Fulmer needs to be the first to go

[Malivol]

The purpose of the extentsion was to show recruits and current players stability. We had a top 5 recruiting class at the time & came into the season ranked so i could understand it bc it looked like we were moving in the right direction. Hindsight is 20/20.

Moving in right direction? Our winning streak was due to schedule only. U want to see moving in the right direction? Look at ole miss, Florida, and liberty.

 

[BigOrangeTrain]

Moving in right direction? Our winning streak was due to schedule only. U want to see moving in the right direction? Look at ole miss, Florida, and liberty.

How is Ole Miss moving in the right direction?

 

[DEFENDTHISHOUSE]

This was the first red flag.

It really was. Lots of folks here defended the decision even knowing Coach Cut left for Ole Miss before the 1998 national championship game.

 

[VolsRule]

What is Phil’s buyout?

 

[Other_Guy]

If that's the type of guy "we" wanted, then the opposite should've been hired. "We" obviously don't know anything about football. I really don't believe that's what all of us wanted.

We did. It was Butch, the complete opposite of Pruitt.

 

[Matt2496]

Fulmer should never have considered hiring a coach that wouldn't want to get here and start building instead of being a coordinator for the bama game.

Good point! I had completely forgotten about that.

Definitely the first major red flag that something was up.

 

[DaddyChad]

Fulmer came into a tough situation but that extension is hard to excuse.

 

[tnmarktx]

We did. It was Butch, the complete opposite of Pruitt.

You do realize Butch was before Pruitt, right? To be honest, at this point Butch was a hell of a lot better HC.

 

[Jeepkuntry]

Fulmer never should have been hired as the AD. Just look how he's handled Pruitt thus far. Sure lets extend a contract and offer a raise before playing the first down this season. Yep that's been an excellent decision.

 

[jasonvol18]

Again...How is it Fulmer's fault?

He's the one that hired Pruitt. Sounds like fault to me, then extended him after an 8-5 season and our best win last year was against Indiana..and lets not forget a horrid loss to Ga State and a late game collapse against BYU..plus he's got as many 21+ point losses in 2 1/2 years than Dooley and Butch combined in 7+..Just sayn..

 

[jasonvol18]

You mouth breathers wanted Fulmer gone in 2009 and got it, and look where we are.

This is on Pruitt. Not Fulmer.

Fulmer deserved to be gone. He wasn't recruiting at the level he once had, wasn't winning any Championships and 2 of his last 3 seasons we finished below 500..That's not why we are in this situation, Fulmer started it and bad hires have escalated it.

 

[USAFgolferVol]

So who could we have hired instead of JP when Fulmer became AD?

Lots of guys. The problem with Fulmer being AD is that there are a number of qualified coaches around the country that HE would never consider for personal/philosophical reasons. He's not going to consider Freeze or anyone like that. Dave Clawson would be a great hire, but we all know that he isn't going to hire him.....the list is pretty extensive

 

[901 Orange]

He had 4 years left? I get it if it was 1 or 2 but he had 4 years left.

I thought he got a 5 yr contract not 8. He got the extension this yr which is year 3. He only had 2 yrs left on his contract

 

[901 Orange]

Moving in right direction? Our winning streak was due to schedule only. U want to see moving in the right direction? Look at ole miss, Florida, and liberty.

It dnt matter who the winning streak was against especially if u are going to bring up liberty. Fla is were they always are nothing has changed they are going to win out and get killed by Bama in the SECCG.

 

[lilesrt]

You wanna bash him for the extension, fine. But it was a weird situation that he walked in to. We had the freaking NC ST coach turn down the job. Instead of getting a for sure average coach, might as well gamble on a new guy and Pruitt was the type of coach we wanted as far as a D minded guy who likes smashmouth ball.

Jeremy Pruitt and the staff he assembled was the best possible combo Fulmer could have hired considering the circumstances. It hasn’t worked out. The reasons for this failure can be debated. My concern with Fulmer is his inability to see what college football has become. This isn’t the same game he remembers it as. We need offensive innovation. I’m not sure Fulmer’s vision aligns with this reality.

 

[IPleadInsanity]

I have never like Fulmer and disagreed with the Pruitt hire, still I feel like the problem is failure by the staff to have SEC level QB's on the roster ready to play. You swap QB's last Saturday and we win easily. This is not the time to blow everything up and start over. Give Bailey the ball the rest of the year so he is ready next year and get a backup thru the transfer portal as soon as possible. If we don't see improvement after that blow it up.

 

[Volfreak8]

They can fire Fulmer cheaply on Jan 1st. But there is really no point. The damage has been done.

 

[Waxhaw Vol]

If you are a UT fan at this point taking time you post on a message board, you are a die hard fan boarding on cult status.

Holy crap! I just realized I am in a cult.

We all need therapy.

You can check out any time you like.....but you can never leave!!

 

[DeerPark12]

At this point, the first termination needs the be Fulmer for extending Pruitt and making him basically unfireable due to the buyout.

There is zero support at the booster or administration level to make a move on Philip. If Pruitt fails and they have to make a new hire after the 2021 season, it’ll be his to make.

 

[onevol74]

Agreed but Fulmer didn’t extend Pruitt for Pruitt’s sake. He did it to save his own hide

Again, Fulmer’s judgement has put the program in a horrible position.

 

[onevol74]

There is zero support at the booster or administration level to make a move on Philip. If Pruitt fails and they have to make a new hire after the 2021 season, it’ll be his to make.

There is the problem.

 

[davethevol]

There is zero support at the booster or administration level to make a move on Philip. If Pruitt fails and they have to make a new hire after the 2021 season, it’ll be his to make.

What do the boosters think of Pruitt? Are they still supportive?

 

[VolArmy74]

There is zero support at the booster or administration level to make a move on Philip. If Pruitt fails and they have to make a new hire after the 2021 season, it’ll be his to make.

This mentality is why the football program is in shambles.

 

[hardyemt_p]

We need a coach that can make winners out of 3 star talent because that's the majority of our recruiting classes. Even I could look great coaching at Bama, Fsu, Uga with there talent.

 

[Volfreak8]

We need a coach that can make winners out of 3 star talent because that's the majority of our recruiting classes. Even I could look great coaching at Bama, Fsu, Uga with there talent.

Exactly.
Pruitt is here for one more year. I just don't see anyone above the 3 star level wanting to come to Tennessee when they are going 2-8 or 3-7 and this clusterfudge of a coaching staff that you know won't be around in a year or two.

Tennessee can rebuild its program. But you can't put the cart before the horse.

Step 1. Fire entire coaching staff and replace with a coaching staff that can recruit and develop.

Simple.

Step 0.5 Find the money to do that.

Step 0.5 will come post 2022 season I predict.

2020 financially in the hole this year.

2021 if everything goes perfect maybe get back to even. Maybe.

Then in 2022 with the belt tightning done this year maybe there will be some cash to throw around at the end of the year.

Then with only 3 years left on his contract the AD can buy Pruitt out and replace.

By then the team will be a wreck and full of 2 star guys.

What's real scary if UT goes 2-8 or 3-7 this year.

Then next year goes 4-X

And in 2022 goes 5-X they may not fire him. Oh lawrd...... They will be saying he is making a comeback....