If you remember nothing else about Tennessee's hiring process, remember this: The process only matters if you get the wrong guy for a football coach.
For example, take your football neighbors to the south.
Alabama's pursuit of coach Nick Saban was distinguished by skid marks and roadblocks. The search seemingly lasted longer than coach Mike Shula's last season.
Saban, then the coach of the Miami Dolphins, said he wasn't going to Alabama. And some boosters didn't care. They had their own candidate in West Virginia's Rich Rodriguez. All he did was turn them down at the 11th hour.
A program that had been traumatized by Dennis Franchione's exit and Mike Price's entrance was looking more laughable than ever. But who's laughing now?
The Tide are 10-0 and in the running for the SEC and national titles. The hiring process was a colossal mess; the hire was a rousing success.
The process has just started for Tennessee and athletic director Mike Hamilton. It began with the forced resignation of outgoing coach Phillip Fulmer last Monday.
You can debate whether Hamilton should have waited until the end of the season to announce his decision. But you shouldn't concern yourself with whether his decision might have adversely affected UT's performance in Saturday's loss to Wyoming.
The team had lost six games, and it almost surely would have lost to Northern Illinois if NIU's starting quarterback hadn't been injured early in the game. It's an underachieving team with a fragile psyche. A gentle breeze could blow it off course.
What this team did Saturday or does later against Vanderbilt and Kentucky doesn't matter nearly as much as what Hamilton does. His goal isn't to get this team to Shreveport for the holidays. It's to hire a coach who can return the program to national prominence.
Last week was one of the most difficult Hamilton will face as an athletic director. He had to dismiss a longtime UT coach who led the program to the top of college football 10 years ago, and he did it as deftly as anyone could have. But even if he had stumbled through the entire process, his clumsiness would be forgotten if he were to make a great hire.
This process often doesn't go smoothly at either end. You might get misled and rejected. You might get embarrassed.
Alabama was misled, rejected and embarrassed in its coaching search. Rodriguez almost said "yes" before he said "no." Saban said "no" publicly and emphatically before he said "yes."
What was said then doesn't matter now. Two years after the hiring of Saban, Alabama will be playing for an SEC championship and maybe a national title.
And the firing and hiring process is a footnote.
Sports editor John Adams may be reached at 865-342-6284 or adamsj@knoxnews.com.
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Comments » 80
tnbigg writes:
Good stuff..now write the one about the history of the rise and fall of Phulmer...and the legacy that will haunt him for the rest of his days on this earth...
blitzshoot writes:
I'm glad Hamilton made the call. I just wish Phulmer had just gone away. I will celebrate big time when his last foot step reaches off the soil of Neyland Stadium. His legacy is that of a losing, destructive virus.
vol_chaz writes:
Hamilton, IMO, was validated this past Saturday. He made the right call at the right time, even before we all bought into it. He's done great hiring so far, let's hope he has another rabbit in the hat....
pdhuff#552644 writes:
And it was by his own hand and concrete choice to ignore all the signs that led to his legacy of Armageddon redux.
VolMoment writes:
This post shows the shallowness of the writer about big time athletics and who runs the program. In society the have nots want to blame the haves. Phil Fulmer got himself fired.
woodwr#217203 writes:
Michigan almost hiring Les Miles shows how iffy it can get.
Kirk Herbstreit reached back from his Ohio State days to nix that deal AND tip the Vols SEC championship chances.
UT has only looked outside the family once in any of our memories..... last year.....hiring Dave Clawson.
WE have every reason to expect the new coach to a) lose MORE than seven games next year and b)NOT turn it around to ever get back to 2007 or 2004 or 2001 level success.
The average replacement for a Tennessee level school takes about three tries to hire the real one. Georgia took a few, Alabama took more, and Florida hit the jackpot on only their second try.
DroopyDrawers writes:
Tuscaloosa John! Go back!
eefor10c writes:
I hope to see all of you Fulmer haters on here complaining if the new coach doesn't win 75% of his games since Coach Fulmer's winning percentage was over 74%. IF ONLY THE NEWS SENSELESS WOULD GET RID OF ADAMS. Make him head coach at UT, Jimmy Hyams as the defensive coordinator, and John Pennington, who is already as offensive as you can get, as the offensive coordinator.
blitzshoot writes:
Don't care who made the call as long as phulmer is history.
Now!
utucla writes:
What's Fulmer's winning percentage the last four years....what's his record against AL, FL, GA LSU and Aub the last four years....since you evidently don't mind UT losing to teams like Wyoming "eefor10c", then maybe UT should rethink its position and rehire Fulmer....since he is such a great coach...let's see how many big time schools go after him for their next football coach....
GahLee writes:
Here is how not to look like a fool...hire Mike Leach!
GahLee writes:
Duke...You sir are not a true Vol fan and that is clear. No true Vol fan would want to go through any of what you mentioned. You want to have winless seasons so we can what, see the error of our ways? Firing Phil may not prove to be the best move in the short term but it will be better in the long run. How long did he plan on coaching anyway, was he going to be the next Paterno and stay until he's in his 80's? C'mon man, get real. Congrats and letting everyone know your real name, real brave move!
utchris writes:
No true fan would wish losing on his own team.
I personally like Phil and appreciate all that he has done and hopefully will continue to do in some capacity for the program. But, I will make the point that it has been 10 years since we have experiences a Championship, and we now have 2 losing seasons sprinkled in.
GahLee writes:
Your a fool...pure and simple. He has done more in his lifetime than any of us could imagine. What's your legacy? That of a fool would be my guess, nobody likes a cynic, unless your a cynic. Don't get me wrong I support the move made by UT to look towards someone else to lead this program but at the same time I will not down a man for doing an excellent job for many years. The world has enough cynic's, go cry in corner.
shoalcreekvol writes:
"an underachieving team with a fragile psyche"
Nailed it. Adams, you did have one in ya...
shoalcreekvol writes:
Shut up and go ring the bell, Quasimodo.
newtonrail writes:
If you want someone banned Naffy, look in a mirror. We don't need racists of any color or background on this forum.
west_tn_volfan writes:
Your Vols aren't too beloved if your wishing for 10 - 12 years of losing. What a pitiful attitude. Tennessee fans are not spoiled they just demand excellence. Not winning a championship of any kind in 10 years is hardly being spoiled. Your attitude goes against everything that makes a winner a winner. Winners demand excellence and they don't accept excuses. Tennessee has been more than patient with Fulmer, but Tennessee is never supposed to field a team like we have this year. This team is unacceptable and anyone who can't see it was time for a change is blinded by their loyalty to a man. Fulmer was made a wealthy man by Tennessee and an even wealthier man as he leaves so spare me the "dues must be paid" garbage.
shoalcreekvol writes:
Actually, we didn't beat Meyer. In fact, not only did we not beat him, one might say that we got our collectives arses kicked by him and his high-paid band of mercenaries.
Did beat Spurrier and Richt, plus Croom and Johnson!
jsm67vol writes:
Being as ignorant as your post implies, you may want to try hiding behind a screen name duke. I've seen some jibberish on here but this may beat all of it. Yes, let all Vol fans hope for a draught of 10-12 years so we can appreciate how good Fulmer was?!! In case you haven't noticed, we are suffering through almost 10 years of underachievement with Fulmer at the helm. It has become painfully obvious that Fulmer's teams can't consistently compete without Cutcliffe. Look at the program in the past 5 yrs with Cut and without him. Look at Fulmers record against top sec programs the last 8 years and look at bowl results. I respect what Fulmer has accomplished in his career at UT, but past glory does not ensure future success. As some have mentioned before, we will see how highly Fulmer is respected by those who really know football now that he is available for hire. I'm sure as soon as the offers come rolling in Adams will surely write an article for us.
west_tn_volfan writes:
How about this point in fact, we (led by Phil) have never beaten a Meyer coached Florida team. We did back into the championship game last year because other teams did on the field what we ( led by Phil ) couldn't do.
jsm67vol writes:
Yes let's also look at how UT followed up their 10 win season. Now lets look at how FL followed up their NC year was it 9 or 10 and this year how are they doing? A case could be made for keeping Fulmer another year if UT had lost close hard fought games. Fulmer is and always will be a class individual, but that doesn't make him a great coach. He will always be a legend in UT football history-that can't be taken away but his position as HC was and deservedly so.
shoalcreekvol writes:
I noticed in the coaches show that Jonathon Crompton's major is Communication Studies. You might want to join him. I mean in class - we've got enough problems on the field. Point in fact!
You apparently meant that UT "beat" Meyer in the season-long chase for the division title, but to say that UT "beat Meyer" implies to anyone who speaks English that UT won the game against Florida.
Point in fact!
jsm67vol writes:
I agree with much of your post. I too have great respect Fulmer's ability to run the program with no major rule violations. I even bilieve that he may have been able to right the ship as you say. That would not be too hard after a season such as 2008. Some good assistants were hired after last season IMO and I do kind of hate that we will not get to see Clawson's offense at its best. i think Hamilton wanted worse than anybody to keep Phil around another year to try to turn it around. The bottom line is UT is not competetive and the lack of discipline that Cutcliffe pointed out upon his return after 2005, seems to have taken over again. UT may indeed have some struggles in the coming years, but I can't see Hamilton hiring someone that is not a really good coach. I belive that any of the most often mentioned names for the position have the ability to make UT competetive again.
west_tn_volfan writes:
I don't doubt that you have trouble grasping points but I'll try again. I did not say that we had to go unbeaten although we used too. I am saying for you to say we beat Meyer, implies that we won the game ,which we did not. In fact it would have been nice if we had held them to under half-a=hundred but we didn't. You do seem obsessed with last season though I don't blame you there. If I was trying to defend Fulmer I wouldn't bring up this season or the '95 season either.
jsm67vol writes:
Are there any Vol fans who think UT should go undefeated every year? I don't think there are any of us that are that unrealistic. Are there any Vol fans who think that UT should ever lose 7-8-9 games in a year? I think most Vol fans expect UT to consistently field a competetive team no matter who they are facing. In case anyone hasn't noticed, we are not competetive this year and Hammy making the right choice is the only thing that matters.
usnavyvolfaninva_still_getting_paid writes:
Latest line on bye week: Bye (-7) over UT.
MidTennVol writes:
Two points:
First, we will certainly not learn the identity of UT's next head coach from this newspaper first. Hamilton made that clear by leaking news of Coach Fulmer's dismissal to Chris Low of ESPN. Watch Low to break the news.
Second, the program has probably lost the active, vocal support of many, many former players, especially Peyton Manning, who were/are intensely loyal to Coach Fulmer. Hamilton did that in the way he dismissed Coach Fulmer (i.e. by not waiting until the end of the season to make a decision, as he implied he would do just a few weeks ago). Manning and others were loyal to the man first, the program second.
Feared_Mustang_Package writes:
SEC East Championships:
An idea thought up by a marketing guru to sell shirts and hats.
shipperman#280095 writes:
You few Fulmerites should crawl back in your holes. There is no defense for this loser any longer. He will be remembered as the coach with the worst losing record in tennessee history. And his record in the last 8 years is not 75%. Get out of the past. And I am no Fulmer hater, i am a VOL fan
shipperman#280095 writes:
I hope Fulmer gets totally out of the program. We have had enough of him and he has 6 million to live on
shipperman#280095 writes:
Fulmer could have righted the ship? Bull phooey. We haven't won the SEC championship in 10 years. You Fulmerites should follow him to whatever high school hires him. Heritage in maryville, perhaps. They are used to losing
shipperman#280095 writes:
We might have gotten the East division last year by hook or crook, but we didn't earn it, PHIL. And we were far from being the best team in the east. Florida kicked our arse.
WVVOLFAN writes:
millerman, gotta like your name
pdhuff#552644 writes:
I would suggest to anyone interested that they write the SEC office for a 8x10 glossy of the SEC East trophy.
Then go sit by your window and await the mailman.
Have a stick to knock the spiderwebs off as the months go by.
And maybe a few K Kreme boxes to tide you over.
rllipscomb#212376 writes:
Let's start a pool.
Who will scoop John Adams and his staff on the new hire: ESPN.com, Rivals.com, Chattanooga Times Free Press, The Daily Beacon or other?
GreerVol22 writes:
The only thing Hamilton has done wrong is to not relieve Fulmer immediately.
It's akin to letting your dog, who was just run over and can't walk, lay around on the back porch for a month before you try and dispose of him...
rockytop47 writes:
Shipperman,
Florida beat us but they were average. Georgia killed them and we killed Georgia and Florida managed to get spanked by a very bad Michigan team in their bowl. We also came within a play of beating LSU. So it was very obvious we were very good last year. However, something is wrong at UT. I don't have a clue what it is and maybe it was time for Fulmer to go, but to act like little spoiled childern and call him names or disparage his reputation is just plain stupid. Seriously act like adults, if you are, and make intelligent posts that make sense.
Millerman,
Majors had just won the 1976 National Championship when he decided to return to his alma mater. So YES he was a huge hire and most teams in the country would have killed to have Majors!
cjraney writes:
That's a tough call right there. I think our D could hold the Bye Week to a field goal, but our offense will likely give the Bye Week at least one TD. Gonna have to take the Bye Week giving 7.
ozoney#235138 writes:
Hundreds of thousands that thought phil could turn it around?...whatever you're drinking pass it this way. I need a lift from reality from time to time myself. Hundreds of thousands.
RockyTop1 writes:
I heard Mike is not allowed to drive himself due to DUIs. If this is true we don't need another version of Johnny Majors! My thoughts on that one...
DennisVols writes:
You hit the nail on the head.
Yes it was time for a change at head coach, few will suggest otherwise.
We however should never forget what Fulmer did do for this university. Winning a National Championship is no easy feat. Doing it with a perfect season, 13-0, and playing in the SEC is almost impossible. The record UT put up from 95-98 set the bar for not only UT but every school in the conference that wants to be considered great. Back to Back SEC Championships during that time. When was the last time any team in this conference won back to back SEC titles and a National Championship with one perfect season to top it off. Answer: It has never happened.
The next new coach will be judged by those years Fulmer had, not by this past decade.
None of us know what happened to Fulmer's edge he had in the late '90's. My guess is if Fulmer knew we wouldn't be in our current situation.
Fulmer should always be remembered for what he did at UT and not what he could not do in the final years of his coaching career at UT.
ScoobyDoo writes:
And we still lost 4 games last year. Sorry, but 4 loss seasons are NOT a success. And note we didn't "beat" Meyer, he gave us the smackdown.
You and those arguing that we should've kept Fulmer seem to ignore no conference championships in 10 years, and no top 10 finishes in 7 years. Since the national championship, UT has been a mediocre program overall, and less than mediocre against top teams.
Look at UT during Fulmer's heyday in the 90s and look at it now. To say that the program hasn't eroded is to ignore the truth.
Volunatic writes:
I think you're being optimistic about Fulmer's overall winning percentage by season's end.
You predict "over 74%". I predict 150-54 (73.5%), though I would LOVE to see the Vols win at least one more game (especially the KY game). I'm just not confident that it can happen.
Volunatic writes:
Not sure if you were paying attention, but UT did NOT beat Meyer.
Florida beat UT by 49 points.
Still, that only felt HALF as bad as losing to Wyoming last weekend.
TommyJack writes:
I would suggest that any man (other than John Wayne) that goes by the name of "Duke" has issues.
Volunatic writes:
You're wrong about Majors. He won the National Championship at Pitt before returning to UT. You might want to brush up on history before you try to tell us about it.
TommyJack writes:
Dennis: But is was the final few years that he allowed the program to start the inexorable slide into irrelevancy.
Volunatic writes:
Fulmer did a lot for UT, and he should (and will) always be honored for it by the vast majority of Vol fans. I will always respect him, and am grateful to Phil Fulmer for the National Championship in '98. Being in Tempe that night in January '99 was a GREAT feeling.
However, that does not mean that we should gladly pay $40 per ticket to see our team lose to Wyoming. That was the opposite end of the spectrum from the '98 Championship(s). It was the worst UT loss I've ever seen.
There have been several occasions in the past few years when I couldn't even GIVE my extra tickets away (not even to SCALPERS) because the "product on the field" was so lackluster.
Will the next guy be a good hire? Who knows? He better make sure he gets a "patience" clause written into his contract, because not very many coaches can win with the current crop of quitters wearing Big Orange.
tnbigg writes:
That escalated into a runaway freight train and ended up creating the worst year in Tennessee football history...program dead in the water...but we'll remember all the bad parts of other coaches tenures...I guess? And now according to phils tribe...he is greater even than the general who "only beat teams like Maryville College". Hmmmm...
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