Photo by Saul Young
Related document
After a week of controversy, Phillip Fulmer declined a three-month appointment Friday as a special assistant to University of Tennessee President John Petersen - an appointment that aimed to maintain Fulmer's insurance and retirement benefits while he considers his options after being forced out as UT's head football coach.
The Faculty Senate's president said Fulmer's $12,500-a-month appointment, coming on top of a $6 million payout of his coaching contract, had caused "considerable distress" among faculty members facing the prospect of layoffs and program eliminations because of state revenue shortfalls.
On Monday, Petersen announced Fulmer's appointment, which was to be funded by private donors.
On Tuesday, Petersen called on UT faculty and staff to prepare for a reduction of up to $75 million in state funding.
On Friday, the university released a statement in which Fulmer said, "I am sorry for any confusion, and I appreciate the university allowing me to take time to consider my retirement and insurance options. …
"Today I informed President Petersen that I will not be transitioning to a position in the president's office at this time.
"Instead, I have offered my services to him as an alumni volunteer, helping develop the university's relationships with its supporters. It has always been my goal to do what's right for this great university and bring Tennessee people together, and that's what I will continue to do."
Fulmer had been offered "an existing temporary position that had been left unfilled to give him time to consider his future without severing insurance and retirement benefits with the university," a UT press release stated Friday. The position had been filled by Jack Williams while he transitioned into retirement after serving as vice president for development.
The appointment was to run from Dec. 1 to Feb. 28 and include standard full-time employee benefits. Fulmer's primary role would have been "enhancing and developing strategic relationships on behalf of UT," Petersen said when the appointment was announced.
"I think, under the circumstances, this shows good judgment on the part of Phil Fulmer," John Nolt, UT Faculty Senate president, said Friday. "It was a mistake to have offered that position at a time when they're freezing hiring and imposing budget cuts."
Tennessee fired Fulmer as football coach on Nov. 3 in the middle of UT's second losing season in the last four years.
Under Fulmer's buyout, he will be paid $6 million over 48 months.
"Our announcement earlier this week in response to widespread media reports created some confusion," Petersen said, referring to Monday's news of Fulmer's appointment as a special assistant.
"We had to move quickly to adhere to university retirement policies and deadlines. Under those policies the agreement would not have become final until today," Friday's statement read. "In the days following our announcement, Phillip had the time he needed to consider it further."
Chloe White may be reached at 865-342-6341.
Tennessee baseball media day with…
Oregon sends Lady Vols home from…
Scripps Interactive Newspapers Group
Comments » 317
Waldorf writes:
Wow, guess his PR person finally talked some sense into him.
zqvol writes:
Class!
chrisw2967 writes:
that was the right thing to do.
bmiller#222442 writes:
What was really driving this "appointment"? Boosters or public relations?
TennThunder writes:
I am glad they are doing this right. It was not handled properly before. He should have done this on a Volunteer (pun intended) from the start. God Bless you Phil in whatever you decide to do.
Greyback_Vol writes:
Huh?
Sounds like public pressure got to Fulmer or Petersen.
Or both?
LostinNCVol writes:
They had enough time to see the media backlash and shelve the payment. He has been rewarded enough monitarily and should just be paid through his buyout. They could have structured it so he could retain his benefits. 6 mil. is enough to buy his own insurence. I hope I beat the first morons.
Major_Magilicutty writes:
very interesting. at least KNS got a scoop for once.
rockytopron writes:
You're a bonehead!
WorkinLikeHeck writes:
It's "class" because all of the negative backlash caused people to change their minds of their ridiculous decision in the first place? That's a good one.
chuckfromwoodbury writes:
He figures it will be easier to undermine Coach Kiffin if he's not constrained by actually being a University employee and being held accountable for his actions. He has Drayton on the staff to tell him everything that's going on. Fire Drayton! Restraining Order for fulmer!
username writes:
I don't get the whole brouhaha about this position. Assuming earlier reports were true that the funds for this position were coming from private sources, what's the problem? Perception? Who the hell cares? Reality is that public funds deserve the increased scrutiny in the face of budget cuts, and private ones are just that. Private.
Colliervol writes:
Both. This thing wasn't handled well from the start given all the budget cuts going on up there. Definitely poor public relations.
rockytopron writes:
Once again, the money came from a private donation not from the University.
Can't make the Fulmer haters happy no matter what. Talk about classless people.
Thanks to Phil, for once again putting the University ahead of himself!
Vol_in_Mich writes:
Good!
Go VOLS!!!
Waldorf writes:
Wow, I didn't realize we were in 3rd grade again.
I see you are a Fulmoron of the worst kind.
jobrando#216494 writes:
To much flak being generated...now can Coach go get a job or play golf. Surely this was not about insurance because with his money he can fund his own.
jobrando#216494 writes:
I'm sure anyone connected to Fulmer's old staff will eventually be fired.
HallowedHill writes:
I'm available if the job is still unfilled. ;)
Colliervol writes:
Doesn't matter where the money came from. In the current economic environment and all the cuts going on up there, the appearance is bad. I'm sure it was a mutual decision not to proceed.
Moaninglikeheck writes:
Hey, lets try to make at least 5 more pages on this topic. We were biotching about the appointment being offered...why not see how much biotching we can do with the appointment being declined.
Classic damned if you do, damned if you don't.
I'm really beginning to feel sorry for this gentleman named Fulmer...genuinely sorry.
BTW, how dare you mother fletchers sit behind your computers and gripe about every career move Fulmer makes. You got the man fired from the job that meant the world to him. Wasn't that enough? Will you gripe if UT offers him a job as a janitor?
Probably.
I swear, the President of the United States doesn't catch this much flack. Our Tax money pays for Secret Service protection for former Presidents (a lifetime benefit) and nobody is griping about Clinton nor will they gripe about Bush reaping that benefit will they?
Utterly ridiculous. Fulmer has been so ostricized that he can't even play a public role in fund-raising because of trailer trash wannabe whiners.
MidTennVol writes:
Darn tootin, goshdarn. At a time when many of us who are self-employed are struggling with $660/month insurance premiums, one would think that Coach Fulmer wouldn't have to try to game the system to keep from paying for his own insurance.
He's getting, I believe, something like $125,000 per month for the next four years. Personally, I think he might be able to afford his own insurance rather than trying to piggyback on the university.
He should have volunteered from the get-go anyway, given the hiring freeze, budget cutbacks, etc. facing the university. Not the best way to begin healing.
Volumni writes:
Can you say under the table, paid by outside sources?
ncvol writes:
Goodness- I just wish Phil the best and know his intentions were honorable. I am glad he will still be at UT for awhile. Go Vols!
newtonrail writes:
Both. Petersen is in Trouble in his job on his own and the side issues with his spouse don't help. He needed Fulmer to help him out after not keeping him from being fired. Some of the newer breed of Boosters(Thornton, Allan Jones, Brenda Lawson, etc) were also pushing it to try to keep Fulmer here. He should have agreed to fill the vacant position for $1 a month, and the benefits could have quietly been included. Variations of this are done every year with politicians who are defeated for reelection, and just short of pension or benefit retirement.
newtonrail writes:
Dubah doesn't get lifetime Secret Service protection. Law was changed before he took office. I believe he gets 5 years.
Ironcity writes:
You got that right. I strive to be as classy as our ex coach.
drwfocus#660070 writes:
Who do you think the "public" is? (sometimes known as "they" or "we"). Maybe you? Perhaps the posters on this silly site? By implication from your comment you most likely do.
Yeah Riiight. Right or wrong Phillip has 6 million and you don't --- jealous?
straightshooter writes:
Now that's more like it should be!
chrisw2967 writes:
Iont think this had anything to do with fulmer putting the university ahead of himself.If the backlash didnt happen he would of taken the money and the job.
If he really wanted to put the university ahead of himself,he wouldnt of let the football program sink as low as he did.he should of been fired after the 2005 season.
volroadwarrior writes:
All of you people get so worked up over this, and don't bat an eye at the billions of $s of YOUR money to bail out the UAW. We need a sense of proportion here.
This stupid little escapade will cost us nothing. We will eventually get hit big time with this federal bail out.
NoogaVol55 writes:
Just so I am not confused...he is doing the same job as the one he was initially appointed for...except now he is doing it for free??? I am thinking correctly?
jobrando#216494 writes:
but this is not a political site it's sports. I post on CNN of that kind of stuff.
TommyJack writes:
Of all your posts, this one is by far the dumbest. Phil turned this deal down AFTER the stink started. There was no putting the University first. Any grief he gets here is warranted.
And what's with the trailer trash comment? You lucked into some overpaid, do nothing union gig; now you're an elitist running down "trailer trash". That's rich, Bunky.
gotvols writes:
At this time I would like to show my loyalty to the University by taking the position for 10,000 a month (just to save some money). The excess money will go toward purchasing tickets for the less fortunate that will never be able to afford to attend a game. That would amount to only $7,500 worth in tickets. But I would do it for the children....
Volunatic writes:
Fulmer is a good man, and a great representative of UT. His detractors could stand to emulate him, but most of them don't know the meaning of the word "Volunteer".
chrisw2967 writes:
First of all nobody on this board got fulmer fired , thats a stupid remark to make.Fulmer got Fulmer fired and nobody else.
spencer1989#206886 writes:
Fulmer was offered "an existing temporary position that had been left unfilled to give him time to consider his future without severing insurance and retirement benefits with the university,". SO now we know more of the fuzzy details and what this was more about. I wouldn't have any problems with insurance or retirement if my present employer sends me walking with 6 million. On the other hand, I hope they do and I will find a way to struggle through it all.
But....I do have a little more (just a little more) respect for Fulmer now. Maybe he reads this posts and realizes maybe it was a dumb idea to accept the job. Or...Maybe Dave has an opening on his new coaching staff at Bowling Green. Just poking fun now folks so don't get your drawers caught up in the wrong spot.
Waldorf writes:
Hey Moron,
If Foolmore cared so much about the university as he says he does, he would have done what he did today at the very beginning.
Instead, it takes a PR backlash for him to not need to do it for the money. I guess he didn't want to use the last bit of that capital he earned 10 years ago when he won our last conference title.
I wish Fulmer would just retire to Jackson Hole never to be heard from again.
Moaninglikeheck writes:
(This comment was removed by the site staff.)
Hoss44 writes:
The definition of class
Waldorf writes:
Fulmer was offered "an existing temporary position that had been left unfilled to give him time to consider his future without severing insurance and retirement benefits with the university," a press release said.
By the way, what have I been screaming on all here all week?
pdhuff#552644 writes:
Now what is the timetable for the good man ex HC Phil Fulmer to just retire?
And let the good man current HC Kiffin to get on with geting this old ship sea-worthy again in the reef-filled waters of the SEC.
The level of play in the SECCG was amazing compared to the product we fielded this season. Kiffin will earn his $$$$.
flstf writes:
Your a classless punk along with the other idiots that spew the fulmer hatred BS.
Get a life and worry about phooey that you can control.
Pullingguard writes:
Call it class if you wish, but what turned this was people power through the act of criticism of the original agreement. Fulmer is OK guy, who does not need to tarnish his image by taking the monthly pay when Univesity is cutting back.
tnecvol#477125 writes:
Public pressure didn't do it. I think UT was trying to find a way for him to keep health insurance. My husband's company did that for him aftering retiring. Private ins. for a 58 year old male is hard to get. We couldn't find any my husband was considered uninsureable. As far as undermining Kiffin. He is making his own bad choices by telling young men not to come to UT because they are not pro style QB's. Our last non pro style quaterback took us to a National Championship
pdhuff#552644 writes:
Roiling.
tnbigg writes:
It would have been the "right thing to do" before it got to this point.
TommyJack writes:
Was it something I said? What part did you disagree with?
murrayvol writes:
Consider yourself lucky Kingsport. I don't own any good underwear.
Share your thoughts
Comments are the sole responsibility of the person posting them. You agree not to post comments that are off topic, defamatory, obscene, abusive, threatening or an invasion of privacy. Violators may be banned. Click here for our full user agreement.