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.”