Fulmer’s legacy?

[zjcvols]

Dickey was .708 in 65 games. Fulmer was .740 in 204 games.

A noticeably higher winning % in 139 more games...there really is no comparison, regardless of the state of the programs each of them took over.

Doug Dickey took over a floundering program that was lost after Neyland's retirement in a pretty solid SEC.

Fulmer took over a tailor made program that was a top 12 program when he took over with a (not yet known) rock star OC already on staff, great roster and a down SEC with multiple program on probation and a doozy of incompetent coaches.

 

[zjcvols]

Without Cut there is no Manning or NC.

That 1998 season is the luckiest season outside of 2002 Ohio State's title. Not only did he need multiple miracles against Syracuse, Florida and Arkansas (along with down 2 scores to Miss State in the SEC title game to start) he got to face a third string QB instead of playing an eventual Heisman winner and NFL QB against Florida State in the BCS title game. If Weinke doesn't get hurt, this Phil discussion completely changes.

 

[zjcvols]

Sorry I took over the thread BTW, but I cannot stand the heathen.

 

[05_never_again]

John Currie, in my opinion, is not a bad AD. He ****ed up the Schiano thing, I agree completely. But he had Mike Leach ready to go and on the plane to be hired until Fulmer sabotaged everything. You would think after that national debacle he would be blacklisted as an AD forever. Instead he got the Wake Forest job within three years and has done a pretty solid job since he took over.

Fair enough. Currie was a bad AD because in a lot of ways he wasn't allowed to do his job. I think he was railroaded into hiring Schiano, then had the plug pulled on his career here when he was close to hiring Leach.

 

[zjcvols]

Fair enough. Currie was a bad AD because in a lot of ways he wasn't allowed to do his job. I think he was railroaded into hiring Schiano, then had the plug pulled on his career here when he was close to hiring Leach.

I think that's exactly what happened.

 

[ZZ13]

Sorry I took over the thread BTW, but I cannot stand the heathen.

That was some serious venting. Hope it helped.

 

[Vols1891]

As a coach, he’s about the same as Larry Coker. As AD, he was significantly worse.

 

[GAVol]

I disagree. I'm a 31 year old fan who doesn't remember '98 and I will remember him forever as a wrecking ball that tried to the destroy the athletic department.

I should’ve stated my assumption… that people actually remember the 90s.

 

[GAVol]

As a coach, he’s about the same as Larry Coker. As AD, he was significantly worse.

He’s got about 10 years and 100 wins on what Coker did at Miami. It’s not like he had 3 year run when he took over and then regressed. 1992-2004 was a pretty consistent run.

 

[GAVol]

That 1998 season is the luckiest season outside of 2002 Ohio State's title. Not only did he need multiple miracles against Syracuse, Florida and Arkansas (along with down 2 scores to Miss State in the SEC title game to start) he got to face a third string QB instead of playing an eventual Heisman winner and NFL QB against Florida State in the BCS title game. If Weinke doesn't get hurt, this Phil discussion completely changes.

lol… Holy cow Z. You literally just said you had no memory of 1998 and then proceed to give a dissertation on it.

So much of this is just flat out wrong.

 

[Boston Vol]

That 1998 season is the luckiest season outside of 2002 Ohio State's title. Not only did he need multiple miracles against Syracuse, Florida and Arkansas (along with down 2 scores to Miss State in the SEC title game to start) he got to face a third string QB instead of playing an eventual Heisman winner and NFL QB against Florida State in the BCS title game. If Weinke doesn't get hurt, this Phil discussion completely changes.

I don’t recall any miracles against Florida. Yes they only came away with three points in the first quarter after twice driving the ball inside the Tennessee five, but that was due to the Tennessee defense forcing a fumble and holding UF to a field goal attempt.

They were never down two scores against Mississippi State. They trailed 7-0 in the first quarter and 14-10 in the fourth.

Chris Weinke in 1998 wasn’t the Chris Weinke of 1999 or 2000. He was an average college quarterback. When he got hurt in November, he was completing 50% of his passes. Outzen wasn’t good, but at least had the ability to move the pocket when pressured. Weinke would have been eaten alive by the Tennessee front seven had he played.

 

[RDU VOL#14]

I don’t recall any miracles against Florida. Yes they only came away with three points in the first quarter after twice driving the ball inside the Tennessee five, but that was due to the Tennessee defense forcing a fumble and holding UF to a field goal attempt.

They were never down two scores against Mississippi State. They trailed 7-0 in the first quarter and 14-10 in the fourth.

Chris Weinke in 1998 wasn’t the Chris Weinke of 1999 or 2000. He was an average college quarterback. When he got hurt in November, he was completing 50% of his passes. Outzen wasn’t good, but at least had the ability to move the pocket when pressured. Weinke would have been eaten alive by the Tennessee front seven had he played.

That same Marcus Outzen beat a top 5 Florida squad one game before they played us.

 

[05_never_again]

That 1998 season is the luckiest season outside of 2002 Ohio State's title. Not only did he need multiple miracles against Syracuse, Florida and Arkansas (along with down 2 scores to Miss State in the SEC title game to start) he got to face a third string QB instead of playing an eventual Heisman winner and NFL QB against Florida State in the BCS title game. If Weinke doesn't get hurt, this Phil discussion completely changes.

The only real miracle that year was Arkansas. That makes the 1998 Vols hardly unique in having something really fortunate happen (either in one of their games or getting a needed result in another game) the year they won a title. Was that team one of the greatest of the last 30 years? No, but it wasn't like they won that title in a comically lucky fashion.

 

[#1fulmerite]

The only real miracle that year was Arkansas. That makes the 1998 Vols hardly unique in having something really fortunate happen (either in one of their games or getting a needed result in another game) the year they won a title. Was that team one of the greatest of the last 30 years? No, but it wasn't like they won that title in a comically lucky fashion.

I’ve often thought that ‘95 team just may have been the best. However, I don’t know if that team would have faired any better against Nebraska than Florida did.

Saying that, except for the Georgia fluke loss (I blame that one on Chavis) in ‘01, I don’t think we beat that Miami team that year, either. Many think that team was better.

 

[05_never_again]

I’ve often thought that ‘95 team just may have been the best. However, I don’t know if that team would have faired any better against Nebraska than Florida did.

Saying that, except for the Georgia fluke loss (I blame that one on Chavis) in ‘01, I don’t think we beat that Miami team that year, either. Many think that team was better.

Looking back on it, the 1997 team had to be the best on paper, right? It was basically the national title team but with Peyton Manning at QB.

 

[BigOrangeTrain]

32 - 0 against Kentucky and Vandy. That always helps your record.

Georgia and Florida played Vandy and UK. What’s your point?

 

[cherokeeeVOL]

152–52, .744 winning percentage, multiple SEC titles, and the only coach to bring the university a NC since 1967 (1951 if you want to say undisputed). Seems questionable.

 

[VFL-82-JP]

Before Trump Derangement Syndrome was ever a thing, there was Fulmer White-hot Hate.

Some in the thread exhibit the signs of it. Most who suffer the disease are Bama fans...but there is a cabal of the afflicted within our own fan base.

...

Fifty years from now, they'll all be gone. And no one will remember that Fulmer served briefly (and very unsuccessfully) as AD.

His legacy will be that of a conference and national championship head coach, one of the few we've ever had.

I'm hoping he will, by then, be our third-best coach in history, after the General and Josh Heupel, heh.

Go Vols!

 

[WoodsmanVol]

Well, I suppose applying the Shakey's Pizza slogan can be applied to Phil. Some people like Phil Fulmer, some people don't.

 

[JMSqb11]

John Currie, in my opinion, is not a bad AD. He ****ed up the Schiano thing, I agree completely. But he had Mike Leach ready to go and on the plane to be hired until Fulmer sabotaged everything. You would think after that national debacle he would be blacklisted as an AD forever. Instead he got the Wake Forest job within three years and has done a pretty solid job since he took over.

Had Currie given Mullen 2 things (an ultimatum in terms of a 24 hour window to take our offer and about $1.5-2.5m more than offered) and we would up getting Mullen, Currie would have stayed much much longer. Regardless of how Mullen turned out at Florida, he would have been lightyears better than Pruitt. And I also have zero doubts we wouldn't have won atleast 20 games over Pruitt's 3 years worth.

Also Florida screwed up firing him given how Napier has turned out. Sometimes you bend and hold on instead of trying to avoid the break.

 

[VOLINVONORE]

Much better as a coach than AD

 

[zjcvols]

The only real miracle that year was Arkansas. That makes the 1998 Vols hardly unique in having something really fortunate happen (either in one of their games or getting a needed result in another game) the year they won a title. Was that team one of the greatest of the last 30 years? No, but it wasn't like they won that title in a comically lucky fashion.

Luckiest was probably a little much. But they had to force three fumbles and recover all 3 and then needed a kicker to miss a 32 yard FG in order to win that game in OT. Miracle might be strong. But that’s some luck.

 

[05_never_again]

Luckiest was probably a little much. But they had to force three fumbles and recover all 3 and then needed a kicker to miss a 32 yard FG in order to win that game in OT. Miracle might be strong. But that’s some luck.

The UF game? Yeah, I mean in basically any close game the winning team is probably going to be the beneficiary of something lucky that can absolutely be the difference between winning and losing. That's why teams who play in a ton of close games and have a great record one season often regress the next season if they are still playing in a ton of close games. You can say that we got some lucky breaks in the 2022 Alabama game, because we did, but I wouldn't call that a fluke win.

...and that game would have gone to a 2nd OT if they made their FG; they wouldn't have lost the game at that point if he made it.

The luckiest season of all time might be 2007 LSU (won a national title with 2 conference losses) or a team that didn't actually win a title - 2013 Auburn. The 2002 Ohio St team you mentioned is up there too (went 7-0 in one-possession games that year). 1998 UT was nowhere near as lucky as those squads.

 

[Volador]

I think Phil will look back at his career and be most proud of the Natty and for playing a hole w me on the Big Orange Caravan in Sevierville back in the 80s (was it Whittle Springs Golf Club?) I mean, who could blame him, right??

 

[perico]

He hired Pruitt because he was represented by Jimmy Sexton, who basically twisted Fulmer's arm from what I understand.