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In their first public comments since Phillip Fulmer’s emotional press conference Monday evening, defensive coordinator John Chavis and offensive coordinator Dave Clawson expressed surprise at the news that Fulmer will not return as UT’s head coach next season.
“I’ve been through a lot,” said Chavis, who has been on UT’s staff since 1989 and, like Fulmer, played at Tennessee. “When you’ve been in this business for 30 years, you’ve seen a lot of things. That was certainly a big one, one that you didn’t see coming. Even though a lot of them (media) said you saw it coming. … I didn’t see it coming, but it did. We’re dealing with it, and we’ll move forward.”
Clawson, who arrived in January after spending the last four years as head coach at Richmond, was also surprised by the news.
“Yeah, a little bit,” Clawson said. “Just look at what the man’s accomplished and the fact that a year ago Tennessee was in the SEC championship game. This is BCS football and winning is part of the deal, but when you assess the situation, you just don’t think that would happen here with what the man’s done.”
On Tuesday, Fulmer sat on the same stage where he tearfully announced the day before that he had accepted UT’s decision and would not return for an 18th season.
While Fulmer spoke more about Monday’s events, he said he’s focused on preparing his team for Saturday’s 1 p.m. homecoming game against Wyoming.
“I’m pretty good at that, actually,” Fulmer said, when asked about his ability to focus on the task at hand despite Monday’s announcement. “We all have to be. Any kind of distraction we have to go back and focus on the task at hand, the team that you’re getting ready to play. I don’t think our success rate would have been nearly as good as it has been if we weren’t able to do that.”
In fact, Clawson says, returning to practice and preparing for Saturday’s game could help everyone involved overcome the emotions that sometimes spilled out during Monday’s press conference.
“We practice, we prepare, we’re going to meet with them,” Clawson said. “We’re not going to work any less. The meetings and the practices, I don’t want to say they’re a diversion, but you’ve got to stay active and stay busy. That’s what helps you not think about what just happened yesterday.”
That scene – as well as a team meeting that Clawson described as “one of the saddest things I’ve seen in 20 years of coaching” — won’t be easy to move past.
Players were visibly upset by UT’s decision, and most left the room when athletic director Mike Hamilton began taking questions.
Still, emotions aren’t just an issue for players.
“I think we’ve all gone through a whole range of emotions,” Chavis said. “To be honest with you, I’m not sure that I have it all sorted out myself in terms of where I am. I think I got a pretty good handle on it. I know what my responsibilities are, and I’m going to dang sure do my responsibility.”
For Chavis, it’s scheming a way to stop Wyoming tailback Devin Moore, who rushed for 234 yards last week in the Cowboys’ 35-10 victory over San Diego State.
For Clawson, it’s finding a way to make UT’s attack more consistent and more productive. The Vols’ offense ranks 114th in the nation in scoring (17.0 points) and total yards (272.4) per game.
Clawson also acknowledged the role of UT’s offensive struggles in Monday’s events.
“I said all along, I’m disappointed with how we played offensively all year,” he said. “That certainly has contributed to the season we’ve had. I’m very aware of that.”
Coaches are also aware that the only thing left to do is to try and move forward.
“All I can worry about is the next 25 days and to work like crazy and really just find a way to win the next game and then after that, we have two games after that,” Clawson said when asked about his future.
“In coaching, you don’t have the luxury of having a crystal ball or having a long time line. You just worry about the next game. That’s what gets you through times like this.”
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Comments » 231
DingoVol writes:
I would like Chavis to stay if he will agree to play more press coverage and stop giving the WR's an 8 yard cushion. I love what he does with the LBs and Defensive line. Maybe Slade goes and Chavis can stay. Thankfully no knucklehead can say first.
tnluv2play writes:
Clawson needs to go.
luckymacy#423360 writes:
We've gotten worse since the season started. I couldn't see us scoring 7 points against UCLA if we had to play them again. I think they would blow us out at home if we had to play them again this year.
Thanks Hamilton. I hope to be able to offer you a cold beverage of your choice some day and tell you I truly appreciate the gut wrenching decision you had to make for it also showed that you made a colossal mistake of your own last summer and you may end up without a job yourself because of it.
So just relax, it's going to get better. There are the Bruce Pearls of football to be had for next year and there's $till a little bit of UT my$tique left to lure them to us.
I like CPF but he is not THE program and is not ABOVE the program. UT will bounce back better than ever. What are you afraid of; a lousy product on the field and only winning a couple of lame games against panzy out of conference schools and workin like heck to finish just above Miss St? Oh, wait, that's what Fulmer and company are doing this year. I guess you have nothing new to fear after all....
It is time for a change and I'm glad the players are a bit shook up. The offensive players have been offensive to watch, our offense is the butt of national jokes and I hope they learn this life lesson well, you are never above getting canned. Talking about change and getting better is no substitute for actual change for the better. Coaching is everything in college and the current ones, especially anyone associated with the 'offense' deserve to get whacked.
The worst skill player on the offense at Texas Tech plays better than any of our 'big time' recruits on offense, the vaunted 2005 UT class especially included. "Something bad" has been happening to these kids between HS success and rival game time mediocraty at UT. Enough is enough. I don't care about our record against powder puffs. I care about our reputation as unbeatable at home, our record against the top SEC teams and I care about team style and positive swagger. Not this deer in the headlights look we've become too complacent with in recent times...
No one fears us, no one respects us, every ranked team has wanted to play us for years and especially in our own stadium to rub salt in the wound. I see it as most of the kids eager to play for us as the lazy ones who didn't want to play for a 'discipline' coach somewhere else but wanted to say they 'played' in the SEC. Bye Bye to that type, I hope.
Fampir writes:
What a sad week. I am sure the pretentious Fulmer haters are happy but the fact that this man gave UT a National Championship and so many winning seasons, well, it is sad to see a man with the character he has show this week leave the Vols. I will miss Fulmer and wish him the best. To see a man with such a high sense of moral character pushed out by people who feel robbed that they didn't get a bowl game in 05' is just a disgrace. Oh and Fulmer could end the season 7-6 with a bowl win.
tnvolfnly writes:
Greetings from Lebanon, TN:
Are you guys saying they should just clean house and start all over?
Apparently hiring within could prolong a well needed change.... I don't know and I am conceding to all of you to fill me in because I really don't know beyond these 17 recent years. I'm the new guy remember....
jpenland#1340592 writes:
Breaking News:
My best friends dad is an air traffic controller at Tri-Cities Regional Airport and he confirmed that the University of Tennessee's private plane carrying Mike Hamilton landed earlier today and they were on route to Dobyns-Bennett HS in Kingsport to officially offer DB coach Graham Clark the UT head coaching job. I personally spoke with Clark's nephews William and Walter Clark and they confirmed this as they have already been given scholorships for next semester as their uncle will be the coach. He has already statred recruiting and has gotten a soft verbal from his son Rusty.
utkjoe29 writes:
As much as many of the haters on here want to blame Clawson for this downfall... lets all wake up.. This poor (outstanding coach) guy was brought in here to be another pawn... His schemes are complicated and this team wasnt ready to handle what it entailed.. now he will be held accountable for the demise (which is a joke) of fulmer.. I dont think Clawson deserves a head job any time soon.. but if we look at x's and o's this offense was no different than any randy sanders/phil fulmer offense.. Phil lost his job because he couldnt give up play calling and alienating his coordinators..... good riddance... sorry Clawson to have to be used this way!
gavol writes:
Funny!
jaxvol75 writes:
This is a huge mistake and I would not be surprised if it takes Tennessee a long, long, long time to recover. The coaches and players know best. You can see by the tremendous outpouring of support what we are losing. He deserved more time to sort this out than he was given. In the end, the character, commitment, and the passion Coach Fulmer has shown is what will be so ever difficult to replace. Winning and losing just ain't that damn important!
junder13 writes:
To all the fans who are angry about Fulmer being forced out, I would hope you would give the administration a chance to get a new coach and start a new chapter in UT football. There's no question Fulmer is a quality man, but he did not show the ability to lead us back to where he once took us.
Consider this:
http://sports.espn.go.com/chat/sports...
An ESPN.com poll shows that over 70% of voters chose "Yes" for the question, "Is this the right time for Tennessee and Philip Fulmer to part ways?" There were over 76,000 sportsfans who voted. On a state-by-state basis, Tennessee had more than 75% "Yes" votes. My point is, while this is difficult for us all as UT fans, it is long overdue.
I hope we find a coach with integrity like Fulmer, but I am certainly glad to see us moving in a new direction. Finally, this move should not be shocking to us. Fulmer's been under fire for at least 3 years.
TommyJack writes:
jpenland = not funny
vol_chaz writes:
Its really hard for me to believe that Chavis never saw this coming...He must not read the paper, watch TV, read blogs, talk to humans,etc.. Here, is to looking forward. Perhaps Mr. 3rd and long has a place in the new coach's plans.. Clawson seems very aware, and his track record records his clawfense can't be digested in one year. It'll take a while, but he'll never get the chance to see it develop.
TommyJack writes:
I think Clawson is a bright young coach that stepped into a bucket of doo-doo. He will land on his feet somewhere.
junder13 writes:
Whatever dude. It's not like this is charity work Fulmer is doing. He's getting paid well over $2MM a year and there needs to be results. This is UT football, not a contest for who's of the highest quality. Character issues are important, but just because we force Fulmer out doesn't mean we'll replace him with someone classless. You can win and be classy too.
THEKIDWI writes:
Pending we get an offensive minded head coach, then...
Yes to Chavis staying and Clawson can go back to D2.
TommyJack writes:
Naval: I have a friend that lives in Richmond and watched Clawson's teams many times. After he watched us on TV twice, he called me and asked "what the hell is going on with TN?" He said he saw NOTHING of Clawson's offense. I believe him.
burpee_von_rotweiler_IV writes:
N111UT (the UT King Air) has not been anywhere since it's return trip from South Carolina on Oct. 29. Look it up on FlightAware.com.
hueypilot writes:
Clawson not at fault? This is the most disfunctional offensive football team I have seen. It is reminiscent of some of those 9 loss Vanderbilt teams. Keep in mind we got the ball 7 times in the second half against Auburn, and the worst field position we had was our own 42 and we never got to ATTEMPT a field goal. That means on 7 posessions we could not muster a couple of first downs. In this era when all the rules favor offense, that is worse than anemic. It is pathetic. Clawson has been a dismal faiture, by any stretch of the imagination, given we had a veteran offensive line, and two veteran running backs , with Elmer Fudd at QB we should have been able to muster a couple of first downs. Couldn't do it.
utkjoe29 writes:
im blaming fulmer not clawson.. fulmer never gave him a chance.. I think you misunderstood my comments...
VOLinAthensGA writes:
I totally agree.
JohnnyVol writes:
Sweet...!
Wonder how long the flight is from Knoxville to Kingsport?
utwick writes:
Agree with Navalorange and TJ. What we have seen is not Clawson's offense and I would hope to see a glimpse of it in the future, although it might not be at UT.
VOLinAthensGA writes:
You are on crack. I live in Athens, GA and I can tell you, they definitely fear us here. This is the beginning of a Coaching Carousel at UT and the slow stunning realization of idiot fans like you who never realized what you had until it was gone.
luckymacy#423360 writes:
I don't think the offense has been run by Clawson. Nobody has ever said this offense looks anything like what Richmond's did under Clawson, and that's not for the better! This question comes up every freakin' day. Why doesn't someone on the KNS staff or a caller into one of the coaches shows just ask the question point blank. Who's really in charge of the offense during practice, dictating what players get to play what position and when on offense and who's calling the plays during the game and what percentage of plays does CPF call vs. Clawson call? Maybe one day, after the season, we'll get to hear the rest of the story from Clawson when he has to come out to defend himself for his next job. It could be 'amazing' what comes out of his mouth!
MotownVol writes:
I think other schools think highly of Clawson. He needed more time. This is from syracuse.com back in September.
Posted by keg44 on 09/23/08 at 3:02PM
All I can say is WOW! This is going to get real ugly. They have to break GROB off after the Pitt loss. It's going to be 2 weeks of pain for everyone with the bye week coming up. Please Hire Dave Clawson. Tennessee's offensive coordinator. The BEST GUY out there. Turn programs around as a Head Coach. East Coast Guy. Albany 1989-90, Buffalo 1991-92, Lehigh 1993-95, Villanova 1996-98, Fordham (head coach) 1999-2003, Richmond (head coach) 2004-07, Tennessee 2008-present.
Clawson twice has been named national Division I-AA coach of the year, winning once at Fordham and once at Richmond, and four times in the last seven years earned his league coaching honors.
Also a native of Youngstown, N.Y. Come on Doc! Pull the trigger and us this guy.
Posted by old4art on 09/23/08 at 9:35PM
keg44 said..."Please Hire Dave Clawson. Tennessee's offensive coordinator. The BEST GUY out there. Turn programs around as a Head Coach. East Coast Guy. Albany 1989-90, Buffalo 1991-92, Lehigh 1993-95, Villanova 1996-98, Fordham (head coach) 1999-2003, Richmond (head coach) 2004-07, Tennessee 2008-present."
Thanks for the great comment. Only problem I see with that is with Tennessee's poor start this year it's likely Fulmer will be gone and may be a good chance for Clawon to take over.
JohnnyVol writes:
Let me add that, if we had scored more points than the other teams in a lot of those games, we would have won.
If's are part of the game. Using them as a reason for losing is NOT.
TNPilgrim writes:
A 2-bit high school coach brought into the SEC to compete in the toughest conference in the country? Remember how well Gerry Faust did at Notre Dame? Moeller was a bigger program than a lot of small colleges. Ya got any more hot inside tips??
junder13 writes:
Interesting. I believe this too. I do not think what we've seen is Clawson's offense at all. I believe one day Clawson will be successful and we will realize that he was not given the opportunity he should have been given here at UT, due to Fulmer's reluctance to let him implement his system.
luckymacy#423360 writes:
doormatt, Athens Ga? Speaking of stunning realizations, I've just got this that you must be living in the dumb_A_$_$ capital of the south. If Georgia even remotely feared us they would have killed us last year like they did Florida but they were looking past us to the tougher part of their schedule, you know, Vanderbilt and Florida, and we played out of our minds for one game....
Are you mayor of the bulldog parade? Smokey scare you?
CharlotteVol writes:
You are right. I had huge hopes for a new innovative offense, but we haven't seen it. My father-in-law said he heard Fulmer say in an interview that he changes around 30% of the plays when they come down...that means 1 in 3 plays Clawson was calling, Fulmer was overturning... I know if my boss overturned 1/3 of my decisions I would split.
McMinnVol writes:
When Coach Fulmer was the offensive coordinator under Majors in the early 90's, we had some potent offensive teams. I still don't understand how we went from those days to where we are now.
luckymacy#423360 writes:
Hah, maybe Johnny was overturning 30% of CPF's plays! ;-)
Volalumnus writes:
Face it.
All this surprise by the coaches, and I believe it, shows what has been wrong with this coaching staff and why it came down to them being forced out.
These guys were out of touch with reality and the job they were doing (They can think the Fulmer supporters for the false sense of security).
I bet these guys now would like to go back to the beginning of the season and be more willing to try different things and be more willing to moderate off their charts and try harder to win and not just work like heck to do the same things.
Just think, if these guys -really- knew how serious it was over the last few years, things might have turned up different.
BillsBrother writes:
Ohio State got their coach from a similar program; Youngstown State.
The Buckeyes seem to be doing pretty well with their 2-bit coach. I think you'd be glad to have him.
balloonman writes:
Navalorange. clawsen has been 100 percent in charge of the offense as i know this first hand......maybe you are dyslexic about o's and X's which explains your football QI
gslaton#227127 writes:
There was an article by Chris Lowe on ESPN.com about the rise and fall of PF. His analysis of how the recruiting game changed in the SEC with Spurrier(now Meyer),Richt,and now Saban. The broad spectrum of players that Fulmer had recruited from across the Southeast went away. Even Spurrier said in the Columbia paper after last Saturday that Fulmer had top ranked NFL draft classes in the '90's and,as he said, 'he doesn't have those now'. As for his staff, any manager is repsonsible for the people he hires..OC,DC..
Clawson may or may not be a problem, but one thing for sure, he's not in Richmond anymore. The stakes are much higher. I for one think PF gave him all the latitude he needed to make it happen. One year is not long in the SEC to create change. For him, it may not matter. Best of luck to the Vols staff and players. They deserve some for a change.
ibvolman writes:
Listen, I grew up in Kingsport, and you must be smoking something really weird to believe that one is true.
caskew#218608 writes:
Has anyone had time to take a look at Leach's assistants at Texas Tech? I'm not too sure that staff would cut it in the SEC.....way too many young guys. AND when I say young guys, I mean they graduated college in '04 and '06. I would like them to have a little more experience than that if Leach is chosen to be our next head coach. Here is a list: http://texastech.cstv.com/sports/m-fo...
ibvolman writes:
'bout 15 min by air, or 90 min in a car.
kabul_vol writes:
Good one. Actually, I heard that they were going to ask Carlton Flatt to coach at UT and it was already a done deal. Part of the deal would be all Brentwood Academy players would be funneled to UT. This is from an inside source.
**The source is I made it up to try to appear ridiculous as jpenland.
OMike writes:
All the Sec schools states went republican, except Florida go figure. Get over this shock, we just elected a president who attended an anti-American racist church for twenty years with little experience, who also stated in his book he would side with the muslim way in the end if chaos reigned. God help us all.
WeLoveTennesseeVols writes:
We will all notice the shock and awe, but will we also compliment and appreciate the class and gentlemanlyness in which people like Phil Fulmer, John McCain, and George Bush express as they experience loses. I for one will owe my alligence to none other than men like this. I will not bow down to those who seek to intimidate, by threats, namecalling, twisting the truth, and misleading us into submission and loyalty. I will always remain here to Volunteer and stand side by side with my fellow Americans . We live in a great country, capitalism is not greed, losing is nothing to be ashamed of, and patriotism is the opposite of cowardice. Phil Fulmer showed me his true stuff, and he deserved the right to leave when he wanted to . Hamilton superceded his authority and I hold him to task over it. We are not in competition with other schools for supremecy. We are the Volunteers, not the gamecocks, the alligators, some stupid red water, or tigers, or wildcats. We have a heritage, and are winners in our own right. We don't have to win to feel important. That's what Fulmer brought to the table. We all will feel his lose, who can take his place. No one that's who. We will have to take his place by committee, every one of us by Volunteering, and may God have mercy on us. Whoever is with us welcome aboard! God only knows how we will bring this to pass.
west_tn_volfan writes:
If winning and losing isn't that important why the devil were we paying him 2.5 million dollars per year? To be a social worker and mentor? A camp counselor? When winning and losing aren't important anymore, its time to shut the program down and just be a basketball school.
WeLoveTennesseeVols writes:
God, this quote is great. Can you please send it to Sports illustrated, or ESPN, or print it on the side of your car and on mine too. Write this down people and spread it around. It says it all. God have mercy on us. We will be toast and our program too if we follow our nose and listen to the morons who got us in this fix. Great post. I will keep it if it is OK. Why can't people who write for the Sentinel speak like this. All you people who he is talking about should see this also. It's you guys time to pay, I believe. Maybe that will get us off of the hook.
Volalumnus writes:
You are certainly right there.
And most are much cheaper with better results too.
tnbigg writes:
Ooltec.
WeLoveTennesseeVols writes:
West/tn/vol just doesn't think that he's getting his money's worth boys and girls???? What are we going to do with him? Do you need a counselor? First , you are not paying him anything. Secondly, there's nothing wrong with social work or mentoring(maybe you ought to try it sometime=might set your heart in order), thirdly, IT IS JUST A GAME, AND THERE ARE DECLARED WINNERS AND LOSERS IN THESE GAMES! LOSERS ARE PD JUST AS MUCH AS WINNERS TOO, JUST LOOK AROUND YOU. BUT NOT FOR TOO TOO LONG. FULMER HAS BEEN WINNING FOR A LONG TIME. Fourthly, it's time for you to shut up and go shoot a few threes in your backyard and enjoy the stimulation sports can give you. That's why we go to college(it's amateur sports-winning is only all important to morons like you who are born losers)!! You are not paying him to win, but to mentor and mold young men on their way to maturity! And yes mentoring them to become good citizens, not people who just thrill you on Saturdays. Get a damn life, will you. Shoot, didn't your mother ever teach you about the better things in life. Maybe you ought to apply for the coaching job!!
Volalumnus writes:
in response to millermanz#344117:
I'm completely amazed at some of these comments and the expectations of some Vol fans. Some of you are totally out of touch with reality. Why would Butch Davis or anyone else in his right mind come to a place where you aren't happy about winning the SEC East Division last year? Aren't happy with a coach who has given his life to UT?
*********
Hello reality is this...Fulmer is out of a Job because some people had your attitude and betrayed Fulmer by creating a false reality that his job was safe no matter what.
Since you have a hard time with this, any coach out there will know the fans will be happy with winning the SEC East Division and happier with better things.... but will not be happy if we are not competitive with our top rivals. Its not about wins, its about loses.
WeLoveTennesseeVols writes:
What we are saying is that it was Fulmer's choice, and not Hamilton's . Phil had earned that right. He could have gone pro long ago, but chose to stay here and try to make the Big Orange number 1. I will hold YOU personally responsible for this big change you wanted to do it. And I mean it, this is your babyand Hamilton's ....
govols22231 writes:
how about chavis coaches the d-line and lb's and find a good d backs coach
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