Is this part of Haslams plan to maintain control?

[05_never_again]

Fulmer wanted CJP. They knew our very hungry fan base wanted a "big name" coach. Nothing less was going to do. They knew no "big name" wanted the gig. Pruitt was the best who wanted it. So how do we create momentum instead of a divided fanbase? Have Fulmer swoop in at the last second to save our beloved football program.

You did follow the AD search that resulted in Currie being hired, correct? Fulmer and Blackburn were the favored, preferred candidates for that job by both the fans and basically all of the boosters except Haslam.

There was no need to, in fact, it would have been insane to, hire a patsy like Currie who they knew would screw up so Phil could swoop in. There was no need to create a situation that would allow Phil to swoop in. If they wanted him to be the AD all along, he would have been the guy instead of Currie. Given the nature of the situation at the time, your logic makes no sense.

 

[Jack Burton]

You act as if the Haslams were the only ones involved in the decision to offer him the job and time will tell whether or not that was the right decision. For all the clamoring the fans made against hiring Schiano but he had more experience and a pretty good track record in college, he is also the d-coordinator for a perennial power.

Is that you Jimmy?

 

[LeannaVol]

Man, this thread is an interesting read. That being said, I think it's 75% bs.

You really think there is 25% of this that's not complete fiction?

 

[TGFHeupel16]

Yes, it is. For those who don't remember, Haslam picked and endorsed Boyd for his bid as Tennessee's Governor. I sent an email expressing my disapproval, while I know it will have absolutely no impact; I felt the need to do so and hope others do as well.

I dont Know about Boyd, what are the negatives with him, and y didn’t you want him. Boyd being Haslams hand picked choice is enough to turn my stomach the wrong way!

 

[landscapingvol]

Is that you Jimmy?

Big Jim is a very nice man, you may not like it or his son but the father was a good man and did a lot of good for UT. I can't speak for Jimmy. I have never met him other than just in passing

 

[MAUSERWERKE]

Maybe at that time. However, the aftermath is clear and if they actually cared about TN vs themselves like some argue then they would step back. They wouldn't have had Davenport fired out of pettiness

Pettiness? Really? I followed like most fans the coaching search debacle that ultimately Ms. Davenport was responsible for. I think she was completely out of her depth.

 

[Sara Clark]

I dont Know about Boyd, what are the negatives with him, and y didn’t you want him. Boyd being Haslams hand picked choice is enough to turn my stomach the wrong way!

I don't want anyone associated with Haslam being appointed Pres. If Haslam helped him get the appointment, he'll owe a favor. That's simply how politics work.

 

[MAUSERWERKE]

You did follow the AD search that resulted in Currie being hired, correct? Fulmer and Blackburn were the favored, preferred candidates for that job by both the fans and basically all of the boosters except Haslam.

There was no need to, in fact, it would have been insane to, hire a patsy like Currie who they knew would screw up so Phil could swoop in. There was no need to create a situation that would allow Phil to swoop in. If they wanted him to be the AD all along, he would have been the guy instead of Currie. Given the nature of the situation at the time, your logic makes no sense.

Do you think there is some kind of bad blood between Fulmer and the Haslam family that would explain this? I know John Majors often complained about "boosters who think they own the program" or something to that effect.

 

[MAUSERWERKE]

I don't want anyone associated with Haslam being appointed Pres. If Haslam helped him get the appointment, he'll owe a favor. That's simply how politics work.

All true, but I don't think it is realistic to expect the family that is one of, if not the, biggest financial contributor, and which occupies the governor's mansion, not having considerable say into who the President of the state university is going to be. That said, the BOT has a duty to act in the best interests of the University and not as a rubber stamp. The weakness of the BOT is largely what has brought about the administrative incompetence that UT has been suffering for years. I have not followed closely the new composition of the BOT. I need to read up on it.

 

[05_never_again]

Do you think there is some kind of bad blood between Fulmer and the Haslam family that would explain this? I know John Majors often complained about "boosters who think they own the program" or something to that effect.

Fulmer and the Haslams are not exactly allies, no. At the very least, the Haslams did not step in to save Fulmer's job in 2008, and at worst, they were mounting a campaign to generate interest in firing him (using Mike Hamilton to do so) as early as 2005. Fulmer publicly stated interest in the AD job after Hart retired, and it was reported that someone from the athletic department offices called him and led him to believe he was going to get the job, but Currie got the job just days later. Davenport wanted Currie (allegedly) because she was looking for P5 AD experience, and this decision was blessed by the Haslams.

However, even if there was no previous history between them, I don't think Fulmer and the Haslams would necessarily get along. Fulmer has made a reputation for himself at Tennessee. He is not an outsider, to say the least. He is not a powerful figure at the University because someone else has elevated him to that level. He listens to other people associated with the University (boosters other than the Haslams, other admin people, etc.) in addition to using his own judgment to make decisions. Basically, he isn't a figure that the Haslams can easily control, which is why they didn't want him to be AD. I think the Haslams probably personally like Phil, think he did a bunch for the school, etc., but they don't want him in their way of making decisions. They want to be able to run the University of Tennessee like their own personal fiefdom, and they think their massive donations mean that people have to do exactly what they say.

I think I mentioned it earlier in this thread, but I think Jimmy Haslam in particular fancies himself as a combination of Jerry Jones and T. Boone Pickens, but he's like a cheap imitation of both. If he was the owner of an NFL team other than the Browns and if the University he controlled was more successful at football, his incompetence would be more widely covered and talked about than it already is.

 

[djohnnyg]

For those thinking Haslams aren't deeply involved in everything UT you are totally naive. Its documented proof Haslams wanted Schiano at the Browns...then suddenly he pops up as the next Vols coach? That's just one small example.

 

[05_never_again]

For those thinking Haslams aren't deeply involved in everything UT you are totally naive. Its documented proof Haslams wanted Schiano at the Browns...then suddenly he pops up as the next Vols coach? That's just one small example.

Yep. That little tidbit is probably the clearest evidence one will get.

Haslam ended up not hiring Schiano for the Browns, but he did interview him and liked him. Jimmy was probably like "Hey, there's a guy I talked to for the Cleveland job a couple years back and I ended up not choosing him, but I really like him and think he'd be good for Tennessee." Haslam ended up firing one of his lieutenants in Cleveland (Joe Banner) because Banner didn't like Schiano and didn't even want to consider him for the job.

Report: Greg Schiano meeting led to rift within Browns

 

[savannahfan]

A successful business man, in what way?

He simply runs a company that’s the result of a joint venture that includes the company his father started, not him. It was reported that the Pilot Flying J board was paying ex-staffers’ legal bills in a diesel fuel rebate scam. We can point to Haslam’s failures there....

Remember the reports of the company being billions of dollars in debt?

Haslam is the owner of the Cleveland Browns. The franchise was bad before he took over, only to get worse.


Don’t forget Jimmy Hyams’s article noting that Haslam, a member of the A.D. search committee, was reportedly the guy who pushed for John Currie.

Anyone who has buildings named after them (Haslam School of Business), it would be naive of anyone to say he doesn't have influence. He is a "major" football booster and notice the coaching debacles over the course of the last several years.

AND the new music center...

 

[onevol74]

Fulmer wanted CJP. They knew our very hungry fan base wanted a "big name" coach. Nothing less was going to do. They knew no "big name" wanted the gig. Pruitt was the best who wanted it. So how do we create momentum instead of a divided fanbase? Have Fulmer swoop in at the last second to save our beloved football program.

It will be 3-4 years before anyone can judge if Fulmer saved our beloved football program.

 

[Henry Letham]

You did follow the AD search that resulted in Currie being hired, correct? Fulmer and Blackburn were the favored, preferred candidates for that job by both the fans and basically all of the boosters except Haslam.

There was no need to, in fact, it would have been insane to, hire a patsy like Currie who they knew would screw up so Phil could swoop in. There was no need to create a situation that would allow Phil to swoop in. If they wanted him to be the AD all along, he would have been the guy instead of Currie. Given the nature of the situation at the time, your logic makes no sense.

You are wrong. I'll leave it at that.

 

[05_never_again]

You are wrong. I'll leave it at that.

Highly convincing.

 

[Henry Letham]

Highly convincing.

How long have you worked for the Haslams?

 

[dougvolfan]

Jimmy haslam HEIL HITLER!!!!! YOU WILL OBEY!!!!!

 

[Henry Letham]

Jimmy haslam HEIL HITLER!!!!! YOU WILL OBEY!!!!!

Careful, lots of their spin doctor minions running around this place.

 

[05_never_again]

How long have you worked for the Haslams?

You're advocating a conspiracy theory that takes place inside of a conspiracy theory. I'm impressed.

 

[Henry Letham]

You're advocating a conspiracy theory that takes place inside of a conspiracy theory. I'm impressed.

"Ever wonder why some people are so good at getting what they want? It’s because they have learned how to manipulate others into surrendering their power to them. One of the most effective tools used to achieve this is the Hegelian Dialectic. Whether you yearn for power over others or just want to protect yourself from being manipulated, it’s time to study this principle.

Amazingly, the Hegelian Dialectic requires only three simple steps and can be mastered with only a small bit of practice. When you fully grasp how it works, you will be able to understand events and happenings in a new light. Here are the three steps as they are used in today’s world. Off course they are begun with an end goal in mind.

Step One: Create a conflict or problem where none existed before. Make this problem so compelling that others will want to see it solved.

Step Two: Broadcast and publicize the problem. Escalate its importance and play to the emotions of people to the point where they become uncomfortable enough to clamor for a solution.

Step Three: Get what you want by providing that solution and getting everyone on board with it.

This solution is one the public never dreamed it needed until the conditioning of the first two steps was implemented. Most often the outcome is that people think something great has been done for them, when in fact they are simply succumbing to propaganda."
Sound familiar?

 

[05_never_again]

"Ever wonder why some people are so good at getting what they want? It’s because they have learned how to manipulate others into surrendering their power to them. One of the most effective tools used to achieve this is the Hegelian Dialectic. Whether you yearn for power over others or just want to protect yourself from being manipulated, it’s time to study this principle.

Amazingly, the Hegelian Dialectic requires only three simple steps and can be mastered with only a small bit of practice. When you fully grasp how it works, you will be able to understand events and happenings in a new light. Here are the three steps as they are used in today’s world. Off course they are begun with an end goal in mind.

Step One: Create a conflict or problem where none existed before. Make this problem so compelling that others will want to see it solved.

Step Two: Broadcast and publicize the problem. Escalate its importance and play to the emotions of people to the point where they become uncomfortable enough to clamor for a solution.

Step Three: Get what you want by providing that solution and getting everyone on board with it.

This solution is one the public never dreamed it needed until the conditioning of the first two steps was implemented. Most often the outcome is that people think something great has been done for them, when in fact they are simply succumbing to propaganda."
Sound familiar?

Nice copy/paste job. Aristotle, all of that is irrelevant because your theory has an incorrect assumption and is therefore invalid.

You claim that the Haslams wanted Phil the entire time. That is implausible for a variety of reasons, but for the sake of argument let's assume that it is true. This is the assumption you are making that is incorrect. I'm going out of my way to play devil's advocate here.

I'm assuming you followed the AD search after Hart stepped down. The two (and if memory serves, the only two) names for that job that got swirled around were Fulmer and Dave Blackburn. A sizable chunk of the fanbase seemed to want Fulmer, along with at least some boosters (think Thornton/Anderson). And, according to you, even the Haslams themselves wanted Phil. So how convenient! This time, the Haslams' and the fans'/other boosters interests are aligned, right?

If the Haslams, the fans, and the other boosters wanted Phil, there is no need for "Step One" as you describe above. Phil would have just gotten the job then. Why did a problem have to be created?

If you want to get on here and tell a cool-sounding conspiracy theory, the one that is consistent with your "facts" would need to be that pro-Fulmer forces, not the Haslams, installed Currie as a patsy so that it would blow up in the Haslams' faces and lead to a situation where Fulmer could be installed. There were also reports (Brett McMurphy) that Fulmer himself was sabotaging Currie's efforts to hire a coach post-Schiano. That's another angle you can take with your "facts." The one you are taking just makes no logical sense.

 

[Orange_Vol1321]

All true, but I don't think it is realistic to expect the family that is one of, if not the, biggest financial contributor, and which occupies the governor's mansion, not having considerable say into who the President of the state university is going to be. That said, the BOT has a duty to act in the best interests of the University and not as a rubber stamp. The weakness of the BOT is largely what has brought about the administrative incompetence that UT has been suffering for years. I have not followed closely the new composition of the BOT. I need to read up on it.

Controversial UT board of trustees overhaul plan clears Tennessee House

Haslam's effort came after individual campuses rejected his statewide outsourcing contract for facilities management. While Haslam acknowledged he wasn't happy with that decision, he said it was up to the campuses and not the reason why he brought the legislation.

The United Campus Workers union, which fought Haslam over outsourcing, said in a statement that House members "have handed the keys to the castle to the governor on his way out of office, without any substantial questions about outsourcing having been answered."

"The UT FOCUS Act gives Haslam extraordinary power to handpick an entire board that can opt-in to the JLL contract on its first day. It has fewer members with more power to move a privatization, corporate agenda. It shuts out student and faculty voices."

 

[GRN1926]

Pettiness? Really? I followed like most fans the coaching search debacle that ultimately Ms. Davenport was responsible for. I think she was completely out of her depth.

You do know she was the Chancellor not the athletic director, right? It wasnt her fault Currie screwed up. Haslams hired Currie. Haslams and Currie tried to hire Schiano. Everyone, the fans and other major boosters, were tired of the screwups. She did good in that situation. Cleaned up the mess. Aligned with the boosters that opposed the Haslam's and brought fulmer in. She was responsible for nothing that went off the rails. Nothing.

 

[Orange_Vol1321]

"Ever wonder why some people are so good at getting what they want? It’s because they have learned how to manipulate others into surrendering their power to them.

Lmao or you could be the boss of a state and puppeteer all of the people at a state run college that you've gave millions of money to and expect something in return.