Another Majors shot: hiring Fulmer was a mistake

For a guy who’s not talking, Johnny Majors sure is talking a lot.

The former University of Tennessee football coach took his second major shot in as many weeks at UT coach Phillip Fulmer.

Appearing Thursday on the Paul Finebaum radio show based in Alabama, Majors called his hiring of Fulmer as an assistant coach one of the biggest mistakes he ever made.

“There’s nothing funny about it, but that was one of the main mistakes I made in my coaching career,” Majors admitted after some goading from Finebaum. “Maybe that’s the major mistake, but I’m not going to talk about what they’re doing now.”

Just a week-and-a-half ago, Majors was in Alabama for a speaking engagement and told the Chattanooga Times Free Press how he thinks Fulmer has kept his job the past decade.

“Frankly,” Majors said, “I think (defensive coordinator) John Chavis has saved (Fulmer’s) job for 10 years.”

Majors mentioned Chavis again on the Finebaum show.

“John Chavis has kept them afloat up here for several years at defensive coordinator,” Majors said.

Finebaum commented on the Vols’ slow start to the 2008 season and asked Majors, “At what point do fans just say enough is enough?”

“...If I had any advice I wouldn’t offer it to the person in charge over there trying to coach the team,” Majors said.

All of that came after Majors vowed he didn’t want to comment on UT’s current situation.

“I don’t say anything about it publicly,” Majors first told Finebaum. “I have my own private thoughts, but I don’t get into that.

“It’s pretty well obvious things have changed so that’s enough for me to say at the present time.”

You can listen to the complete interview.

© 2008, Knoxville News Sentinel Co.
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