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Former Tennessee football coach Phillip Fulmer sits with his wife, Vicky, left, and Brock Rogers, 7, during the Optimist Club’s luncheon.
He’s tanned, rested and ready. But ready for what?
The honoree at Phillip Fulmer Appreciation Day on Friday said he’s moving on to the next chapter of his life, but he’s not sure yet what that will be.
For the first time since he was in the seventh grade, Fulmer faces an approaching fall without football-dominated obligations.
He likened the time span since he was fired as Tennessee’s head football coach in November to a sabbatical to review his options.
That could be a return to coaching. It could be moving into the TV broadcast booth. It could be in the business world.
“The good thing is I don’t have to make any huge decisions right now,’’ Fulmer said after being honored by the Optimist Club of Knoxville for his contributions to the community.
“Some days I can’t wait to get back out there (and coach) and some days I say, ‘What in the world am I thinking?’
“There are a lot of things to say no, and there are also a lot of things to say yes.’’
Friday was declared Phillip Fulmer Appreciation Day in both the city of Knoxville and Knox County.
Several speakers lauded Fulmer’s generosity to various charitable causes, including the Jason Foundation (to prevent youth suicide), the Alzheimer’s Association and the Boys and Girls Clubs of the Tennessee Valley.
Judge Tim Irwin, one of Fulmer’s initial group of UT offensive line pupils in 1980, spoke to the positive influence Fulmer had on the development of so many athletes who went on to become contributors to the community.
“I’m just one of many and I see others in this room,’’ Irwin said.
Fulmer clearly enjoyed being in the company of avowed optimists Friday. He’d heard plenty from the pessimists as his only two losing seasons were grouped in his final four years as coach.
He was 152-52 in 16-plus years as UT’s head coach, second in wins behind only Robert Neyland.
Since he was let go by his alma mater — with a $6 million buyout — Fulmer has done some TV work, has a position with a local investment firm and has stayed active with various charities.
He also has visited with several college and NFL teams to refresh his football acumen.
At 58, he says he still has the energy and passion to coach and, judging from appearances, that is the case.
“I’ve critiqued myself and realized there certainly were some things I could have done differently and better,’’ he said, “although we had a tremendous amount of success.
“I just think at the next opportunity, I’ll be even better than I was, and I thought we were pretty darn good.’’
Fulmer said he has to make a decision in the near future on a commitment to being a TV analyst for college football. But it sounds like coaching again would be his first preference.
“I know it would take a special place,’’ he said, “that is interested in competing (for championships).
“That doesn’t mean they’re there right now, but that they’re committed.’’
He said he has reviewed and reorganized his coaching notes and even drawn up lists of possible staff members.
On the other hand, he has enjoyed hunting and fishing and spending more time with his wife, daughters and 11-month-old grandson — all of whom are rooted in East Tennessee at the moment.
“If I get the opportunity, I’ll be ready to go,’’ Fulmer said, “but it’s got to be the right kind of opportunity.
“If not,’’ he added with a chuckle, “I’ve got the makings of one heck of a book.’’
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Comments » 140
rocky_topper writes:
Yeah, I just bet he is! That was some funny stuff!
bugman (Inactive) writes:
burger kings hiring
GoVols_16 writes:
God Bless you, Coach Fulmer!! Thank you for your service to UT & the State of Tennessee!! Thank you for not getting our program on probation for over 16 years.
Hope this next guy can keep his nose as clean. I'm having my doubts...
Who knows? We might win an NC in a couple of years & get the death penalty two years after that!!
GO VOLS!!! (Please just GO the right way)!!!
rocky_topper writes:
He thought he was pretty darn good? I'm just getting a kick out of this article.
Dennis_Rogan_The_Show writes:
Good Luck Coach, whatever you do. You are a great one...
BigOrangeCrazy writes:
Fulmer still mulling his options...
Krispy Kreme or Dunkin Donuts.
okievol writes:
Repercussions of Fulmer's dismissal are being felt statewide...
http://www.tennessean.com/article/200...
Hrockytop writes:
LMAO...Hey, whatever helps you sleep at night coach!
rocky_topper writes:
Wow! Great article. That gave some great insight! Thanks for sharing!
jcherrie#219531 (Inactive) writes:
Tanned?? Fulmer needs to stay off the beach. Otherwise, folks from Greenpeace will be hosing him off and trying to roll him back into the water.
agentorange writes:
Uh, Fulmer won a national championship and is second in all-time wins at UT. He was darn good.
1manningfan writes:
Are you serious? Let it go dude, he has been canned know for 6 months and your still throwing jabs at him, pathetic!
Also, how would you know if burger kings hiring, are you the manager? LMFAO!
Go wash your mouth out with a buck shot!
Sorry Fulmer some people just don't have class and don't appriciate anything.
Go Vols!
GoVols_16 writes:
To RichRollinz2:
Just being real, my Brutha... How many secondary violations in how many months? Who recruited Reggie Bush at USC?
You know what they say in East Tennessee:
"Where they's smoke, they's far."
BigOrangeCrazy writes:
"Fulmer has done some tv work..." = Fulmer has signed up to be a contestant on The Biggest Loser.
ewhite#207432 writes:
Thank you Coach Fulmer for winning with such class. You will be missed by many and maybe sooner than we think. You were a good coach and a better man. And you were even a native Tennessean. That's why you loved this university and this state.
volhome#407234 writes:
Hopefully Phillip knows that real Tennessee fans appreciate everything he did for the university, the program, and the young men he coached.
The trolls on here have to live somewhere, so let them throw their snark and denigrating remarks. Sadly we are forced to deal with reading through their tripe to get to the legitimate comments. I doubt any one of them could stand for five minutes any of the scrutiny and vile things said about themselves that Phillip endured.
Fortunately we had a great coach who was a great man, too. If Lane proves to be half as good as Phillip, we have ourselves a good one.
DancingOutlaw writes:
i'm sure he spends much of his days deciding what coaching offer he's going to take. who would want to hear fulmer analyze? the fat phil show was terribly boring with him and bob. "another UT interception to stall the drive", "yeah uh we need to work on our routes". at least upward football will start in a little bit, that's one way to get back in the swing of things.
volzcrushm writes:
For all of you negative guys that slam Fulmer all of the time... how many of you have won a national championship?
Or an SEC championship? Fulmer is a classy guy and did a great job fot UT. Even though his time has passed for UT football, he can still help out in a lot of ways. You ney-sayers are pathetic. The glass ain't always half full and, a rain cloud must follow you around. So, until you have something to boast better than Fulmer's accomplishments, it make you look like a whiney-poos! ......you are pathetic.
GoVols_16 writes:
"I doubt any one of them could stand for five minutes any of the scrutiny and vile things said about themselves that Phillip endured."
Very true. I'll be the first to say that I believe it was time for him to go, but he did a respectable job while he was here, aside from 2 bad years.
okievol writes:
Off - topic, but probably related to this:
http://michiganstate.rivals.com/conte...
rockytopron writes:
I hope he takes the ESPN job, they need a good coach analyst because that blabbering,slobbering homer holtz is mind numbing at best.
rockytopron writes:
Shouldn't his record be 153 - 51 now?
volzcrushm writes:
Hey.... I heard Umeyer interviewed with ND last week.(north dakota)
golfballs03 writes:
Don't hold your breath Phil
99gator writes:
i have said this kind of thing before. apparently, it bears repeating.
fulmer needed to go. i agree with that. i also agree he's dreaming if a program with national championship aspirations is going to be giving him a phone call anytime soon.
HOWEVER,
an argument can be made that he is the greatest head football coach in tennessee history (and i would be behind that argument 100%). it's either fulmer or neyland. and the general coached in a completely different era before integration and a lot of other things.
you all pick on dcflorida and gatorzz for throwing insults at tennessee. how dumb are some of you to insult the best football coach you ever had? some of these things are far worse than any "troll" could write, because you are insulting your own.
making fun of someone who, whether you realize it or not, earned a place in tennessee lore for his achievements is downright dumb. yeah, he had trouble with florida. few didn't. who else does fulmer have a losing record against that tennessee competed with regularly?
DaVols writes:
Amen! most couldn't beat a 5 year old at tiddley winks. They hide here as the omniscient, omnipotent internet quarterbacks spewing vemon to no good purpose. Small men making themselves feel big and tough. Pathetic losers.
give_him_6 writes:
Here here. I was ther for all of Fulmers wins and he/we were DARN GOOD.
I wish Kiffin good luck and the the hope that he is as good as Fulmer was.
GoVols_16 writes:
Watch highlights from the 1998 season--that team was pretty awesome, and they got progressively better as the season went along!
DaVols writes:
"The Biggest Loser" uh, I think that'd be you BOC!
notoriousBIGorange writes:
I completely agree...good post even if it's from a gator.
Those of you that wanted Fulmer gone got what you wanted so now it's time to respect him for his service to TN. It amazes me that Majors gets more respect on this site and he never came close to winning a NC at UT and at times embarrased the university because of his personal substance problems.
dbc5361 writes:
Boy oh boy. You Big Orange turncoats are going to be in for a heck of a surprise when Fulmer has more wins from 2010 to 2012 than the youngster Jesus Kiffin. It's going to be a sight to see.
eschroeder writes:
TV ananlyst?! Are you kidding? After years of watching him on the "Phillip Fulmer" show he's like watching paint dry. They wouldn't take him on the Knitting Channel.
Major_Magilicutty writes:
Screw you guys. Lousy fairweather fans. Thanks Fulmer!
I understand not liking the way the program declined after the championship game, but there is no other coach in the country that so proudly represented his university and state.
I really can't stand some of you people on here. Poor excuses for fans.
olozbal#646632 writes:
Kudos to Coach Fulmer. He did a great job. So did Michael Jackson when Thriller came out, so if I focus on that I miss the guy-his prime. But when I think about the latter years my tune changes. Fulmer had faded out, maybe he can come back with a little break, but normally that doesn't work out. Good luck to him if he does. I wish him well.
(Never thought I could link Michael Jackson and Fulmer did you?)
Major_Magilicutty writes:
Btw...I'm not excusing the decline of the program or the lack of discipline from the Fulmer staff...but you guys need to let it go. Give the man his due.
bhjohnso#207063 writes:
That 6-million dollar buyout sure is helpful when it comes to taking a while to consider your next opportunity.
VolFanNC writes:
Don't know why everyone has to be negative about Fulmer. I agreed he had to go as well, but I am mostly happy about the Fulmer years. I actually was at the FL game the year we won the NC. Was at the SC game where Tee Martin set the completion record. Can't even tell you about the bet I made towards the end of the Arkansas game that year....
Anyhow, I have a more good memories during the Fulmer years than bad, so I wish him the best.
Volunatic writes:
I think he will coach again, though probably at a mid-major, or possibly as an assistant at a BCS conf program.
He was a good coach here overall, and I'm glad he was the Vols' coach.
Good luck in your future endeavors, Coach Fulmer!
auttat writes:
Wrong on 2 accounts. A team cannot claim a victory from another team being penalized by the NCAA. Secondly, the guilty parties did not play in the game in '07.
vick3333 writes:
What options??????????????????? NONE or he would already bd doing it.....
riversetvol writes:
If he has a job at an Investment firm then why are we providing him an office and a secretary.
Suppose you are an athletic director and you get this resume?
58 year old coach who hasn't won a Championship in the last 11 years. Just coming off 2 losing seasons in the last 4 and had an offense that finished in the 100s in both scoring and total offense. This past years team had the second worst season in 120 years of history.
Had one player drafted in this year's draft and have had 3 former players arrested and/or convicted this year for major felonies.
However I am willing to work like heck and look at a lot of film at my new school.
jobrando#216494 writes:
Heck, Darn good article
Go4Two writes:
Fulmer coached 16 years got 6 mil. We just fired a coach after 6 months and he got 300k.
auttat writes:
Tennessee football is built on tradition. A tradition of excellence. Does 5-7, with humiliating losses to a less than mediocre UCLA team and WYOMING and zero competitiveness with your 2 main rivals, exemplify excellence? Does not having a single championship in the last 10 years exemplify excellence? Who honestly believes Phil Fulmer should have been given another chance after last season? I love the guy. He is top 2 all time to ever coach at UT. However, it was time.
Give me $6 mil. with nary an obligation to receive it, and you can say whatever you damn well please about me.
Txvol57 writes:
He was good 10 years ago when he had more talent that everyone during overall down decade for the SEC (other than Florida)...what did fulmer do when better coaches were brought in to the SEC and the talent level evened out?......wah wah waaaah!
vol88 writes:
Every coach has a few "Wyoming-type" disasters on his record. Let's not forget the 1998 NC, the countless wins over Bama, bowl wins over Michigan and OSU, and dozens more.
I agree it was time, too. But it will be a long, long time until a coach wins as many games as he did, even if he wins 10 a year.
back2backchamps writes:
To the TommyJack's of this site. Please tell me again how UF & Bama have the "bad fans". Please read the posts from some of the "Vol fans" about a coach that gave over 20 years of service to the Vols. It may have been time for a change, but a lot of "Vol fans" seem to have forgotten the only National Title that been brought to the hill in their lifetime. But then again,,,the only bad fans are for the other schools, right TJ? :-)
rocky_topper writes:
Vicky, don't you have some ironing to do?
rocky_topper writes:
He looked like a big ole mean, mad-at-the-world stubborn mule! Speaking of mules, I wonder if has has mulled over the fact to, uh, never mind!
rocky_topper writes:
as well as lost over 50% of the games where the opponents were ranked in the top 25, and the stats worsen considerably against the top 10!
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