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Coach Fulmer takes questions from the media following his announcement that 2008 will be his last season as head coach for the Tennessee Volunteers. Watch »
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Ramon Foster and Eric Berry react to Coach Fulmer's announcement Monday that he will be stepping down at the end of the season. Watch »
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As usual, South Carolina’s Steve Spurrier was outspoken.
Vanderbilt’s Bobby Johnson was "shocked."
For Kentucky’s Rich Brooks, it was a "shame."
News of Phillip Fulmer’s resignation Monday as head football coach at the University of Tennessee spread quickly throughout the fraternity of Southeastern Conference coaches.
"I don’t know whether to feel sorry for coach or congratulate him on the biggest buyout ($6 million) in the history of college football," Spurrier told South Carolina media late Monday. "Nobody’s got any better deal than that. He won some games last year and got a good deal.
"He’s probably 16, 17 years there. That’s probably long enough. It wasn’t working very well. I think everybody understands that when it starts going bad, you’ve got to make a change. We all know that.
"I’d like to congratulate him on hitting that lottery ticket. That’s a big ticket he got."
Spurrier added his days of possible interest in the UT job are long past. He said it might have been an interesting option a few years ago after a failed stint with the Washington Redskins, but not anymore.
"No, no, no," he said. "They’ll hire a guy that wants to stay 10 or 15 years. That’s what they should do, really."
Asked how the landscape of the SEC changes without Fulmer, Spurrier was non-commital.
"I don’t know," he said. "Tennessee’s got tradition there. They’ll be back in time. Schools with tremendous tradition like what they have, usually it doesn’t take too long to get back near the top.
"But who knows? It’s a little different now with Florida, Georgia and some of them teams being better than they used to be.
The coach with the strongest reaction to the news was Brooks at Kentucky.
"It’s a shame that a coach with a winning percentage of about 75 percent, who also won the SEC Eastern Division last season, is stepping down," he said. "It’s a sign of the times in our ‘What have you done for me lately?’ society.
"Coach Fulmer has been a great representative of college football and given Tennessee a lot of great years. He’ll be missed in college football."
Alabama’s Nick Saban, known for his no-nonsense personality, had a similar, traditional reaction when he was asked about Fulmer’s fate.
"I have a tremendous amount of respect for Phillip Fulmer and what he’s done at Tennessee," he said. "His full body of work over 16 years, he won a national championship. I can’t say enough about the great job that he’s done there.
"From a professional standpoint, you hate to see any one of your colleagues have to go through this kind of thing. It’s kind of a part of our business that’s not a good part of the business. We wish him and his family the very best."
One coach who still has a chance to meet Fulmer face-to-face one final time — when the Vols play Vanderbilt in Nashville on Nov. 22 — is Johnson.
"I’m kind of shocked and surprised," he said. "That’s the way it’s going now days.
"Contracts don’t matter. If somebody reacts and decides to do something, they do it."
Changes in society and unrealistic expectations obviously were mentioned by more than one coach.
"Coach Fulmer has always had an outstanding team over there at Tennessee," Johnson said. "You can see that they’re sound at every phase of the game and they’re ready to play.
"It’s hard to maintain every year the expectations that maybe that program has. But he has been very consistent and had some wonderful years since I’ve been playing him, except for one (2005). I think it has just been an outstanding career."
The one coach who didn’t have much to say on the subject was Florida’s Urban Meyer.
"Obviously when coaches get uprooted and families ...," he said, "it’s just a tough part of the profession."
Another former Vol, Tommy West of Memphis, emphasized how much times have changed in the volatile world of college football coaching.
"I was talking to some coaching friends of mine this weekend and it is different now," he said. "Now it’s gotten to the point where you have the big year and get a big raise or go somewhere else. or you stay long enough to get fired. One or the other. That’s kind of where we are now. If you stay long enough, you are going to get fired.
"Phillip had some great years there. He’ll go down as one of the better coaches from looking at his record."
West’s final dig mentioned Joe Paterno of Penn State and Bobby Bowden of Florida State — the two winningest coaches in the game.
"The longer you stay the more people don’t like you," West said. "Poor ‘ol coach Paterno and coach Bowden, nobody likes them now."
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Comments » 120
TNVolsFan writes:
Good luck coach
Hoss44 writes:
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bd330794#206783 writes:
Stay classy Urban, your day is coming.....
COVolsFan writes:
UT will regret the day we did this.
MemphisVol writes:
Thanks for a great run coach fulmer. go vols!
vol1994 writes:
how can anyone say that UT will regret this one day?
What in the world do you expect the administration and fans do?
Two losing seasons in the past four years..
Same ole discipline problems on and off the field
*not even competitive this year
*not competitive the past two years against Alabama and Florida
*the fan base finally losing interest in the program
I wish nothing but the best for Fulmer and his family but I do not feel sorry for him. He has had a wonderful career at UT and well paid for his services. His great grand kids will never have to work so after emotions calm down within the next 30 days all will be well.
And I seriously believe we will rebound within 2-5 years. Will we go thru two or three coaches? possibly. Will it take longer than 5 years to rebuild? possibly.
But the admin. made the correct decision as our football program is in shambles now and I do NOT think fulmer and his current staff could rebound next year or the year after.
golfnut0517 writes:
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cdldoc#211897 writes:
Kosmo,
I just can't express the disdain I have for you for saying that. Have a nice myocardial infarction.
oldvolguy601 writes:
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john#208876 writes:
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indianacurly writes:
cdl, i've seen kosmo spew a few nasties, but what he said there is more or less factual, albeit, with a fair amount of sarcasm. save your disdain for posters like golfnut who, even on a what should be a sad day for everyone, resorts to personal insults. today, is kinda like the day that your 90 yr old grandpa with alzheimers dies. your happy that he's going to a better place. still, you're sad as your realize how much you loved the guy and what his life meant to you....
hbvol writes:
I love coach Fulmer and wish him nothing but the best. He loves UT with all his heart and it showed. We would be very lucky to get someone with half as much emotion about our school as he showed today.
Some Tennessee fans think national championships are it's birthright. Those are unrealistic expectations. I just hope it doesn't take us 10 years to be competitive again because we are messing with a legend.
Good luck to Mike Hamilton. I hope he can pull another Bruce Pearl out of his hat.
john#208876 writes:
you too Golfnut
OMike writes:
The right decision was made, no doubt. I'm not even going to rehash the numbers - it just does not sink in to some. It is a business and Hamilton saw the writing on the wall in dollars. I wish Fulmer the best and any one with that much service to one institution deserves thanks and respect, but give me a break - making 2.5million and walking with six million, and he is not in a position where one wrong decision could cause a life or get him sued. This phooey from other coaches - its a what have you done for me lately society? Cry me a river - if you make 2.5 million it should be what have you done for me lately. It is for most of us everyday. Oh yeah he'll probably get another job still making more than the majority not doing jack. Yes I felt for Fulmer you know he loves Tennessee, but its been past time for a change. This pales in comparison to the mistake of the American idiots about to put Obama in office. P.S. d_mb arses he went to a church for twenty years that is antiamerican among many other things.
steelersman42 writes:
thank you coach fulmer for 17 great years!
calvolfromkingsport writes:
Best line yet. Amen!
indianacurly writes:
kport, tn calvol? which hs/yr?
calvolfromkingsport writes:
Kosmo, has it been that long since you quit making those "Tennessee Trash commercials"?
bugman (Inactive) writes:
boo whoo the guy made more in one week then my yearly salary. cry me a river............
go10eseavols#664860 writes:
I was one of them wanting to see Fulmer gone. Now that I am looking at things - I regret it. Overall record only 51 losses - how many coaches would love to be coaching for 16 years and only have 51 losses? I know plenty of coaches here in Indiana that would love it. We are being selfish when he say that the last couple years hasn't been good enough - we are the idiots. Coach did us well not only on the field but off. Good luck to whatever he does.
RedHog writes:
Coach Fulmer is a great coach. Like many have said, the unrealistic demands colleges have these days will only lead to the termination of some truly classy coaches. If a coach with a nearly 75% winning record is subject to getting released, what coach is "untouchable"? UT has a fine football tradition, but I would dare say that without Fulmer they would be just another Arkansas. That might seem like an unfair comparison except that I am an Arkansan. Our football program brought the axe down on a coach that had fallen on tough times; a coach that had brought a fair amount of success to a struggling football program. The SEC is a tough conference and it is only a matter of time before a team has a rebuilding year. If UT couldn't stomach that reality, they didn't deserve a coach like Phillip Fulmer.
VOLpylot writes:
Of course Urbane Meyer won't say much. He's a classless piece of distended rectum.
Colliervol writes:
Like I expected any of the coaching fraternity to say anything else. Just like I would expect nothing different from current or ex-players. Please. It's a closed fraternity and they don't react well when somebody upsets the apple cart. Remember. It's just business.
BigVolinCarolina writes:
I can't wait until we can wipe that smirk off of Urban Meyer's face.
It's coming.
pdhuff#552644 writes:
Phil had a great run. He's set for life.
Time and tide and Tenn Football wait for no man.
It is the nature of the beast.
Hamilton, make the right choice (with Haslam's and Thorntons's okay) or your conditus will be right behind him.
This is about Tenn football, much bigger than Fulmer.
utvolschick writes:
Thank you Coach Fulmer for all you have done for Tennessee. My heart breaks that this has happened to you, but you will forever be someone to look up to in the hearts of many UT fans. Thanks for being a class act about it all!!
jimr07 writes:
you classless jerk. how many more times are you going to say that. the first 38,000 times i overlooked it, now it has become a bore. probably because you cannot think of anything else and this is one way people will actually pay attention to you. both of your friends do not find it amusing either
indianacurly writes:
jimr07, don't feed the monkey - he'll just throw more shite around
utwick writes:
Fulmer is a good man who loves Tennessee. It is a sad day for the school, but hopefully, it will be a turning point.
Change can be painful and UT will go through some growing pains. The extent of this pain will be determined by the hunt for a new coach and what Fulmer does next. Will he fade away to Wyoming and says "Adios", or will he try to "unite the party" so-to-speak. How he reacts can determine how many players stay committed to the program, and consequently how long it takes to turn things around. Hamilton is under major pressure now to hit a home run with the new coach selection. I wouldn't want to be in his shoes. We need a coach who can connect with the kids, has not only experience with recruiting (no NFL here) but can do it well, can instill accountability and discipline, can inspire the players and get them to believe in themselves and the team, run a clean program and be innovative in his approach and surround himself with an innovative staff. I'm sure there is more that we expect, but I would run out of space here. Tonight is the eve of some major changes in our world. I hope that Hamilton and we as well, make some smart choices.
knoxvegas00 writes:
It is amazing to me that you people call for Fulmer's head and when they take it, you want it back. Unbelievable.
OrangeOz writes:
So do I "Bugman" but YOU don't make much wiping windshields on I-40 exits, do you.
You're a "fan" not a fan.
It's over, move on, show some support or pick another team, we aren't sharing ours anymore.
tnvolfan30 writes:
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OrangeOz writes:
I'm right with ya volfan!
bugman (Inactive) writes:
actually i clean toilets
mediatom writes:
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feathersax writes:
Now everyone's angry...not a bad thing. Let's give CPF a proper, respectful "Farewell", then carve up the Wyoming, the KY Mildcats, Vandy Commode-doors & whoever shows up at the Music City Bowl. A great way for the Coach to go out. As for Urban Myth in Croc-land, you will get yours...future Vols will kick your rectal itch & make you like it.
OrangeOz writes:
No, I know people who clean toilets. They have to deal with your.... but have much more class.
Get a new team.
soooashamed writes:
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asand211#361548 writes:
I'll tell you, I was one of the fans who sincerely felt that a coaching change needed to be made at UT for a change of direction but watching that press conference was a very hard thing to do. There is absolutely no doubt in my mind that when Fulmer said he loves the University of Tennessee he means it from his heart. He brought this program from the ashes to the elite ranks in the 90's. He gave us two SEC Championships, five appearances at the SEC championship game, and a National Championship. With a winning percentage of 75% there is no doubt he is among the elite and will always be considered one of the best coaches in history. Although the last several years have seen decline I believe that he is still a great man, a family man, and a Christian man. It is evidenced in the support he has from the current and former players and current and former coaches. I wish him well and sincerely hope that he is happy with his achievements at UT and receives the ongoing respect that he deserves.
With that being said, this was without a doubt the right thing for the University of Tennessee. All good things have to come to an end and that includes the tenure of a great football coach like Fulmer. Clearly, his time had passed and he had fallen behind other programs in the SEC and nation wide. Hopefully, the university will not make a snap decision on a new coach and carefully approach the decision as other programs, such as Florida, have done. The goal should be to find a coach that will remain here for many years, like Fulmer, and will have continued success. This rebuilding will take a few years and next season may not be much better than this one so I hope the Vol nation will be patient.
OrangeOz writes:
100% Mediatom!!!
Even if you agree with a change, you shouldn't doubt Fulmer's love for UT.
asand211#361548 writes:
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Colliervol writes:
Oh trust me. Hiresanders already roots for another team. That has been obvious for a long time.
asand211#361548 writes:
DCflorida, Tebow is a tranny and Meyer cries like a baby after a tough game. What's your point?
govols22231 writes:
Urban Meyer is a total b***h i hate his guts. I cant wait for tebow and harvin to leave and there whole team go down the drain. He got lucky coming in with those players.
OrangeOz writes:
Here come the buzzards...
You started off well almost respectable, but you're a gator (intentionally lower case)then showed your true colors with the last few paragraphs. Low class fan of a low class coach. Hope they start an investigation down there, cuz there's plenty of smoke.
Like any gator, you remember sprurier and meyer, you forget the zook and that other losers in your history. Even that dark pre-spurrier era that makes up most of your history. When it comes to program's with tradition, we're old money, you just won the lottery and flaunt it with the same class (or lack of) you've always had.
Don't want your spurrier. He burned the bridge long ago.
Don't want your meyer. we'll get his game soon enough.
Vols keep their heads high, gators writhe on the ground in their own waste.
VOLS10 writes:
I'll tell you this vol1994, it's embarrassing for us that are former volunteers that we treat a coach the way Coach Fulmer was treated today. His biggest mistake was hiring the Richmond staff. And to say the program is in shambles, I guess you were not in Atlanta last year or Tampa.
Maybe people like you will become Vandy fans. GOOD LUCK COACH FULMER, GO VOLS.
VOLS10 writes:
All you Fulmer haters CONGRATULATIONS, you got what you wanted, now the rest of the country is laughing at us. As a former VOL, lets get rid of Mike Hamilton, he's a joke. When money pressure comes forward, he is a yes man. Tonight I hate my university, 37 years means nothing. No it's about what have you done for me lately. Look at Penn State, just when they get on Coach "P" he's undefeated. After watching the press conference today the players are crashed, maybe Eric Berry will transfer to a university has some class.
OrangeOz writes:
I'll offer a translation for you. He says your quarterback likes to wear women's clothing and your coach cannot handle the pressure of the SEC without getting all emotional.
They don't do well with reading comprehension in Goonsville?
Phil's still employed for now, and he's a VOL he'll never be a gator. So I'd say he'll always be in better shape than you.
OrangeOz writes:
The boldness of your statement shows your lack of mental capacity.
We'll just beat you in Basketball till we weather the football storm.
VOLS10 writes:
Wrong, I am a VOL, get it. Mike Hamilton has never been an athlete or a coach. You don't treat people this way. It's all about the big money guys, not us little people.
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