Looking back at 2006, Fulmer says 'nine wins is OK at Tennessee'

There are conference rooms for meetings with staff and players, offices for coaches and support staff, all of which overlook the indoor football practice facility. Take-out meals are consumed here, countless hours of film (both of opponents and potential recruits) is watched, rewatched and watched again, all in the hopes of finding that winning edge.

Near the 50-yard line is a reception area that gives way to coach Phillip Fulmer's office.

On this Saturday in the middle of January, papers are piled up on Fulmer's massive desk, which sits at an angle on a raised platform in the back corner of the room.

Almost everything is painted black, except for the Power T built into the front of his workspace.

On the far wall is a new slogan -- the oft-cited "Fired up, focused and prepared" -- painted in big, orange script.

The slogan, just like Fulmer's remodeled office, was new this season.

Following UT's 5-6 debacle in 2005, when the Vols went from preseason national title contenders to missing out on a bowl game for the first time since 1988, everything changed.

Why not Fulmer's office?

"We basically started in January from scratch, with a real challenge facing us," Fulmer said.

The results were a 9-4 season that began with a bang -- 35 unanswered points in a 35-18 victory against No. 9 California -- and ended with a whimper -- a 20-10 loss to unranked Penn State in the Outback Bowl.

Considering where the Vols began the season and the injuries during the season, it was progress.

But in the remodeling of Tennessee's football program, 2006 was a bricks and mortar year.

The finish carpentry will come later, or at least that's the goal upstairs in the nerve center.

'OK at Tennessee'

When the remodeling started, the first order of business was to repair the foundation. Selfishness had crept into the program, winning was assumed, leadership wasn't as strong as it had been in some of those championship seasons.

"The first thing we started with was attitude and discipline," Fulmer said. "Just absolutely clear that we weren't going to have any issues that distracted from our goals. Worked really hard, really diligently to develop our leadership. From a discipline standpoint -- I don't mean necessarily anything off the field, just discipline period -- we made some strides there in the offseason. Basically asking and demanding a commitment that this is the way we're going to be. The summer was real good, you could see kind of things coming together."

The Vols brought back offensive coordinator David Cutcliffe and reassigned a few assistant coaches, in addition to hiring Matt Luke to coach tight ends and Kurt Roper to coach running backs, both of whom Fulmer praised for their enthusiasm.

The first returns came against Cal, when the Vols used a vertical passing game to take a 35-0 lead.

Next came a squeaker against Air Force, followed by a one-point loss at home against eventual national champion Florida.

Defensive tackle Justin Harrell, a likely All-American, played his last game against the Gators after rupturing his biceps tendon against Air Force. Cornerback Inky Johnson suffered nerve damage that ended his season in that game as well.

UT had lost just once in its first three games, but it had suffered others: The anchor of a weakened defensive line and a shutdown corner.

"Arguably the two best players," Fulmer said. "Inky was truly a man corner. You could say, 'OK, you got him and we don't have to worry too much over here.' Justin obviously would have made a huge difference."

The Vols won their next five games, which included runaway wins over Memphis and Marshall and a 37-point second half at Georgia.

The last two were comeback victories over Alabama and South Carolina, but in the waning minutes quarterback Erik Ainge injured his ankle on a quarterback draw play.

The next week against LSU, Ainge threw just six passes and didn't play past the first quarter. Backup Jonathan Crompton emerged to complete 11 of 24 passes for 183 yards, two touchdowns and one interception against the nation's top-rated defense.

"I've very proud of Jonathan. He stepped in in a big-time way," Fulmer said.

In fairness, LSU was the beneficiary of a call that allowed the Tigers to retain possession of the ball on their game-winning drive after quarterback JaMarcus Russell appeared to fumble.

Still, like the Florida game, Tennessee saw a 17-7 third-quarter lead vanish in the waning seconds. The next week wasn't as pretty.

Without Ainge again, as well as breakout tailback LaMarcus Coker, the Vols were soundly beaten on the road at SEC West champion Arkansas.

Tennessee finished out the regular season with a resounding win at Vanderbilt, followed by a lackluster showing in a victory at home against Kentucky.

After starting the season 7-1, UT went 2-3 down the stretch, counting a turnover-plagued loss to Penn State.

After averaging 35 points a game in their first six games, the Vols averaged just 21 over their last seven.

Injuries on both sides of the ball took their toll. Aside from Harrell and Johnson, linebacker Jerod Mayo fought a nagging ankle injury from fall camp on before suffering a knee injury against Vanderbilt that required offseason surgery.

Coker missed two games with a knee injury, and several other players were limited.

While those injuries played a part in the second half of the season, Fulmer isn't willing to blame them for the results.

"We've had injuries before," Fulmer said. "I just refuse to let injuries be an excuse.

"The team fought and played hard, we were exciting on offense, more like we've been in the past. It was a lot to overcome, but yet it was never insurmountable. There was somebody always there to step up and somebody wasn't probably quite as good, but they still had the practice energy and the focus. It was a fun year that way. It was really lots of fun up until that fumble at Penn State."

The final tally for the Vols was 9-4 against opponents who finished 88-61. It's the 11th season with nine or more wins in Fulmer's 14 full seasons at UT.

"From our standpoint, it was a nice comeback year," Fulmer said. "Especially considering the issues we had and our schedule. You have a one-point loss to the national champions, a four-point loss (to LSU). The bottom line is you've got nine wins. Nine wins is OK at Tennessee. It's OK."

At this month's American Football Coaches Association, Fulmer received plenty of pats on the back from his peers. He said he received cards and letters from fans offering congratulations.

"Everywhere I go -- I just came back from our convention and everybody I saw (said), 'What a great comeback. What a fabulous year you had.' Of course all of us who are right here close to it, we're disappointed a bit because we didn't finish like we started," Fulmer said. "I've got a lot of friends in coaching now, and they know how hard that is. You could have rolled on your side and said, 'Hey I'm dead.' We didn't do that."

'Never Been Easy'

The numbers are pretty impressive for the SEC.

Since 1996, the league has won four national championships. In 2004, Auburn finished undefeated. In its three BCS national title game appearances, the league is 3-0.

Four coaches (Steve Spurrier, Nick Saban, Urban Meyer and Fulmer) have won national titles. Three of those reside in the SEC East.

Fulmer says the league is tough, but no more difficult now than when he returned to Tennessee as an assistant coach in 1980 or when he became head coach during the 1992 season.

"Everybody wants to make that, 'Hey this the hardest it's ever been,' " he said. "I've never seen it be easy. And I don't think it's changed. It's always tough."

And cyclical.

Florida dominated the early and mid 1990's. Tennessee was the top dog in the late '90s through the turn of the century. Since then, Georgia, LSU and Auburn have had their moments on top.

Fulmer, the longest tenured coach in the SEC at a single school, knows how the cycle works.

"For a time when I first started, everyone was chasing Florida. We kind of overcame that and everyone was chasing us," he said. "And there were people hired and fired to beat us. All of us were chasing Georgia there for a little while. It kind of goes in cycles, a little bit. I don't think that has to be the case. It's demanding.

"Names have changed. When they hired whoever at wherever, that's the great new answer. We'll have to see. That's how we've survived, I guess, through all those guys."

The expectations haven't changed, either.

UT athletic director Mike Hamilton said recently it was reasonable to expect the football team to play for an SEC title four times in 10 years and to win two.

Fulmer said those expectations are realistic.

"There's a lot of good teams in this league, and a lot of good people who are trying to do that," Fulmer said. "You've got to have ability, and I think we're there, or really close. You've got to stay healthy, have a good schedule that works for you. Things have to be managed well internally. And you've got to be fortunate."

'We've Done All Right'

Just outside Fulmer's office, there's a trophy room, filled with mementos and trophies from his 15 seasons as Tennessee's head football coach.

When Fulmer remodeled his office this offseason, friends Charlie and Molly Anderson helped add the trophy room.

"We had trophies all over the place," Fulmer said. "Some in the hall of fame, some in here, a couple we had to go find.

"Walk back here and you're like, 'You know what? We've done all right.' "

Tennessee fans don't need to see the room to know there isn't an SEC championship trophy since 1998, the same year Tennessee won its last national title.

The Vols have been close two other times. In 2001, the Vols lost to LSU in the SEC championship game, likely losing a spot in the national title game as well. In 2003, they tied for the division title with Florida and Georgia. In 2004, the Vols fell to unbeaten Auburn in the SEC title game.

During last month's Outback Bowl preparations, Fulmer said he's still driven to hold a championship trophy again. It's much the same message he delivered just before Tennessee's last trip to Tampa, his first as UT's official head coach.

"I said it, everybody thought I guess that I was full of crap, when they hired me that we were going to take this to another level. And some people made fun of that at that time, some people (in the media). We did it," Fulmer said. "We've almost done it two other times, been right there. As I said, if we continue to recruit well and we coach them hard, stay injury free, get a few bounces, we can do that."

The 2007 season poses the same set of challenges. The Vols must replace their three leading receivers from a year ago. Gone are its two All-Americans, offensive tackle Arron Sears and receiver Robert Meachem. The schedule, which starts at California and includes road games at Florida and Alabama, as well as home games against Georgia and Arkansas, is daunting.

Fulmer's formula for success hasn't changed. A favorable schedule, no serious injuries and a few key plays still determine champions, he says.

"It's having the playmakers and the ability to make those few plays, staying injury free. The biggest thing nobody says too much about is scheduling," he said. "Injuries and scheduling are the two biggest things after having the ability. I think everybody's coached well in this league. I don't see a team out there that's not coached well."

That includes Tennessee.

With an overall record of 137-41, Fulmer has the highest winning percentage (.770) of any coach with at least 10 years experience. At Tennessee, he trails only Gen. Robert Neyland's 173 wins.

Eight times in his 14 full seasons, the Vols have won 10 or more games. After winning 10 games in five of his first six seasons, Fulmer has reached double digits three times in the last eight.

Still, he makes a point of saying that he's never been more focused on guiding Tennessee to another championship.

"If you ask any of our staff or the team, I've never been going at it with more energy and verve than we have in the last year," he said. "And we'll continue with that."

In the nerve center, the goal remains the same.

"I don't have a crystal ball to sit here and say we're going to do this and this and win this many. I wish I could tell you," Fulmer said. "But we're going to go and work like heck and compete for a Southeastern Conference championship. That's what we do every year."