NEW YORK - Phillip Fulmer plans to spend this football season working for an investment firm, doing some television work and even taking a few weekends off.
By next season, the former Tennessee coach expects to be back on the sideline and back in the spotlight.
"I have a great picture in mind," he said Monday of what he's hoping for in his next coaching job. "Somebody that's committed to winning championships and being the best that they can be, with a chance to compete in a conference that's nationally recognized. I'm not going to go walk into a door somewhere that you have no chance to be successful.
"I want to be on the big stage and recruit against the best that's out there."
In 17 seasons at Tennessee, Fulmer proved he could compete with the best in the business. The Vols went 152-52, won two SEC championships and a national championship in 1998.
But Tennessee finished with a losing record in two of his last four seasons, including last season's 5-7 mark. He was forced out before the season ended.
"It wasn't the way I wanted to go out," he said.
Fulmer was in New York to prepare for his new gig as an analyst for CBS College Sports Network's new SEC post game show, which will air after CBS' Saturday afternoon SEC game of the week.
In an interview with The AP, he said he holds no hard feelings toward Tennessee, "It's a big boys' business," he said.
But the end of his time as Vols coach left him wanting more.
"I just don't think I'm finished. I'm a young guy. I've got great energy."
Fulmer, who will be 59 next month, said he's already working on a staff.
"When you win 75 percent of the games you've played, you've done something right. I would think there would be some opportunities."
Fulmer's replacement at Tennessee, Lane Kiffin, has been making headlines in the offseason for talking trash and inadvertently breaking some NCAA rules.
Fulmer took a pass on talking about his successor, except to say "You just got to wait and see. It took me a couple of years to kind of make my way."
Fulmer planned to take six months off after being let go by Tennessee. It turned into six weeks. A former player offered him a partnership in an investment firm doing one of the things he did best as a coach: recruiting. Instead of trying to convince blue-chippers to wear Vols orange, he's now trying to woo investors.
He's had some time to take it easy, too. He went hunting in Argentina and has been spending quality time with his 1-year-old grandson. He plans to spend at least a few Saturdays watching football like a fan this fall and lounging around his vacation house in the mountains near Knoxville.
He's also been visiting campuses and NFL camps, updating his notes and trying to learn a few new coaching tricks.
He's already spent time at Ohio State and Duke, where his good friend and longtime offensive coordinator David Cutcliffe is the coach, and plans to drop in on Mack Brown and Texas later this month.
While in New York this week, he planned to visit Tom Coughlin and the New York Giants in Albany, N.Y.
"I've gone through all my organizational stuff and redone it and worked on it and added to it and taken out," he said. "I'm either going to be ready to go coach again or write one hell of a book."
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Comments » 108
Smokey_TN writes:
Yeah good luck with that.....
Voluvr writes:
Louisville.
khelton657 writes:
" I would THINK there would be some opportunities".....He THINKS but apparently there haven't been any....
PepperGrinder (Inactive) writes:
I hope he is successful wherever he goes. As long as its not in the SEC. I'd like to see him go to Clemson. That way he could beat Spurrier like a drum every year.
jcorange98 writes:
Wisconsin, they love plus size coaches
Voluvr writes:
Look, Fulmer was a good coach. He achieved the highest pinnacle of coaching. He has a high winning percentage. He's a good man with a good family.
If there's a coaching downside it would be a stubborn adherence to gameplans that aren't working and a conservative approach. If he can assemble some good assistants and keep his hands completely off of the offense, he could do good. However, if he is insistent on influencing the O Coordinator to his philosophy, he's going to get demolished.
I don't remember before that anyone had thrown the big bucks trying to recruit him away, but I wish him the best. The thing is, he's a Tennessee man. I wish he would just stay around and find a new niche' in Knoxville.
PepperGrinder (Inactive) writes:
Amateurs?
Voluvr writes:
A lineman never beat a QB at anything.
Ironcity writes:
I bet he didn't call coach Clawson about joining any staff he might have.
KJVol writes:
"I want to be on the big stage..."
"It's a big boys' business."
Coach Fulmer's thinking big.
newtonrail writes:
What he won't have the NEXT time is a full cupboard like Majors left him. That said, there's sure to follow a bunch of kick Fulmer posts, which serve no purpose, other than " kicking a dead horse".
tloutn writes:
"the greatest run in Tennessee history..."? I think General Neyland just rolled over in his grave, laughing his a## off.
dvols writes:
get em coach!! and buck the tide!
utmdm writes:
Wrestling?
FWBVol writes:
Lineman can beat quarterbacks in a lot of things. They can beat them in almost any contest that involves physical strength. And some of the most intelligent players on the field are linemen. Former UT and Minnesota Viking offensive tackle is now a judge in Knox County. Don't count an old lineman out before the final gun sounds.
FWBVol writes:
That should be linemen, not lineman.
FWBVol writes:
Majors did leave a full cupboard, but a lot of those kids wouldn't have been at Tennessee if Phillip Fulmer hadn't recruited them.
FWBVol writes:
People complained for years that Tennessee was running an offense stuck in the 1980s. When Fulmer did go to a new look with Clawson it turned out to be the final straw that cost him his job.
I know a lot of people will disagree with me, but I think Fulmer can still coach and has learned some valuable lessons from what happened his last few years.
I can't believe that Phillip Fulmer and his agent, Jimmy Sexton, haven't developed enough contacts through the years to get Fulmer one more shot at a school in a major conference.
If he does get his wish to coach again I'll pull for Fulmer's team every game unless they play the Vols.
dvols writes:
all day long!
elainesguyisanidiot writes:
"I'm either going to be ready to go coach again or write one hell of a book."
I'm looking forward to that book, Coach.
Any way I can score an autographed copy?
HoustonVol writes:
Notre Dame or Louisville anyone? You know he will not stray far from south. There could also be Virginia opening. I cannot think of any SEC school that should be open next year except for a surprise firing.
Ralph_Crampton writes:
If I were Philip Fulmer, I would forget another coaching job...Why? Phil and his family are very secure. He has nothing to prove by being involved in the dog-eat-dog of recruiting in today's college environment. Fulmer is a very wealthy man, God has blessed you and the thought that money should never be a problem for you and your family is a feeling that that only a few folks ever experience in this life. I would love to see you you do some charity work...like formimg a committee to fight autism and other diseases that plague newly born babies. You are beloved and you could be effective such a venture. After all, the General himself resigned at age 57.
tnfanincali writes:
Man where's the love. The man was only born and raised in Tennessee, played for and coached Tennessee over half his life, and brought us to the promised land. Not saying it wasn't his time to go, but show the guy some love....
elainesguyisanidiot writes:
I'm showing all the love there is.
I would love to read a book of his experiences at this point and would eagerly pay extra for an autograph knowing that his hand had touched that very page. I do not, however, want to see this fine Tennessee gentleman further humiliated by either :#1.Failing at another institution, or worse #2.Apllying at another school and being rejected.
There is dignaty in Coach Fulmers' future should he choose to accept it.
On the other hand, should he take the stiff-necked,slovenly path that got him fired from U.T.,I will have no sympathy for him.
jimmy71#237592 writes:
that's rich...now he's energized, I'm not sure he even had a pulse the last few years
DannyVol writes:
Here's big stage for you: how about "The Biggest Loser"
Seriously, he is a true UT legend and deserves recognition as such, but some of his antics are becoming borderline pathetic. I wish the man the best, but hope he doesn't embarrass himself by trying to land a big-time job. It's over and has been for years.
RomanRoomRegular writes:
Yeah okay, go write your "one hell of a book".
pdhuff#552644 writes:
Did some great, great things, but sad that he had to have his hands pried off the office door.
No one is "coach for life".
graphpro#231211 writes:
No big time program will want his services. To coach again it will have to be at a Central Florida or Wyoming or some other obscure college. No respectable program will hire him. His track record is horrible his last 5-8 years.
jsm67vol writes:
Fulmer has a few things working against him in his endeavor to coach on the big stage again. The first is his age. Of all the new hirings during and after last season, how many of these coaches were Phil's age or older. I'm not saying its right but the trend is for schools to hire the young energic guys. Maybe there were more Phils age hired than I realize. Secondly, Phil never got respect for his accomplishments while he was coaching and that does not appear to be changing since his release from UT(I mean he was never thought of nationally as a top coach even when his win percentage was #1.) I wish Phil the best in whatever he does, and I hope I am wrong but I just don't see a lot of big stage offers rolling in. I am glad the change was made for the better with this new staff just as I was glad it was made to get rid of Majors. Best wishes Phil.
xvolx writes:
quickkick.
panties4tebow writes:
Your time came and went....forget it Phil. Thanks for the national championship but your ship went drifting after that. Hang it up!
STNVol09 writes:
All of the players that were on the NC team were NOT recruited by Majors. If Fulmer was a complete FU, as some here believe, how did he continue to recruit and then win the NC? Bill Battle managed to drop TN to even lower depths in the same amount of time. Fulmer lost his edge and got comfortable which cost him the job at a a high profile place like TN.
Bearwuzacheater writes:
Majors did NOT leave Fulmer anything. Majors was NOT the recruiting force just before he left; George Dickle made sure of that. Fulmer was one of the best recruiters as Majors' OC and as a HC. His complacency, poor recruiting the last couple of years and losses on the field are what cost Fulmer his job.
jdcvols#230433 writes:
The problem with this article is Fulmer's comments. He had his dream job and failed at the end. His choice of clawson was the last straw. Did he just wake up and realize what it takes to be a head coach? Where was all that passion and deep thought from 2002-2008? Where was it Fulmer? I'd like to hear from you what you think went wrong?
sampears writes:
I was thinking Kansas!
rocky_topper writes:
It would certainly take a BIG STAGE!
Good luck in div II foolmer!
rocky_topper writes:
It will never be notre dame. They've had their share of losers for coaches, and I'm certain they now know a loser when they see one!
jake2583 writes:
What's with everyone's hatred for Coach Fulmer? I don't get it. I gaurantee that a lot of these posters (me included) are his size or larger. (And, by the way, I saw him at the Pilot the other day and he looks fit. Not small--- but not big either.) I gaurantee that most of you guys/girls could not handle even 10% of the pressure that man lived with for the last 15 + years. Is it jealousy? Is it just plain ignorance? Can someone please explain?
orngbluded writes:
I love hoe some people get on here and rip Fulmer and when he was coaching here you liked him,yea he had two losing seasons in 17 years,and i agree we needed a change but he did alot of good things for the university.I hope he does get a good coaching job and does well.I really like coach kiffin but im not going to dog fulmer now that hes gone.
CLEMSONVOL716WASBANNED writes:
I would like to see CPF in Clemson. In fact, I wanted them to make a package with CPF and CJC last year. It seems that CPF got his wake up call and since he still has the desire, I would love to see him in Clemson orange.
Just wish all the Fulmer haters would appreciate what he did for the Tennessee program. It was time for a change and we got the needed change, so get over the bitterness and realize what he did for the program.
Pullingguard writes:
I don't see any opportunities in SEC for Fulmer, in ACC there will probably be opportunity at Virginia if things dont turn there... It seems for him to be talking staff and contacting people there has been some contact made with him about 2010 coaching.. Where ever he goes it will not be the same as it was.. Hard to match a UT which was home for him... Anyway wish him luck and success for the most part he did a very good job for Vols..
FireJohnAdams writes:
Sure is easy to kick a man when he's down. How many coaches won a NC at Tennessee... ever...He was born and still is a Tennessean, I appreciate his 35 years of service to the University and I hope the very best for Coach Fulmer and his family.
give_him_6 writes:
Good Luck Coach...you deserve it!!!
UTfan4life2 writes:
Neyland > Fulmer
Majors > Fulmer
Kiffin(soon to be) > Fulmer,Majors,Neyland
panties4tebow writes:
LOL - that would never, never happen!
UTfan4life2 writes:
Fulmer's first line when he goes for an interview... "Well,I looked good on film".
agilemobilehostile writes:
A QB is nothing without his linemen. They protect him on every down. Your statement makes no sense.
DC_Vol writes:
I want to thank Phil Fulmer for many great years and of course the 13-0 National Championship season.
I believe Fulmer's success rose and fell with David Cutcliffe. I remember Randy Sanders being thrown to the wolves after the Alabama game and I remember Cutcliffe coming in and righting the ship. I also remember Cutcliffe leaving and the worst OC in Tennessee History Clawson taking over. This time Fulmer was let retired/fired.
A great deal of the credit for the Fulmer's successful season's needs to be given to Cutcliffe and Chavis. Agree or Disagree?
agilemobilehostile writes:
It is sad to see all the negative comments about Coach Fulmer on here. How quickly we forget the good things he did for Tennessee and the fact that he is a class act. He probably should have retired after the 2001 season, but I will always have the utmost respect for the man. Some of you classless fools posting on here need to be taken behind the woodshed for a lesson in manners.
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