity (ful-MEE-dee-OK-ri-tee): A person's state of being in which he or she is overly rewarded for performing services which are only ordinary or barely adequate in quality.
SewaneeVolFAn writes:
Deserves both, and we're lucky to have both he and Hamilton. Before the season, I believed with a couple of breaks that UT could be a top ten team, and incredibly, they still might. Great job of rallying the players, addressing weaknesses, and getting the most out of everybody. Very impressive year that shows that it's not what you do when something goes your way that shows what you have, it's what you do when something doesn't go your way. Go Vols!
auttat writes:
This is a sample of maybe .01% of people that pull for Tennessee. Not sure if the poll even matters, but the response is intriguing, nonetheless.
Southland writes:
go ahead and tell me how much fun the offense was to watch. Man it was a thrill a minute. Great execution. And what a great job of getting first downs when we needed them. Press on with the great offense. Who did we score our points on? How many of the points where scored in overtime to jackl up the average? How many points will the genius Cutcliffe rack up against Wisconsin?
invisiblekid writes:
Big Jimbo, Thunder, and Little Mike are the only ones with votes that count. If my vote did count, I'd say no to both. Most folk get raises only when they exceed expectations. Fulmer hasn't met his own for a ninth consecutive year.
However, he's getting a raise, he's getting an extension, and he isn't going anywhere so it's pointless to keep harping on the subject. The best we minions can hope for is that Slade will make a graceful exit and that Adkins, Caldwell, and Brooks are put on notice. If they are going to stick with "Tennessee Football", then the rushing offense needs to do better than 70nth in the nation and the defense needs to do better than 85th in sacks, 66th in scoring defense, and 68th in rushing defense respectively.
sidwalkvol writes:
Just think, we could have fired our coach and be having as much fun as Michigan and Arkansas. Heck, maybe WE could get an average MAC coach to replace our Hall of Famer--as MI is TRYING to do. Solich to Callahan, Carr to Hoke, nutt to the high school guy (and yes, Tulsa led the coungry in offense this year but the Arkansas offense improved without him)... who does the brain trust of this board think we might have gotten? But of course you would have found a way to blame Coach for that too, just like people at Notre Dame are trying to blame Willingham for Weiss' mess. And the Bamans Shula for Saban.
pdhuff#552644 writes:
errr. fellas, sorry that some see "gloom and doom" what many of us take as fact. I consider a 59-20 as a Fla ass-kicking. Bill Clinton couldn't spin that one.
Still waiting for a Fulmerite to put a positive spin on nine years of NO championships. That would probably get you a job with a presidential candidate. As invisible kid says, 85th in sacks, 66th in scoring defense and 68th in rush defense might not qualify as "gloom and doom" to some, but its definitely not "blue-birds and sunshine".
How long does this go on? Phil's a nice guy but results are what you're remembered for. Battle was a nice guy. Etc. Think about it-we've played over 100 games without a SINGLE SEC ring to show for it. Sorry, that glass is really half-empty. Merry Christmas.
asand211#361548 writes:
I believe a raise and/or extension should have been reserved for a season when Fulmer secured the eastern division title by beating opponents such as Florida and Alabama rather than depending on other teams to lose. Not only did we lose to Florida and Alabama, they destroyed us.
Singaporehillbilly writes:
TDTN - Your anger should be pointed at your own Bama program and the amount of money you have paid for a Music City Bowl. Get over the fact that Fulmer was the reason you guys went on probation.
CrankE writes:
The last year for UT football was a rollercoaster ride. It had twists and turns, dives, rolls, nearly jumped off the tracks, made us all sick at one point or another, had us all screaming with our hands in the air, and we ended up getting off precisely where we started, going to Tampa while another SEC team that UT should have beat takes the SEC title and plays for the national championship.
The losses to Cal, UF, and Alabama weigh heavily on the scales. An SEC Championship would have tipped the balance. Merely appearing in the game should exceed no one's expectations. Too many opportunities were wasted or missed altogether this season by a Tennessee team that should have been capable of cashing in on them.
How does that merit a raise or contract extension?
airship writes:
i guess we are fortunate. we could be like alabama.pay your coach 3 million plus and what dose it get you? THE MUSIC CITY BOWL.
volmac72 writes:
sjt18 posted a response
"And if all this doom and gloom occurs.... fans like you will have gotten EXACTLY what they deserved."
Where have you been since 98? DESERVE?? The reality of mediocrity & Annual-Ass Kickings is well documented, going on 10 years now....Only a true orange-blooded fan can feel my pain. UT and the coaching staff are known for not being able to win the big games as of late. Yes, they choke to put it bluntly. NO raise or extension until UT coaches can demonstrate we're not Florida's B*&^%!!!
Colliervol writes:
Wronggravegr, that's $4 million and a BossierCityPoulanWeedeater Independence Bowl.
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