CBS. Sportsline reports Fulmer will not return in 2009

It's official. It was announced at 5:00pm. Story broke just before lunch time here in town. It was rumored yesterday.

The Big Orange nation is sad tonight as the top Vol, a good familiy man and a Christian brother, is stepping down. Someone can take his spot but no one can replace him.

 

http://www.govolsxtra.com/videos/detail/phillip-fulmer-announces-he-stepping-down/

This is Fulmer's part of the Press Conf.

 

As a Kentuckian and a fan of the schools in this state, I am no fan of Tennessee schools.

Nevertheless, Phil Fulmer did not deserve to get thrown under the bus, not that it should surprise anyone that this happens at the large Universities on a regular basis. And in the SEC, UT is right at "the top o' the heap" for this to occur on a regular basis. Read Bill Battle (73% W/L), Johnny Majors (67% W/L), and now Phil Fulmer (75% W/L) in football. Only Johnny Majors may have had some other issues, of the three.

Basketball is little different, at "name" schools, witness the recent episode with Tubby Smith, at UK, where a good coach and even better man who, while not being "thrown under the bus" per se, nevertheless found a long 'waiting list' of drivers to drive that bus out of town, just as long as he was on it, with a "one-way" ticket to Minneapolis!

And I assure you if and when Bruce Pearl comes upon a lean year or two, as will surely happen sooner or later, the BB fans will want his head 'served up', as well.

Ed

 

Ed, you are dreaming.

First, there were sundry issues surrounding Battle to a lesser extent and Johnny to a greater extent. Fulmer was barely .500 over his last four season. not .400 against the big three in this decade. One win against a top ten team at home this decade.

Tubby wasn't thrown under the bus? No, the UK faithful didn't want their bus stained with him so they went out and did something worse. Tubby Smith was hated from the nanosecond he was introduced by C.M. And I say this with all due affection. Having spent a great deal of my life either in that state or bordering it, I just know too many boosters and fans.

Fulmer had 17 seasons. He will likely be given a job with the University if he wants it. And he will receive almost 6 million fish to boot. If that's getting thrown under the bus, point me to the nearest street. And if that is being bussed, what do you call what UK did to Tubby, Pitino (still hated in UK), Mumme, et.al?

 

I agree that Tubby wasn't thrown under the bus. It was more like he was chased out of town by it.

 

Lots of rumored candidates. Most common are Butch Davis; Jon Grudem (a UT asst and in-law to Johnny Majors); Lane Kiffin; Bill Cowher; Cincy's Brian Kelly; Boise St's Peterson; Stan Gundy, OK St; Todd Graham, Tulsa; Tommy Tuberville, Auburn; TX Tech's Mike Leach; Texas DC (forget his name right now); Missouri's Gary Pinkel; TCU's coach.

Grudem isn't likely even though he does own quite a bit of property and two homes in the area and his wife is desperate to come home. Cowher has been rumored to have struck up a friendship with top UT booster and Pilot Oil CEO Jim Haslam. I like Brian Kelly an awful lot, and Pinkel as well. Tuberville is dying to leave Auburn from what I have heard, but I don't see him as a likely candidate, though any man who can beat Bama the way he has is the King of the Universe in my book. :thumbs:

Spurrier and Cut were not offered the job. The former never would be and the latter just would not be welcome back.

 

Now that goes with what I've been saying for years, he wasn't a great coach. But so many Vols wouldn't agree, now they do. Don't get me wrong, I liked Fulmer(but I don't dislike any coach except a couple Fl. coaches who broke the rules and got the school in trouble) I think he was a very good coach.

 

Well, to say Fulmer isn't a great coach IMHO ignores his body of work. I believe he will leave as the winningest coach vs. Bama in school history, maybe even close to or surpassing Neyland's record against them. Among active coaches, his win pct is in the top 3 or 4. His record puts him in rarified air. There is a whole list of accomplishments that puts Fulmer in HOF status. That said, many believe time had come for a change. But that does not diminish the stellar resume of Phillip Fulmer.