Audio slideshow
Tennessee athletic director Mike Hamilton’s decision to dismiss football coach Phillip Fulmer was met with pain and surprise.
Well, not from super prospect Marlon Brown.
“I saw it coming,” the receiver from Harding Academy in Memphis told the Commercial Appeal. “I knew when they played Alabama (last month). I was like, ‘Yeah, he’s getting fired after this game.’”
Another top 100 prospect, tailback Jarvis Giles from Gaither High School in Tampa, wasn’t too keen on the change.
“I think it’s stupid that they fired him,” he said.
Most of Giles’ fellow UT commitments didn’t seem to mind. Of the 17 commitments contacted Monday, all said, publicly at least, that they planned to stick with their nonbinding verbal pledge to UT.
As one of UT’s most outgoing commitments of the 2009 class who talks to several committed prospects, Giles wasn’t nearly as optimistic.
“I think a lot of recruits are going to back off,” Giles said. “I’ve been getting text messages all day.
“Every recruit asks me what I’m going to do. I tell them that I’m going to stick with Tennessee right now until I actually know what’s going to happen.”
Giles’ decision will be based on what happens to running backs coach Stan Drayton, who convinced Giles to commit to UT in June.
“That’s my man right there,” Giles said. “I’m pretty much going to see what he’s going to do. If Drayton stays, there’s a good likelihood that I’m going to stay.”
Giles isn’t holding out much hope that Drayton will be retained since most new head coaches want to assemble their own staff.
“My pop told me to look at option B,” Giles said. “Even coach Drayton told me to look at option B.”
Option B isn’t clear right now. Giles said he will take a hard look at South Carolina, Nebraska and Clemson, which is also looking for a new head coach.
Giles said he’ll take an official visit to Columbia, S.C. this weekend.
Giles said he considers himself a UT commitment but will likely follow Drayton if he’s not retained at UT. Giles said Drayton will keep him updated as much as possible.
Time is not on Giles’ or UT’s side. He was planning to enroll in January.
“I need to find out as soon as possible who the new coach coming in is and who he’s going to fire when he comes in,” Giles said. “I need to know, pretty much, in the next three weeks.
“Truthfully I don’t want to leave Tennessee. Do you understand how much it hurts me? I’m real depressed right now.”
Commitments aren’t the only prospects UT is worried about.
Losing a foothold on undecided prospects, such as Brown, is also a major concern.
Brown, the News Sentinel’s top prospect in the state, told the Commercial Appeal that UT will still remain among his top five and he’ll still take his official visit on Jan. 31.
Brown is also considering LSU, Ohio State, Florida and Georgia. Brown, who is ranked the No. 57 overall prospect nationally by Rivals.com, has taken official visits to Georgia and Ohio State. He’ll visit LSU on Jan. 10 and Florida on Jan. 24.
As Fulmer was shown the door Monday, Hamilton put out the welcome mat for high school prospects during a contentious press conference.
“There’s a great tradition here that’s been built over many years,” Hamilton said when asked how Fulmer’s ouster might affect recruiting. “There are great student-athletes that are here that will be their teammates and they will enjoy being with.”
UT’s 2009 recruiting class, which is ranked seventh best in the nation by Rivals and 10th best by Scout nationally, was one of the strongest arguments to retain Fulmer.
However, a 3-6 season (1-5 in the SEC) was an overriding factor in an emotional decision. Hamilton seemed to challenge prospects by reminding them that change is often not easy.
“We’ll get through this process,” Hamilton said. “It’s a painful process, particularly over the next few days and next few weeks, but in the end, the University of Tennessee will move on.”
COMMITMENTS LIST AND WHERE THEY STAND
Name Pos. Size School — Hometown
Tajh Boyd QB 6-1, 210 Phoebus – Hampton, Va.
Phoebus head coach Bill Dee told the Newport News (Va.) Daily Press that Boyd, UT’s latest commitment, remains solid to UT.
Antonio Foster OL 6-4, 285 Valdosta (Ga.) High
Still committed to UT. Foster told UT commit D.J. Swearinger he would consider visiting South Carolina.
Jarvis Giles RB 5-11, 175 Gaither – Tampa, Fla.
Still committed to UT but waiting to know future of running backs coach Stan Drayton. Plans to take all four remaining official visits, including South Carolina this weekend. Plans to enroll in college in January but said he would wait longer if necessary.
Edwin Herbert DT 6-3, 290 Armijo – Fairfield, Calif.
Still committed to UT.
Jonathan Hollins DT 6-3, 273 Redemptorist Senior – Baton Rouge, La.
Still committed to UT. Doesn’t plan to visit other schools as long as scholarship offer is honored. Plans to enroll in college in January.
D.J. Hunter DB 6-0, 196 Middletown (Ohio) High
Still committed to UT. Told Vol fans, “Don’t worry about me” de-committing from UT.
Nigel Mitchell-Thornton LB 6-2, 210 Stephenson – Stone Mountain, Ga.
Still committed to UT. Plans to enroll in college in January.
David Oku RB 5-10, 185 Carl Albert – Midwest City, Okla.
Told Rivals.com he remains committed to UT.
Aubrey Phillips OL 6-6, 310 Olive Branch (Miss.) High
Still committed to UT.
Kevin Revis OL 6-3, 265 Rhea County – Evensville, Tenn.
Still committed to UT.
Zach Rogers WR 6-2, 175 David Lipscomb – Nashville, Tenn.
Still committed to UT.
JerQuari Schofield OL 6-6, 298 South Aiken – Aiken, S.C.
Still committed to UT. Has been contacted by Clemson but won’t consider other schools.
D.T. Shackelford LB 6-2, 235 Austin – Decatur, Ala.
Still committed to UT but unsure of future. Said he would speak with family about possible options.
Je’Ron Stokes WR 6-1, 178 Northeast – Philadelphia, Pa.
Still committed to UT. Said he will wait to see plan for new coach before making final decision.
D.J. Swearinger S 5-11, 195 Greenwood (S.C.) High
Still committed to UT. Said he committed to the program, not the coaches. Will consider South Carolina, where he visited unofficially twice in last month.
Damien Thigpen RB 5-9, 171 Stonewall Jackson – Manassas, Va.
Still committed to UT. Said he wouldn’t consider another school if contacted. Cited Boyd’s recent commitment as reason to be excited about Vols’ future.
Toney Williams RB 6-1, 229 Milton – Alpharetta, Ga.
Still committed to UT.
Couldn’t be reached for comment.
Prospect Pos. Size School — Hometown
Dominique Allen RB 5-11, 235 Henry County– Paris, Tenn.
Status unknown. Allen visited LSU officially on Oct. 25.
Jerod Askew LB 6-0, 230 Oscar Smith – Chesapeake, Va.
Bryce Petty WR 6-3, 212 Midlothian (Texas) High
— Josh Ward and Dave Hooker
Vanderbilt 93, Tennessee 79, Feb. 9…
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Comments » 92
alfrizzle097 writes:
I honestly hope the class falls apart. Fulmer was a great coach. Joe Pa had three or four losing seasons a couple years ago. Penn State is looking brilliant for firing him... oh wait.
I no longer consider myself a fan of UT football because of the way its fans behave. Hopefully it will get what it deserves just as Nebraska, Miami, and Alabama have gotten what they deserve. Just as Arkansas is getting what it deserves.
matrosscbc writes:
Stay Boys...Drayton will be kept.
MANVOL writes:
Stan Drayton can go ahead and pack his bags today.....
Monday, when he got the bad news from first-year Tennessee running backs coach Stan Drayton, Giles realized he needs to examine his choices.
"Pretty much, [Drayton] told me to look at Option B," said Giles, who plans to enroll at his chosen school in January. "He didn't want me to get caught up in this mess." For Giles, Option B is either South Carolina, Clemson or Boston College, with the Gamecocks holding the edge.
bdub77 writes:
Things will get worse before they get better, but we had to do it.
MANVOL writes:
how can you be telling recruits to chose plan "B" if you are still planning on being here???
lomas98 writes:
Who cares. Anyone know why Crompton was rated the 3rd best QB in the country during his year? Recruiting stars mean nothing. Honestly I think the change may help a Marlon Brown really consider TN. It works both ways in that our commitments may look elsewhere, but other commitments will look at TN closer now depending on who they get. If I was an offensive player I would definitely look at TN now that the conservative offense will probably be gone. As far as Giles' comment on following Drayton, I will never understand. What if Drayton took another coaching next year after Giles was on board? I understand these kids get attached and build a relationship with a position coach but they really should look at the opportunity for PT and the potential for the future. The future meaning in life or football.
DennisVols writes:
That is why this next decision by Hamilton will be the most impprtant he will make. Making the wrong choice in the new head coach could send this team down the same path the other universities have suffered through.
It could take years to rebound from lossing this recuriting class with the wrong choice of a head coach.
The top players in this class are not looking at just the 3-4 years of playing football at UT but at a professional career in the NFL. Fulmer had a great record of development of NFL players so this next decision had better be the right one or we suffer through a decade like Bamma, and GA went through.
alfrizzle097 writes:
You sir are exhibit A. Your comments consistently show a lack of class and give students of the university a bad name.
Were they not in the SEC championship game last year?
I would think that in a year when there is a new offensive coordinator and quarterback, there would be room for some slack. Afterall, the new scheme and quarterback are the main reasons for the problems this year. All the educated opinions that I've seen have indicated Clawson has a solid offensive scheme. That being the case, Fulmer is being fired as much for changing schemes (like everone wanted) as anything else.
He surely warranted another two years to get back to the SEC championship game. Especially with a top ten recruiting class coming in.
Again: I hope it all falls apart. Ten years of being Vanderbilt's sixth win. Ten year's of being the new Kentucky. Ten years of blowouts. Tennessee fans have leapt Alabama and Notre Dame fans as my least favorite. Maybe we can fire Bruce Pearl in ten or fifteen years.
scott92699#212441 writes:
Feeling that way just proves one thing you were not a Tennessee fan to begin with.What was done was the right thing,we may struggle for a couple of years but,it will be worth it in the end as long as the right choice is made.So, go take your ball and go home and drink some more of your Fulmer orange Kool Aid.Thanks coach Fulmer for the good times but, as John Ward would say "It's Time".
estillspgsvol writes:
The rest will Stay? Then why did we fire a coach that has won 75% of his games? The only people on the current staff that are even worthy of staying are the defensive staff. If this is Hamilton's way of keeping CLawson and the coaches who came with him, then I smell a rat in the stew! Maybe we need to show Hamilton the door! IF you are so committed to change, then make a clean start top to bottom!!
alfrizzle097 writes:
I vehemently deny that. I have always wanted Tenessee to win. I've been to every home game this year and groaned as loud as anyone else. The thing is, it isn't being done the right way.
My allegiance simply isn't unconditional. I now renounce my fanship. Just as I stopped rooting for Kentucky after the way they treated Tubby Smith. But to say I was never a fan is off base. I rooted for UT because it was done the right way. No running up the score. No cheating. Only class. The fans control the program, and that is no longer a priority. Boo Tennessee.
Pullingguard writes:
Well we must remember, its how the player developes once they are in the program... Fulmer had lot of Plus marks but also some negative marks... He just did not get his young talent involved in the games...I think this is one reason for the slow developement of some players... He always found some excuse for them not playing... Wish Fulmer the best and he did lot of Vols.. But time brings change, and change brings changes.. So lets see what happens..
orangecountry21 writes:
I personally talked to Giles and this is pretty much right on. He didn't commit to the program or Fulmer. He committed to Stan Drayton. As long as we keep Oku I am fine with losing Giles.
sandman8323 writes:
i want players committed because of the program and the game not the staff.. Look what happen to alabama when the kids were being bought by staff. bye the way i smell another violation coming on.
sandman8323 writes:
violation on bama's part not ut.
spvol writes:
Well, all you "coaches", you asked for it; now you got it.
KAvolsfan writes:
Why fire Drayton? He did not come in with Clawson. He also has ties to Florida because he was the running back coach for the gators. Giles will be the real deal.. we need this guy.. but he will enroll in January and i do not see the new coach being named in "3 weeks".
rab63 writes:
All coaches, when hired, should be given this caveat....."Look coach this is a temporary job.....We'll pay you enough money to make you rich, but it's not a lifetime job....You'll probably last a few years then move on, thats just the way it is. Now do you still want the job or not?
utvols4ever writes:
I don't want any player that is not committed to TN football not the staff. That is the problem now. Whatever happened to the Dale Jones' and the Al Wilsons' who played for TN not the coaching staff.
andy112382#209793 writes:
First of all hiresanders is probally Randy Sanders still cryin' about how bad he was as an OC, heck, he couldn't even be OC at kentucky!
Anywho...I think a large portion of these guys will stick around, the core of the class I would say is making sure those DTs stay, add one or two more, Boyd and Oku stay, get a top-notch WR, rather it be Brown or someone else, and get Morgan Mosses, build around those guys and you have a very solid group to work with.
I'll certainly miss Fulmer, been one of his most loyal supporters, but change is just a part of life, and we were just missing a spark or something, still don't know what it was missing, but a kickstart is deperately needed, something our new head coach needs to provide as soon as they arrive, like Pearl did for bball.
GO VOLS!!!
spvol writes:
You're an idiot if you think Majors was a fine man or coach. He couldn't carry Fulmer's clipboard. Fulmer is still loyal to UT even now; and his record at Tennessee speaks for itself. You see what happened to Major's record when he no longer had Jackie Sherrill and Jimmy Johnson as assistants. And when he left UT he had absolutely no loyalty to the school. Phillip is a class act.
jimmy71#237592 writes:
“Even coach Drayton told me to look at option B.”
Are you kidding me, fire Drayton right now for breach of contract (insubordination)and don't pay him a dime
FLAVOLS writes:
He's only being honest to one of his recruiting prospects. I see nothing wrong with that.
FLAVOLS writes:
I have one word to represent this poster...
IDIOT
mattnchatt writes:
If Hamilton manages to hire someone for everyone to be excited about or a coach that makes you excited (like Pearl) then the recruits will stay and more will join them.
vtvol#210290 writes:
Wouldn't it be funny if Josh Nunes decommitted from Stanford and back to the Vols?
utchris writes:
I question whether Giles represented Drayton properly today in the news, since I heard that Drayton was doing damage control with Brown today. A big name coach will keep us in the running with Brown, as will Pearls help.
threehundredbowler writes:
Fulmer did not volunteer to step down.He was fired plain and simple.Fulmer said, I accept the university's decision that this would be his last season as head football coach. You are running your mouth as usual.You need to grow up.I am not happy to see him fired but am happy we are makeing a new start that was badly needed.Give him credit for his love and dedication for 30 years of hard work but wish him well for the future.Give me 6 million at age 58 and I would be very happy to get fired.
threehundredbowler writes:
I agree with you completely.No one that is a fan of any school would say something that stupid.
junder13 writes:
I would hate losing Giles but perhaps its for the best. Any college recruit who can watch an offense as pitiful as ours and say that its stupid to make a change and then state his loyalty to an assitant coach over a program is probably not a player we want. Also, let's not forget that Stan Drayton had little to no success with RBs at UF, and a quiet rumor floated after our hiring of Drayton, that Florida was glad. Futhermore, look at the production from our RBs this year compared to last. Now granted, our O-line is horrendous (Clawson's new scheme perhaps) but, nevertheless, it would be ridiculous to keep Drayton as a coach simply b/c of some 18-yr kid who confesses his loyalty to an assitant above the school. Drayton's production does not make him worthy of that (including at Florida).
I say get a great, dynamic new coach who's ahead of the curve and will bring a modern system. Then, let that head coach decide who to retain and who to bring in from the outside. Recruits come and they go, but a coaching staff, if we do this right, will remain longer than said recruits.
Giles, if your commitment is to Drayton, than good bye and good luck. I, and I presume most UT fans, are ready for a change. We would be doing you a disservice to your abilities if we brought you in with the status quo anyway. Be smarter than what you appear to be in your comments.
junder13 writes:
Agreed 100%! Look what an incredible job Saban did in just a couple weeks after he was hired at Bama (he had about three weeks, I believe, to get his decommiting recruits back on board about two-and-a-half years ago in January).
Now, I don't like giving that example but it comes to mind. Saban, despite his flaws, is a great recruiter.
Point is, if we get a dynamic coach, not only will we retain a majority of this talented class, we should enhance it before signing day. I believe this is what will happen. UT sales itself as long as the system in play is strong.
hdhurst writes:
Agree 100%.
HighlanderVol writes:
When you have a coach change this stuff will happen .I hate it but we need a change . Who to say the new coach wont give us a boost.Look at what happen at Alabama . Change is just a part of life like it or not. And for awhill00#237107 what you said you need to be a shame of what you said . AS a tenn fan win or lose. No one can say what you said and be a true tenn fan let me be the frist to say tenn does not need fans like you go pull for Vanderbilt we dont need you !!!!!!!!!
byobbio writes:
I think Josh Nunes doesn't want to fly to Tn. I think i would have to agree with him that Stanford is the right place for him. Hope he does well. As for Fulmer's recruits, most are saying they are sticking with UT. If anybody has ever gone through this process, it's a trying time to make a college choice. Their feelings are hurt and they are looking at uncertainty. I think whoever the coach is that is coming in is going to inherit a gold mine. There are so many good players there and coming that we are going to be good. I honestly thought this year was going to be good, but i ate those words. I hate that we had such a pitiful handling of Fulmer's tenure the past few years that we're in this debacle. I guess if you have a thousand naysayers pounding at you for three years, the players, coaches and fans all start to believe it. I never gave up on Fulmer and i think it is a stupid decision to fire him. Mike Hamilton should be the one that is shown the door. He's now officially fired all three of the major sports' head coaches. I Think he should be fired since we're writing checks.
BYOBBIO
junder13 writes:
Good bye dude. Fulmer was a good (never great) coach with good coordinators around him and incredible talent for many years. He, however, is and was not ever the UT football program. Your loyalties were less with UT and more with Fulmer. I expect good things going forward. This program is much, much more than one coach and one fan (supposed). I am glad to see the administration make a bold statement that they will not accept mediocrity (which we weren't even playing at in two of the past four seasons). You were never a fan. Goodbye. Here's to having more fans in the future because our program is ready to change and move forward!!!
orangesox writes:
And yet nothing seems to be able to convince you to go elsewhere.
DennisVols writes:
A fine man and coach?
Lets see Majors had 3 lossing seasons not including the losing season in which he cam back a disrupted a perfect season(his record that year was 2-3) along with '78 in which he was 5-5. Majors only has 2 outright conference championship and tied for another and never had to play for the title in a championship game.
You screamed for Fulmer's firing yet you cannot see that Majors record was at best fair most years and worse the Fulmers ever was in many others.
majors only won 10 games twice in 16 years compared to Fulmers 9 in the same length of time to include a perfect 13-0 in '98.
25% of the years Majors coached UT they had a losing season. In Fulmers 16 he had just 1, prior to this year.
How can you defend a coach that would have been fired years before had he been judged the way we have judged Fulmer this year asnd call him a good coach.
Majors was disliked by his own coaching staff and had made enemies with the major boosters and when he came back to disrupt the team that started 3-0 to finish 2-3 he was rightly booted out the door. Majors cost majors his job and at no time has he ever had a dimes worth of the class or coaching ability coach Fulmer has.
Yes it was time for a change here, but again had the same bar been set for Majors that Fulmer set with the NC and winning % in the 90's Majors would have been ran off by the fans by '82 after finishing no better than tied for 4th in 6 years as head coach.
DaddyO writes:
I hope we get what Alabama got too (#1 ranking and probably trip to the NC game). Oh yeah, I think we deserve that too!
alfrizzle097 writes:
Take a look at what happened after Stallings. I'm not talking about the Shula/Saban transition.
To other posters:
I agree 100%. I am not a UT fan. Not any more. But I was. I just don't throw my support behind operations that are gone about the wrong way with the wrong priorities, and before you start, I'm not saying winning is unimportant. Fulmer and the UT program went about things the right way. I would root for Fulmer wherever he is as long as he does things the right way.
I will root for Tennessee again when things are done the right way once more. That will just be a while it looks like. In the mean-time I stand by my comments and deny your accusations of ignorance. I just disagree with your methods.
byobbio writes:
I hope PHilip Fulmer Reads this post:
I don't feel sorry for Fulmer. I think he has had a dream career. However, i am very disappointed at the athletic department's handling of the final few years of his career. At no point did Mike Hamilton offer a vote of confidence or a show of support. You know what he did in the weeks leading up to this? He was on the air discussing the kitty that they had stored away to pay for a head coaching change. What kind of boss does that? That is absolutely absurd. When Fulmer had to replace virtually his entire offensive staff this year, there was never a show of support from Hamilton. You know, this is half the staff. Half the staff! We had a tough time at UCLA. To me, that was expected. They are playing in early Sept, in California, new coaches, new qb, first game, you get the story. Granted, UCLA had some similar nuances, but, this is the first out of the box. The rest of the games were tough, granted. BUt Hamilton should have been right there with Fulmer. Best i can tell, he distanced himself from Fulmer. Maybe he never has seen eye-to-eye with Fulmer, but this isn't his school. It's not his athletic department. He's just a leader. It's definitely not his money. I honestly think he wanted his guy in there to help his "legacy". Granted, he made a great hire in Bruce Pearl. But, do you have to get trigger happy and fire all the major head coaches? I'm sure he'll pick somebody capable of handling the job. And we have a great deal of talent here and on the way, if they all stick. But, I think the fault of this program's demise is not solely on Coach Fulmer. He's a great, great coach. He's the reason we have a modern day national championship. He's the reason so many recruits have chosen to come here. He's built an elite program. Tennessee will move on. WE'll always be a great football school and will always attract top talent. I just hate that we as an entire organization of supporters, fans, administration, and even former players, decided to bail on Coach Fulmer three years ago. Today, i am embarrassed to call myself a UT fan.
BYOBBIO
orangesox writes:
The fact that these commitments aren't jumping ship left and right already may say a great deal about Coach Fulmer, and how he has been recruiting these kids for the right reasons. If they stay with us, it's because they feel like Tennessee is a place they want to be.
alfrizzle097 writes:
I would be embarassed too. Good thing I no longer do.
junder13 writes:
Hey man, you really seem confused. In life, you can't have success one year, or for even 10 years, and then fail several more. Fulmer had his day, and at one time we were one of the premier teams in college football. That is no longer the case and he has not improved the situation. As a result of this downward spiral (and not even being competitive this year with the losses--a year, I might add, in which most of the team returned and expectations were high), he was forced to resign.
You or I, or anyone for that matter, has similar performance demands with our jobs. We don't perform, we are gone. You own your own business? Fine, you aren't fired, but if your performance suffers, your clients leave and pretty soon you have no business to call your own.
You keep saying we did something wrong. Our fault only seems to be in believing UT football deserves the best head coach we can get. I like Fulmer as a person but he is not the man to take us back to the top of college football.
I applaud the administrations decision. I also wish Fulmer well in future endeavors. Finally, I only hope that Hamilton is bold enough in his coaching hire to pick someone dynamic and leading the charge in the dramatically evolving game of college football.
If you are a true fan of UT, perhaps you can see this as a potentially good thing. Former bball coach Buzz Peterson was a respectable man and many fans were angry he didn't have more of a chance, but the reality is, although he may have improved, he almost certainly would not have been able to accomplish what Bruce Pearl has now.
I hope in a couple years, we can look back and say the same for our new football coach.
Regardless, UT DID NOT DO ANYTHING WRONG IN THIS SITUATION!!! This program has been on decline for many years and its fan base torn apart. No coach is above the demands of producing. We are #9 all-time in win percentage for a reason! Because we win! Here's to the future, with or without you as a fan!
volsfaninkpt writes:
(This comment was removed by the site staff.)
junder13 writes:
You are completely wrong, man. Completely. The reason behind the absurd contract Hamilton gave to Fulmer last year was as a LONG-TERM vote of confidence. That contract is mocked by everyone outside of UT as being ignorant, and obviously those outside opinions are now proven right. You're obviously biased and it has negatively affected your judgment. I am no Hamilton fan myself (for giving Fulmer TOO MUCH support last year, ironically) but to say he did not give Fulmer a vote of confidence at any point in time the past 3 years is delusional. He gave him a vote of confidence all throughout 2005 and even at the worst part of last season before the turnaround. Be fair, dude.
Besides, why are you satisfied with mediocrity (at best)? You're supporting a guy who just got a $6MM buyout for FAILURE! It's a Wall Street-sized golden parachute. Some of you people are just delusional!
NoogaVol55 writes:
Let's be honest, Joe Pa is nothing more than a figure head at PSU (same with Bowden at FSU). They have good coaches surrounding him.
Thant being said, many thanks to Fulmer for your service to UT. Unfortunatly,the game has passed him by and I really didn't see it improving under Fulmer. I see examples being posted stating that this firing was unfair and that we are spoiled fans b/c it was only one year ago we played for a SEC title. We BACKED INTO THAT GAME b/c Florida tanked at the end of the year. Since 2002, we have lost 31 games. Name one other top program who would keep their coach for so long if they avg. 4+ losses a year. Many talk about his character and the great relationships that he develops with his players. I think that is great that he has such a positive influence on these young kids, but fans don't come to the stadium to see what a good role model he is, they come to see his team win. And winning was not something we were doing much of lately and probably was not going to be much of a reality in the future under Fulmer either.
Alfrizzle097, if this is really how you feel...Michigan is probably in need of a few fans right about now...Good Riddance
Regulator writes:
Let me guess, you probably stopped rooting for the Yankees when Joe Torre left, and you probably no longer root for Clemson after Tommy Bowden got fired. And you're probably finished with the Cowboys after Wade Phillips gets the ax after this season. Do you maintain a primer-coated bandwagon in your garage, just waiting for the next appropriate shade of paint to apply? Yeah, Fulmer did a lot for the university, and I think that this will be a black day in UT history, but for the manner in which it was handled, not for the event itself. Change was overdue. Maybe Fulmer should have retired earlier. Maybe he should have been forced out after 2005 with the poor team and all of the disciplinary issues as a impetus. Hindsight is 20/20. Today is a new day, and the next coach needs to be carefully selected in order to quickly return UT to national prominence. I feel that there is more talent on hand than has been evidenced on the field, hence part of why Fulmer is out of a job. Hire the wrong guy, and it could cripple the program for years. IMO, it would be someone relatively young, with a lot of enthusiasm, good recruiting skills, and a solid football acumen, regardless of what their philosophy is, as long as it's successful. That being said, people should not think that UT could bring in someone young, Lane Kiffin for instance (age 33), and think that he'll make a career out of coaching at UT. Those days are long gone. I had read somewhere that Spike Dykes(?) a former coach at Texas Tech had said one time that for each year at a school, a coach will lose 10% of his approval/fan base. That's probably pretty accurate. Even if said coach won the championship in year one, if he didn't win again in year two, some number of folks won't be happy, and it goes on and on. Look how successful Pete Carroll is at USC. Do you think he has a lifetime contract? He'll be on the hot seat in the next 3-4 years if they don't win the national title between now and then. Coach Fulmer was extremely successful, won a lot of games, won a championship. But, he stayed too long and complacency has set in. It's that simple.
posivol writes:
thanks for your dedication coach fulmer.you will be missed for years and years to come.hope after a couple of years of trial and error on hamiltons part he too will be fired and you will come back as the a.d. and rescue the vols once again (even though alot of these FOOLS dont deserve it).
i will miss the rantings and ravings from several on here who loved to attack you at every twist and turn.but dont worry they will give the new coach the same phooey before his first year is up.
these same FOOLS wanted crompton to start over ainge last year.they were jumping for joy for the new spread offense (until they got it) they were all excited about the clawfense coming to town and the G-GUN.
they are FOOLS,they know nothing!
when 200 plus former players gave you a shout out of approval,they disagreed and claimed to know more FOOLS!
you rewarded them w/ a sec east championship and a trip to atlanta (they didnt deserve or appreciate) then for icing on the cake you played on jan 1st and sent a good wisconsin team home in defeat (again these FOOLS were unimpressed).
all the while they complained dink and dunk dink and dunk we want change,we want change louder and louder WE WANT CHANGE!.......FOOLS!
well FOOLS you now have your wish,wanted a new o.c. for sake of change (how did that work out for you),,,FOOLS!
guess what,your fixing to see the same thing w/ your next 3 or 4 misses at head coach.or maybe you failed to notice that many turned down the o.c. position....FOOLS!
keep throwing out those big name head coaches that are just hanging around the phone waiting for the call from mikey.they aint coming boys,this job requires way to much travel and time recruiting for a big name coach that can find a easier meal ticket just around the corner...FOOLS!
pissing off current and former players along w/thrashing a top 5 recruiting class is no way to rebuild the program.this isnt b.b. you need 85 players not 10....FOOLS!
you begged for it,you got it...now live with it.....FOOLS!
utclassof1992 writes:
Way to go. Ran off a good decent man and winning coach. Killed the golden goose, we did. We are gonna suffer long and hard. No coach in his right mind will touch this job after the way they did a man who loved the school and the team. We are going to get a Bill Callahan, and here we go down the Cornhusher path. Lordy, we are gonna sow the bitter fruit of what was sown today. Thank you Phillip. Hope you coach again and succeed. These idiots here do not deserve you.
WeLoveTennesseeVols writes:
Way to go , Hamilton, hope you like it here, still trying to make a name for yourself at the sake of the University who hired you. Good luck, you'd better pull a rabbit out of the hat and retain Fulmer if you're smart.
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