Former Tennessee football coach Phillip Fulmer said has "something to prove" when he returns the college game during an appearance Tuesday night on The Tony Barnhart Show on CBS College Sports Network.
Barnhart asked Fulmer why he would want to coach again?
"Well I do because I enjoy it," Fulmer said. " I enjoy the competition. I enjoy putting teams together. I feel the same passion right now that I did when I took over 17 years ago at Tennessee. … I’ve got something to prove and I want to get to a point where we’re competing for championships. I love being around it. I’m not ready to retire at all. I think I’ve got 10, 12 good years left of being an active coach. I love recruiting. I can go to any part of the country, you know, to do it, because we’ve recruited all over the country at Tennessee. … But if the opportunity, the right opportunity, presents itself, I’m certainly going to look at it. And I think I’ll be interviewing them as much as they’re interviewing me at this point.
© 2009, Knoxville News Sentinel Co.
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Comments » 287
allvolinatlanta writes:
Good luck to you Coach Fulmer!
tntorbett writes:
There's an opening in Memphis
tntorbett writes:
or if you wanna get into pro ball; the Bills are on the hunt as well
Witch_Doctor writes:
Witch Doctor say it has been 8-9 years since he "coached". Witch Doctor pretty sure he rusty...
Bones never lie
Hardrocknox writes:
Good luck big Phil ,I think Louisville has your name all over it .
Waldorf writes:
There's an opening at the other end of the state Foolmore. You go there and win 10 games once and you will prove me wrong because I think you've been washed up since halftime of 2001 LSU.
Major_Magilicutty writes:
Good luck, Coach. Some of us here still have a lot of respect for you. Good luck in whatever you do.
RockyTopRenegade writes:
The offers have been rolling in, huh Coach?
GahLee writes:
Louisville could be possible, no chance on Memphis, that is way too much work, Louisville is not too far removed from being a decent program.
Good luck to him.
Volsrbest writes:
Cincinnati would be a good gig after their coach bolts for ND! Good luck!
tntorbett writes:
Oh, Pretty sure Notre Dame will be looking for a coach too
PineyFlats_Vol writes:
He works like heck...
WytheVol writes:
Good luck coach! UVA and Louisville would be well suited for Fulmer, IMO...
rocky_topper writes:
That he can develop talent? Now, there's a thought!
allVolinGA writes:
The truth is, most head coaches (including Lane Kiffin) don't do much coaching. They set the tone and manage the assistants.
Take away the assistants and Lane will be lost. Fulmer was too loyal to assistants that didn't produce. What success Majors had was due to his ability to pick assistants and hold them to the fire. Part of his trouble was that many good assistants wouldn't put up with his bullying.
RockyTopRenegade writes:
Pssst....Coach, don't put Crompton down for a reference....
RollAFatty writes:
Way to go coach. Show the naysayers that your destruction of a major college football program was not a fluke. Prove you can do it again!
lahvolman2 writes:
8-9 years??? you're much too kind Doc
tntorbett writes:
OOOOOOH! Michigan could open up soon as well
dwa7#337691 writes:
Fulmer to VIRGINIA..............when it opens up................bet on it!
GO VOLS!
tntorbett writes:
Just read on ESPN that Jerry Glanville just stepped down, so Portland State is now a possibility
letshave1more writes:
CPF not so fast!! You are making a big mistake which is very obvious by all the talent you left for CLF!
You should have been fired after the 2005 season and did not deserve the $5 Million buyout you got. Stay in the pressbox where you belong...
The game passed you by becuase you would not make changes....
super15mn writes:
fulmer to south carolina..... bet on it
showmeyourTDs writes:
Don't worry. Nobody wants you. And no, you can't recruit nationally. That's why you don't coach at TN anymore. Well, maybe I shouldn't say "you can't recruit nationally". I should say that you can't recruit the level of talent nationally that is required to build a championship program anymore.
rocky_topper writes:
Fulmer to uh, uh, uh, uh never mind...I really can't think of anyone who would be that desperate! Heard he was a good mule days marshal though!
bill#1374014 writes:
It's laughable to think he's going to get a decent coaching offer. Schools that are really looking to get better will be on the hunt for the hot young coach or coordinator, not a 59 year old has-been. Maybe Ken Sparks will retire at C-N and open a spot for him.
Vol86 writes:
CPF to UVA is the way I see it. He will win in the acc. He will recruit enough talent to beat any acc team. Plus UVA is a good school, he will make them feel good about things.
ethanfrome writes:
God bless CPF, but, I think too many years at the top would give anyone an ego. He seems to really believe he is still a commodity. I doubt any descent program would take him as a head coach. Tuberville is different, he did not display a slow devolution over the course of years-Phil did.
tmartin writes:
Why? Why would anyone want to work when you make $6 mil for doing absolutely nothing. Go volunteer at a high school.
riversetvol writes:
Any AD who even thinks about hiring Fulmer should watch the Ole Miss tape.
1. Walk-on OLs going up against future NFL draft choices on Ole Miss' DL
2. A kick-off guy who can't even keep the ball in the field of play much less kick it into the endzone. Plus he had two 32 yard punts in the first half.
3. A FG kicker who can't get the kick over his OL.
Great recruiter my foot.
tnvol27#546179 writes:
sounds like he has red a*s from from being fired....he should have remained motivated and kept workin like heck to keep the Vols on top. His recruiting totally sucked the last 4 yrs...his assistants were not good recruiters either....now go away phil.
kevin151 writes:
Fulmer recruits criminals, you have to go to school at ND.
jumby92 writes:
His coaching sucks as bad as his acting skills.
jumby92 writes:
ESPN is as full of manure as Fulmer. Notre Dame has already had 2-3 mediocre coaches in recent history, why would they want another? Fulmer's resume ended in 1998 and so do a lot of local sports writers' memory (Hyams, Wilkerson, et al).
tnbanker_govols writes:
Our local high school is looking for a new coach. You think he can carry those recruiting skills to the middle school????
crappieking writes:
You are correct! I even had my tickets to the NC game that year because I just knew we were going to play Miami. Oh well. Fulmer, you owe me money!!!!!!
imw8n4u writes:
I think it is fairly certain that Fulmer will coach again soon, given the turnover every year. I think he would make a good fit in the Big 10 given their style of play. However, I don't see Michigan calling for Fulmer, he isn't the kind of coach that can really energize a fan base like Michigan's. They have already had their version of Fulmer in Loyd Carr.
Waldorf writes:
Kiffin does more than most because of his involvement with the offense, but I agree for the most part head coaches do not do much "coaching".
However, part, if not the majority of a head coach's job is to surround himself with the best assistant's possible and set the tone of the program through leadership. By the end, Foolmore did neither of these.
The man changed the second he won the national title. Say what you want about him, but he did. He hit his goal and was satisfied with it.
BrassMonkey writes:
He can come put Tennessee back together after Kif the Bozo destroys it and heads elsewhere. Nice first class of recruits, and what a horrible overall and season record.
rocky_topper writes:
Same here. After returning to knoxville following beating the Gators, I ran right in and bought airline tickets so I could get a better price....HA!
arkyvol writes:
i'm amazed at the gracelessness of some of these comments. after the u.c.l.a. fiasco of last year, i was as ready as anyone to see him go, but there are a lot of things about him i will always respect. if he gets back into coaching, i wish him only the best. after all he did for the vols, that's the least he deserves.
TommyJack writes:
Something to prove. Bwahahahaha
MusicCityVol writes:
www.checkerboardchatter.blogspot.com
vol4gzus writes:
Question....Did you just pick ure poster name for this article? or your last one got zapped? Do the words get over it not resonate with your gray matter?
He did not destruct a program....contrary to popular opinion the program was not destructed. In need of some repairs yes, but not destructed.
Hope helatches on somewhere and is successful. What I would really like to see is some healing between him and Coach Majors. Also Coach Fulmer with the University.
ethanfrome writes:
All of you Florida fans wish that we were continuing to stick it out with Phil. We are aware. Thanks for the input.
finn writes:
I think Phil is out of his gourd if he thinks a major D-1 school like Michigan or ND will give him the nod. His best bet is a tier 2 or 3 school like UVA or Memphis but I suspect that won't be good enough for him. Who knows, maybe he learned a lesson but I don't think his old approach (ie...last 6 years or so) is going to turn a lot of AD's head's. Stick wtih the easy money, Phil.
woody45#537767 writes:
Fulmer may apply for the Florida coaching job when Meyer goes to ND. Like the old saying goes, if you can't beat'em, join'em!
mountainbrook writes:
Put it back together? Fulmer is the one who destroyed it and Kiffin has already won as many games as Fulmer won last year.
volsrock54 writes:
Clap clap clap, gonna go back to work and get in the film room and stay the course and right the ship... Good luck Fulmer
69vol08 writes:
I respect what CPF did here, but I am not convinced he will be able to do it anywhere else...or that he will get the chance. I hope he proves me wrong.
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