The phone lines were open for public opinion and debate on the News Sentinel's Sports Page radio show as listeners were asked to call in on Wednesday and cast their vote for one of Tennessee's “Big Three.''
If you could only pick one coach to remain on the Vols' staff, which would he or she be, Pat Summitt, Phillip Fulmer or Bruce Pearl?
It's the third time the semi-annual poll has been conducted, and Pearl has won it each time.
Pearl, entering his fourth year as the men's basketball coach, finished the two-hour program on WNML-99.1 FM, 990 AM, receiving 23 of the 50 votes.
Fulmer had the second-most votes (16), while Summitt had 11 votes, six of which came from women who called into the daily show (Monday-Friday, 10 a.m.-noon).
The platform for each coach became clearer as the Sports Page program unfolded.
Pearl, who is 48 years old, was viewed by many as the choice for the future, as he's younger than Fulmer (57) and Summitt (56) and appears to have more years left on his coaching clock.
Another reason some voted for Pearl is the UT women's basketball program and football programs are more established, thus making it easier for Fulmer or Summitt to be replaced without as much risk for drop off as men's basketball could have if Pearl were to leave.
Pearl has found a winning formula for men's basketball where others have not, giving UT a national presence with his charisma off the court and his winning ways on it.
The Vols won a school-record 31 games last season, captured an outright SEC title for the first time in 41 years, attained the No. 1 ranking for the first time in school history and have won more league games than any other SEC program over the three seasons Pearl has been head coach.
The Fulmer supporters, nearly half of whom chose to cast their vote off-air without want or need to explain or defend their position, cited Fulmer's ability to produce a consistent winner (147-45, winning or sharing the SEC East Division title seven of the past 15 years).
Fulmer, the only coach of the three to attend the University of Tennessee, has the best overall winning percentage of any active coach in the nation with more than 10 years of head coaching experience (.755) while also keeping the Vols free of any major violations over the past 16 years.
Fulmer's job was, for the most part, viewed as the most difficult of the three, as the state of Tennessee does not have a strong football recruiting base relative to other SEC schools.
No doubt, the SEC is a football jungle of sorts, with four other national championship coaches to compete with, and other programs pushing the limits and falling victim to NCAA sanctions during Fulmer's tenure.
Those who supported Summitt cited her championships and loyalty.
Summitt has built the Lady Vols into a dynasty over the past 33 years, winning eight national championships and getting Tennessee global exposure with its unparalleled women's basketball tradition.
Knoxville probably wouldn't have made ESPN's recent list of top 20 “Title Towns'' without the trophies Summitt has brought home and the record number of collegiate basketball wins she has attained (983).
Many of the voters who didn't vote for Summitt took a moment to pay tribute, explaining the limited stature of women's basketball, from a fiscal and exposure standpoint, was taken into consideration in their voting.
Regardless of who the callers picked, most all agreed Tennessee is fortunate to have such successful coaches representing collegiate athletics' three most watched sports.
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Comments » 133
ctownvol writes:
I love all 3, but I'm going with Coach Pearl too.
ctownvol writes:
BTW-I was first! Nanny nanny boo boo
CoverOrange writes:
Happy for ya, CTown. Have a doggie biscuit for your efforts. jk
That was a waste of a minute and a half to read this. Come on, Mike, your phoning it in! Oh wait, it a radio show.
invisiblekid writes:
Think I'll sit back and rubberneck at this impending train wreck of a thread.
ctownvol writes:
Turbo- Can I make it a fritter? Did somebody say train wreck? That very well could be an understatement.
messinaround writes:
Things must be boring around the office!
ctownvol writes:
Well hey Geoff. How are ya brother? Got any polka playing in the background today? I'm sending you another email. Go check it out soon.
rthestar#368358 writes:
I'm surrounded by idiots. MG has to have something to talk about so he can keep the radio show..So he stirs the pot and let all you that respected the stupid question vote & give him a subject so he didn't have to actually work...
NEXT it will be which D coaches should be let go....
LETS start our own poll & ask which radio shows should be gone===NO fair taking just ADAMS off. he is old and using his vast qualifications for the job he would get at WENDYS would only serve to ugly up an otherwise fine sandwich place..
YankeeVol writes:
Yep, pretty bland today..... When will there be word on Summitt's contract? That'll heat things up.
knoxnewsuser writes:
UT football, the appetizer for UT Basketball!
AuburnFan writes:
I'd fire all 3 and close the athletic department.
ctownvol writes:
VolnDothan- That certainly is a possibility, but may just be a little premature. Let's see how things pan out over a few years before he is annointed. I like his character and recruiting efforts for sure.
dwolfcreek#397971 writes:
dam stupid question .
ctownvol writes:
Fire all 3 AND close the athletic department? WOW! Kinda harsh. Don't ya think Auburnfan?
dwolfcreek#397971 writes:
whats a auburn ?
ctownvol writes:
It's a tiger. No wait. A wareagle. No wait. A plainsmen. Aw heck. I don't think anybody knows.
b_neas writes:
Simply based on age would you not have to go with Pearl? He has at least 15 good years of coaching left in him. The same can not be said of the other two.
BADGES0413 writes:
Auburn Fan,
The way your basketball teams have performed the last 20 years it looks like you all have taken care of getting rid of those sports. You tried to fire your football coach a few years ago too, so you are really close to being a top notch AG school.
By the way are you War Eagles, Tigers, Plainsmen or Grit Grubbers?
ctownvol writes:
Gritgrubbers? Now that's funny!
bobbarbilly writes:
It's AWEBURN. They stand in awe and burn with envy.
CoverOrange writes:
Auburn is pretty nice color of hair for a woman.
Singaporehillbilly writes:
A better poll would ask which KNS sports writer, if any, would you keep?
Mr_Bandman writes:
How could anyone vote for Bruce over Pat? He's a great coach, but a couple of good (not great yet) seasons can not possibly trump Pat's career legacty. That's crazy.
Mr_Bandman writes:
...also spelled "legacy"...oops...
ORANGEASIAN writes:
John Adams, not!
FWBVol writes:
Poor AuburnFan, Tigers haven't won a football NC since 1957, and have neither basketball team has ever won a title. But at least they do have their women's swim team with it's six NCs. Feel the fear.
That said, I agree that this is only something the KNS is doing to stir the water a little. The fact is few, if any, of those who post on this site have a say in what happens in the UTAD.
Let's all unite and get ready for the 2008-09 school year that will see success in almost every sport.
highwayman writes:
You have to be kidding! I would take Pat over all the coaches at UT.
agentorange writes:
who comes up with this phooey?
How bout letting us vote for the kns staffer we most want fired them actually firing them?
I vote for John Adams followed by Griff.
armyvol544 writes:
This poll does not give enough choices. Why can’t I vote for all of them? Why just one? Voting for just one is just starting something that doesn’t need to be started.
WorkinLikeHeck writes:
We better keep Fulmer around since there is no one else out there that wants to win more than him (insert snicker) and that could go 8-4. Plus, we have to beat back other colleges and NFL teams from approaching him every single year considering he is in such high demand.
Hunter writes:
If I had a Fantasy Coaching keeper league, I'd keep Summitt and try to pick Pearl in the first round of the draft. 8 NC's is hard to argue, in any sport.
I'm in Fantasy Baseball mode - forgive me.....
ctownvol writes:
I went back and rethought this: Just on win/loss records and championships you have to vote to keep Pat. BUT there is more to consider: As everyone knows football is the cash cow. Right? If you are successful in football and continuously selling out 105,000+ you can afford to pay your other coaches well and in turn attract top notch coaches and recruits to ALL other athletic teams. That being said, I would prefer to keep a winning team on the football field and that means, even though this will tick off some, I say keep Fulmer. Not that my say-so means a hill of beans.
littleorange writes:
Is Mike Strange the only News Sentinel columnist left with any shred of integrity??
Etacovda_00 writes:
New Poll:
How many games will the VOL's win this season:
A) 3
B) 7
C) 12
D) Wait - if they win 12 that means they would have to beat Wyoming at homecoming? Not a chance
bloodrunsorange writes:
If football hadn't produced money there wouldn't be any basketball to mention.
cdldoc#211897 writes:
This is a jerk piece written by a jerk writer.
NEW POLL, VOTE YOUR FAVORITE!!!
Which writer would you rather see gone
1 Strange
2 Adams
3 Griffith
b_neas writes:
Key here people (you are nor reading the question) question is "pick one coach only to remain on the staff". Not the most accomplished, not the best, not the winningest. Since Pat and Phil are on the downhill of their carrer, and getting old, that is why most are picking Pearl.
memphistenn2117 writes:
You'd be better to hire Calipari, he actually makes it past the sweet sixteen, hahahaha
HotlantaVol writes:
I think I will order the calamari with a nice marinara sauce.
MidTennVol writes:
This is a stupid question/a stupid poll dreamed up by third-rate journalists at a backwater newspaper simply to stir something up during summer because they don't have the creativity and/or energy to explore some truly interesting storylines about UT sports.
volguy41nlouisiana writes:
I vote....we merge men and womens basketball....have a coed league.....Pat would be the coach....move Pearl and his recruiting genius over to footballs head man...and make Fulmer the AD.....(wiping his hands....problem solved....next)
turner_c writes:
John Adams and the KNS stirs the pot yet again. Why does the KNS have an apparent agenda of creating controversy with UT athletics? After all, without UT sports, you probably wouldn't still be in business.
volguy41nlouisiana writes:
what Denmarkvol was trying to say....Is that he is not pleased with the KNS effort on this particular article...he feels it lacks any substance and wishes they would do some research in order to make an interesting read.........LMAO....couldnt agree more Denmarkvol
Canadien writes:
The message that states that Tennessee is a steppingstone in basketball is way behind the times. Like it or not, any school that draws 20K every night, pays the contract that UT does and invest in the facilities that UT has is a destination job, not a steppingstone. Thanks to Bruce Pearl, Mike Hamilton and the people who supported the renovation and new buildings, UT has quickly regained the status that Ray Mears was building to- becoming a legitimate national basketball school.
FWBVol writes:
VOLstuckINky, UT a stepping stone? Get real. UT might not have the history as Kentucky, UNC, UCLA etc., but just like Florida was a few years back before Billy the Kid arrived, Tennessee is on the brink of being an elite program. Not too many schools can offer the facilities and fan support we have. I think Pearl is in Knoxville for the long haul unless he gets the NBA itch, and I don't see that happening.
Volfan1 writes:
STUPID QUESTION!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
We have all three...we keep all three.
The KNS should be renamed to "The Knoxville Enquirer"...it's quickly becoming a rag-mag with Tuscaloosa Johnny & the inmates running the asylum.
volguy41nlouisiana writes:
Lemme put it this way...How many SEC or for that matter NCAA schools period can you name the head football coach....womens bball coach...and mens bball coach.....Tennessees coaches are well known....far more than any others.....just think bout it....Soooo...I think we have a pretty good nucleus of coaches covering our top 3 sports...no change needed at this time KNS....thanks though
Bigger_Al writes:
What an asinine poll.
That's like saying, which of your three kids do you like the best?
volguy41nlouisiana writes:
Bigger Al.....definitely my 12 year old boy...my 15 year old daughter is driving me nuts...lol
Pullingguard writes:
Why would a Poll like this be conducted? The Vols have three good coach's (Football, Basketball and Lady Vols Basketball) so why stir the pot and ask such a stupid question? It serves no purpose and regardless of what the poll shows it would carry no weight with those making the decisions.
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