Phillip Fulmer - Time to go....or no?

Tribe Fan 24 · 09-02-2008, 12:24 PM

I am a graduate of the University of Tennessee and have lived in the Knoxville area since 1978. I love UT football and have been truly a fan of Phillip Fulmer through many of the frustrating games/seasons recently.

Part of me says, if you get rid of him....WHO else are you going to get? Is there anyone out there who would do better? He HAS kept the program relavent over the long haul, which is important. (How many programs have been good over such a long period of time?)

Another part of me feel as if Tennessee needs to change it up somehow. The same old stupid mistakes are happening every year. We do not blitz, we play a soft corner where teams can throw short routes and have GREAT success. We always seem to play into the other team's strengths instead of exploiting their weaknesses.

What do you think? I would love to hear how others from around the country view the state of the Tennessee program.

Tribe Fan 24 · 09-02-2008, 05:49 PM

bump

don't be afraid to give some input here!

Cooleyvol · 09-02-2008, 07:54 PM

Are you kiddin'? Its BEEN time to go, but it'll take a 2-10 season for Hamilton to get the 'nads to do it. I'm not sure which of them is blowing the other.

rudel.dietrich · 09-02-2008, 07:55 PM

collegiate coachs have one responsability and only one. That is recruitment. Fulmer cannot anymore. It's time to go

Cooleyvol · 09-03-2008, 05:11 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Fallschirmjager

collegiate coachs have one responsability and only one. That is recruitment. Fulmer cannot anymore. It's time to go

I disagree. Its also contrary to the beefs with him at home. The beef is he can't coach since he can't win titles with the great talent he has.

IMO, his recruiting is far better than his coaching/development ability. His falling class rankings are not due to his inability to recruit, but rather that some schools are recruiting better than they used to.

They also have more responsibility than recruiting.

Dagrims · 09-03-2008, 05:19 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Cooleyvol

I disagree. Its also contrary to the beefs with him at home. The beef is he can't coach since he can't win titles with the great talent he has.

IMO, his recruiting is far better than his coaching/development ability.

This was a similar issue with Ron Zook at Florida. Great recruiter, terrible game coach.

Tribe Fan 24 · 09-21-2008, 09:50 AM

Okay. I have finally made my decision here. I am voting to fire him now.

I was at the stadium yesterday and saw how poorly prepared we were for this game. I saw how many fans left the stadium at halftime, which is an even stronger argument. I think that most of the fanbase here in Knoxville/East Tennessee has lost it's trust in this coaching staff. We are heading for a season (if there is not dramatic improvement) where there are no more "sure" wins on the schedule except the homecoming game. Playing this way, we are in trouble against Auburn, Georgia, and Alabama. Assuming these are the only losses, that is 7-5. I think personally that we will have a hard time beating the Vanderbilts, Kentuckys, and even the Mississippi States of the world playing like this. (We might beat M. State because they are just as bad, but who knows.)

I think that there is the potential of having as many empty seats in Neyland Stadium as we saw for the UAB game the rest of the way. (which was about 10k) That will be the ultimate decider of how long Fulmer will continue as coach. If they are missing out on concession revenue, which they depend on, then there will be a change made at the end of this season.

As for possible replacements, I have no idea. I do know that there is another team in the state of Tennessee that has only a fraction of the $$$ and talent, higher standards to enroll, no athletic director, and is currently 4-0. I think that the Vandy coach will get SERIOUS consideration. I don't know that he is the best option, but you have to stand up and take notice of what he is accomplishing in Nashville on a shoestring. He has scared many a heavyweight in the SEC and I think he could motivate our players much more effectively than Fulmer at this point.

Is he as good as Fulmer in his hayday, probably not. Could he do a better job than what we are stuck with right now, I'm beginning to think so.

jaxmagicman · 09-21-2008, 10:48 AM

You can't come out and want to fire your coach because you are not as good as Florida. If that was true, 150+ schools would have to get rid of their coaches.

Tribe Fan 24 · 09-22-2008, 09:26 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by jaxmagicman

You can't come out and want to fire your coach because you are not as good as Florida. If that was true, 150+ schools would have to get rid of their coaches.

No, that is not my reason. This loss of faith in the staff has been brewing for a while.

I understand that we are not even on the same planet as Florida right now. That, while troubling, is not my main concern. I am very unhappy with the gameplanning and lack of adjustments during the game. We are either not getting the best players like we were before, or (more likely) we are not "coaching them up." Our players very rarely seem to improve during their years in Knoxville. The stars will still be stars, Jerod Mayo last year comes to mind and Eric Berry currently. I just feel that the other really highly rated players are not progressing as they should. Why? A good example is Jonathan Crompton was a 5 star QB that was held in the same regard as Marc Sanchez at USC. He has regressed under Fulmer/Cutcliffe/Clawson. There are several others like this.

Why do we do stupid things like have terrible clock management, kick to premiere returners like the guy for Florida (whose name escapes me right now) and the returner for Cal last year. We are just so hardheaded and think that we are better and can handle anything. It drives me crazy.

There is an apathy towards Tennessee football right now that I have not seen in some time. (1988 comes to mind....starting 0-6.) This is perhaps the most telling problem right now. I think that we are in for a bumpy ride, and it is just going to get harder with Georgia, Alabama, and Auburn on the horizon. I think that we could see more crowds under 100k, which is unheard of around here. If that happens, Fulmer is most likely finished in Knoxville. I can't see UT allowing too much apathy to build up before something is done.

I don't think that it is as simple as "being mad that we are not as good as Florida." I think this is a bigger problem. Unless this gets turned around in short order, I think that it will be too much to overcome.

jarmenia · 09-22-2008, 06:16 PM

As much as I like watching UF beat up on the Vols, a strong SEC needs a strong Tennessee team. Its just not the same SEC without a solid Vols team in Tennessee.

View Poll Results: What Should U of Tennessee do with Phillip Fulmer?
Keep him....who else are you going to get?	3	21.43%
Fire him....these problems happen WAY too often!	9	64.29%
big orange monkey rodeo	2	14.29%
Voters: 14. You may not vote on this poll

09-02-2008, 12:24 PM	#1
Tribe Fan 24 All Star Reserve Join Date: Apr 2004 Location: Maryville, TN Posts: 675	Phillip Fulmer - Time to go....or no? I am a graduate of the University of Tennessee and have lived in the Knoxville area since 1978. I love UT football and have been truly a fan of Phillip Fulmer through many of the frustrating games/seasons recently. Part of me says, if you get rid of him....WHO else are you going to get? Is there anyone out there who would do better? He HAS kept the program relavent over the long haul, which is important. (How many programs have been good over such a long period of time?) Another part of me feel as if Tennessee needs to change it up somehow. The same old stupid mistakes are happening every year. We do not blitz, we play a soft corner where teams can throw short routes and have GREAT success. We always seem to play into the other team's strengths instead of exploiting their weaknesses. What do you think? I would love to hear how others from around the country view the state of the Tennessee program. __________________ Long Suffering Tribe Fan Proud Papa of Caroline Grace (b. 2005) Kaeden Michael (b. 2008) and Claire Elise (b. 2012)

09-02-2008, 05:49 PM	#2
Tribe Fan 24 All Star Reserve Join Date: Apr 2004 Location: Maryville, TN Posts: 675	bump don't be afraid to give some input here! __________________ Long Suffering Tribe Fan Proud Papa of Caroline Grace (b. 2005) Kaeden Michael (b. 2008) and Claire Elise (b. 2012)

09-02-2008, 07:55 PM	#4
rudel.dietrich Hall Of Famer Join Date: Jul 2004 Location: Zürich, Switzerland Posts: 8,608	collegiate coachs have one responsability and only one. That is recruitment. Fulmer cannot anymore. It's time to go Last edited by rudel.dietrich; 09-02-2008 at 07:56 PM.

09-21-2008, 09:50 AM	#7
Tribe Fan 24 All Star Reserve Join Date: Apr 2004 Location: Maryville, TN Posts: 675	Okay. I have finally made my decision here. I am voting to fire him now. I was at the stadium yesterday and saw how poorly prepared we were for this game. I saw how many fans left the stadium at halftime, which is an even stronger argument. I think that most of the fanbase here in Knoxville/East Tennessee has lost it's trust in this coaching staff. We are heading for a season (if there is not dramatic improvement) where there are no more "sure" wins on the schedule except the homecoming game. Playing this way, we are in trouble against Auburn, Georgia, and Alabama. Assuming these are the only losses, that is 7-5. I think personally that we will have a hard time beating the Vanderbilts, Kentuckys, and even the Mississippi States of the world playing like this. (We might beat M. State because they are just as bad, but who knows.) I think that there is the potential of having as many empty seats in Neyland Stadium as we saw for the UAB game the rest of the way. (which was about 10k) That will be the ultimate decider of how long Fulmer will continue as coach. If they are missing out on concession revenue, which they depend on, then there will be a change made at the end of this season. As for possible replacements, I have no idea. I do know that there is another team in the state of Tennessee that has only a fraction of the $$$ and talent, higher standards to enroll, no athletic director, and is currently 4-0. I think that the Vandy coach will get SERIOUS consideration. I don't know that he is the best option, but you have to stand up and take notice of what he is accomplishing in Nashville on a shoestring. He has scared many a heavyweight in the SEC and I think he could motivate our players much more effectively than Fulmer at this point. Is he as good as Fulmer in his hayday, probably not. Could he do a better job than what we are stuck with right now, I'm beginning to think so. __________________ Long Suffering Tribe Fan Proud Papa of Caroline Grace (b. 2005) Kaeden Michael (b. 2008) and Claire Elise (b. 2012) Last edited by Tribe Fan 24; 09-21-2008 at 09:51 AM.

09-02-2008, 07:54 PM	#3
Cooleyvol Hall Of Famer Join Date: Dec 2001 Location: Union City, TN Posts: 6,383	Are you kiddin'? Its BEEN time to go, but it'll take a 2-10 season for Hamilton to get the 'nads to do it. I'm not sure which of them is blowing the other.

09-21-2008, 10:48 AM	#8
jaxmagicman Hall Of Famer Join Date: Jun 2003 Location: Retired defloration-maker living in Myrtle Beach, SC Posts: 7,801	You can't come out and want to fire your coach because you are not as good as Florida. If that was true, 150+ schools would have to get rid of their coaches. __________________ See ID Major League Baseball trademarks and copyrights are used with permission of MLB Advanced Media, L.P. Minor League Baseball trademarks and copyrights are used with the permission of Minor League Baseball. All rights reserved.

09-22-2008, 06:16 PM	#10
jarmenia Hall Of Famer Join Date: Mar 2002 Location: Tampa, FL USA Posts: 4,503	As much as I like watching UF beat up on the Vols, a strong SEC needs a strong Tennessee team. Its just not the same SEC without a solid Vols team in Tennessee. __________________ When is good enough, good enough?