BCS, NCAA Football, Tennessee Volunteers Football NEWS
Thank Fulmer? Thanks For Doing What’s Best For Tennessee
Published by MoonDog on November 4, 2008
As most everyone has heard, Phil Fulmer has “accepted the administration’s decision” to step down as the Tennessee Volunteers head coach at the end of the season, ending his 17-year stint overseeing one of the nation’s winningest college football programs.
Tennessee Volunteers Coach Phil Fulmer Resigned Monday
Hordes of Vol fans, many of which called for his ouster, cried along with him as he tearfully read a prepared statement during a televised news conference Monday afternoon.
A few weeks ago I wrote an article that suggested if Fulmer really loved Tennessee, he’d walk away from the only head coaching job he’s had.
Fulmer invoked that love for Tennessee yesterday during the news conference, stating the Vol nation was “divided” over what was best for the program.
Fulmer’s decision wasn’t just the best thing he could do for Tennessee, it was the only thing he could do to end the turmoil he helped create.
In reality, Fulmer never had a choice, he never had to worry about accepting the administration’s decision because the decision had already been made.
His fate was sealed after the Vols lost their season opener against an under-manned UCLA team, and he truly never saw it coming.
When Fulmer was given the head coaching job at Tennessee in 1993, after he participated in what amounted to a coup that led to former head coach Johnny Majors being forced out, he enjoyed tremendous success during his first six seasons.
The Volunteers won 62 games, two SEC championships and one BCS national championship between 1993 and 1998.
But since 2005, Fulmer’s performance has been less than acceptable, and with each passing season he was clearly in a state of denial.
Since 1999 the Vols are 3-7 against Florida, 4-6 against Georgia, 0-3 in SEC championship games, 3-5 in bowl games, zero BCS bowl appearances, 6-14 against ranked teams in the past four years and 1-9 against Top 10 teams at home this decade.
Tennessee's 2008 Season Has Been a Major Disappointment
Couple the poor results on the field with declining attendance - meaning a loss of revenue - and people within the administration began to take notice.
Fulmer had signed a seven-year contract extension prior to the start of this season, a contract that included a $6 million buyout and an additional $3.55 million buyout for his assistant coaches.
While money did play a role in the university’s decision, it wasn’t the determining factor. In the end, Fulmer was forced out because he no longer could produce results.
Just as any employer would do under the same circumstances, Fulmer had to go because he couldn’t meet the expectations placed upon him, regardless of how unrealistic they may be.
Last year Lloyd Carr, another long-serving coach at the University of Michigan with a national championship on his resume, “resigned” due to growing fan unrest and several losses to hated rival Ohio State.
Like Carr, Fulmer and every coach serving at a major football program was hired to do one thing - win. When Tennessee failed to consistently beat their primary rivals, win SEC championships and compete for BCS national titles, Fulmer was doomed.
With Losses Mounting, Fulmer's Days Were Numbered
In reality, Fulmer was given more opportunities than most coaches around the nation. But his time at Tennessee amounts to nothing more than his record of 150-51, because ultimately that’s how any coach is measured.
While many Volunteer fans have publicly expressed their gratitude for Fulmer’s service, I’ll only thank him for doing the right thing for Tennessee.
At the end of a 35-year association with the Volunteers, Fulmer “gave his all for Tennessee today” when he gave up his job and ended the mediocrity that gripped the program for years.
Now the university can turn it’s attention to hiring a new coach, beginning the process of bringing Tennessee back to its rightful place among the nation’s elite college football programs.
The video below is Fulmer’s statement during Monday’s press conference.
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- Fulmer Out As Volunteers Coach
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