From 2002-2008 it was nowhere near acceptable. So you're completely wrong that he didn't under perform for most of his career. We had two top 5 finishes in the 90s....not nearly the national contenders we should ahve been considering we had more talent that virtually everyone. Matthews' opinion is laughable as to the reasoning Fulmer slid into mediocrity. They're close friends so I can understand his unwillingness to face the facts. I suppose it wasn't Fulmer's fault that our special teams became a disaster his last few years:birgits_giggle: I suppose it's wasn't Fulmer's fault that beginning in 2002 we started getting blown out at home by our biggest rivals..so no, it couldn't have been Fulmer's fault we lost our home field advantage to our biggest rivals. Want a quick recap of all those bad losses??? And there's a reason no one gave him a sniff from a power 5 opening when he was dismissed here. It's because he never proved he could build from the ground up...from a disaster...After 2001, we were NEVER relevant as a national contender for the rest of his tenure. It's easy to throw out stats that sound good. Another case in point: stats are meaningless without detail. The Fulmer story is a perfect example of that truth
So you're a friend of Phil's. If so, he doesn't need enemies.
Never said Phil was infallible and that he wasnt ultimately responsible for the program, good or bad. Just not interested in disrespecting him and creating false narratives about his time here. I think he deserves to be respected, appreciated and correctly remembered for all the good he did at Tennessee....even though I was one of the fans who thought it was time to go in a different direction after 2008. History says I was wrong given the death spiral of the program after his departure.
Last edited: