Majors on Butch: Best UT Coach in 10 Years

#76
#76
esarmstrong said:
This is precisely the attitude that cost Majors his job in 1992. He thought he was bigger than the program and he was promptly given an education in how false that assumption was by Dr. Johnson and Doug Dickey.
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You don't get it either. If you had given your all for Tennessee and got dumped on for the Hypesman trophy when you deserved it and was shown the door as the head coach right after you came back from heart surgery you just might be a little bitter yourself. Well, most people would anyway.
 
#77
#77
utvols74 said:
Actually at the SEC-CG in 2001. If they would have won, they would have played (and probably beaten) Miami in the Rose Bowl for the NC. I was at that game.

Can you imagine having J Henderson, A Haynesworth, on the same D-line.......or Kelly Washington and Donte Stallworth....

Can you imagine knocking out the opponent's 1st team QB and RB.......

Can you imagine playing a team you've already beaten once before during the regular season for the SECCG....

.....and still lose?

On the way back, I told some friends traveling that I would be surprised if the coaching staff got over this loss. Fulmer was later quoted that this loss was the worst in his career. He never got past it.
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I was there, too. Worst loss I have ever seen, especially after greeting the team on campus after the UF game the week before. Dooley's LSU loss was also like a punch in the gut but in a different way.

There were 3 clear mistakes that I remember. Somehow our great defense couldn't stop Mauck. We turned the ball over even by great players (Stallworth and Stephens). We threw 3 straight times from the 1 yard line. Still shake my head.
 
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#78
#78
MikeVol44 said:
+ 1000000000000000000

He's a VOL legend......and a VOL treasure.....

So is Fulmer......

I don't know what really happened between these two VOLS back in 1992....as a fan, I just know it appeared that the team was ready for Phil to be their coach--and played for him...

But make no mistake--Majors re-built the program and established the foundation for Phil's run to the NC.....

I celebrate them both--and really believe that CBJ will bring another NC to Knoxville! GO VOLS!
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Well said. The sooner everyone gets past this the better.

The personal jabs aren't my style but given what went down in 1992 I cut him some slack.

Will always be grateful for what Fulmer did, but it was time to move on when we did. Just didn't get the right guy the first 2 tries (neither did 'bama before Saban...).

Fortunately almost everyone supports Butch. Hopefully he continues to mend the fences.
 
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#80
#80
I always find it interesting that this topic always divides the fan base. Give it another 20 years, and these discussions are few and far between. I am a relatively young Vol (no, not in my 20's anymore), and I do understand the importance of Johnny Majors in our school's rich history. He put UT back on the map. However, at some point, people have to let things go. I think it shows the kind of person you are when you are constantly taking shots at something that happened 20+ years ago- more than half my life. He continues to make himself look foolish, and frankly, it divides the fan base and not unite it. I am sure the oldies will have some response. Make no mistake, I am proud that Johnny is on our side. But, show some humility. JMO.
 
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#82
#82
SMH at this thread. He said CBJ is the best coach in the last 8-10 years. That would have been Fulmer. He actually paid Fulmer a compliment and people are still butthurt.
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#84
#84
VolGee4 said:
I was there, too. Worst loss I have ever seen, especially after greeting the team on campus after the UF game the week before. Dooley's LSU loss was also like a punch in the gut but in a different way.

There were 3 clear mistakes that I remember. Somehow our great defense couldn't stop Mauck. We turned the ball over even by great players (Stallworth and Stephens). We threw 3 straight times from the 1 yard line. Still shake my head.
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What hurt worst in that game the starting qb & hb were knocked out of the game and we got our asses hand to us in. It still stings me a little as u can see.
 
#85
#85
hmanvolfan said:
You don't get it either. If you had given your all for Tennessee and got dumped on for the Hypesman trophy when you deserved it and was shown the door as the head coach right after you came back from heart surgery you just might be a little bitter yourself. Well, most people would anyway.
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You are right, I just don't get it!
 
#86
#86
Wow this thread has been hi jinxed. Who cares about the past feud between two great UT coaches in Fulmer and Majors? The now is Butch Jones. I know he hasn't played a game yet, but he has me convinced about the future of UT with his attitude, the players attitudes, and of course recruiting (#1 in the nation as of right now).
 
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#87
#87
VolGee4 said:
I always find it interesting that this topic always divides the fan base. Give it another 20 years, and these discussions are few and far between. I am a relatively young Vol (no, not in my 20's anymore), and I do understand the importance of Johnny Majors in our school's rich history. He put UT back on the map. However, at some point, people have to let things go. I think it shows the kind of person you are when you are constantly taking shots at something that happened 20+ years ago- more than half my life. He continues to make himself look foolish, and frankly, it divides the fan base and not unite it. I am sure the oldies will have some response. Make no mistake, I am proud that Johnny is on our side. But, show some humility. JMO.
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tl dr
 
#88
#88
MyBloodRunnethOrange said:
SMH at this thread. He said CBJ is the best coach in the last 8-10 years. That would have been Fulmer. He actually paid Fulmer a compliment and people are still butthurt.
Posted via VolNation Mobile
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It would put it 5 years before Fulmer was forced out. Sure, we would all agree that Fulmer's early years were better. But he also said that if he was still there, UT would be winning championships.
 
#89
#89
well I was living in Knoxville during all this and knew some folks at UT. I can say there was a lot of bad blood between majors and Fulmer and Fulmer pushed hard to get the job.

So if Majors is still holding a grudge I cant say I blame him, ole Phil did stab him in the back.
 
#91
#91
IBlvNTmWrk said:
C'mon Count... I said "average to slightly above average" (seems you have a bit of a bad habit of referencing only partial information).

As for the rest of your comment, of course Majors had more wins than Fulmer... he coached nearly twice as long!

And yet... Majors had only 4 seasons finishing in the top 10, and another 4 seasons finishing in the top 20, while Fulmer had 6 seasons finishing in the top 10, and another 6 seasons finishing in the top 20 (in just over half the time that Major's coached). So technically, I guess that would make Fulmer a better coach.
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Well to be fair, as Count pointed out too, Majors inherited a program in much worse shape than Fulmer inherited it. Majors also left the program in much better shape than Fulmer did too. I thought they both were good for UT at the time. I also think it was time for both to go when they did.
 
#92
#92
orangesox said:
Isn't this one of the all-time unanswered questions of Vol Fandom? I was only 16 when all this went down, but even then I had an uneasy feeling about it. Then, as now, I felt like it was the right thing to do for the health and future of the program, but I still have a part of me that thinks it shouldn't have went down that way. There had to be a better way. But you're right about one thing. He lost three games in a row that year. The Alabama one is forgivable in hindsight, but to lose to Carolina and Arkansas both in their first year in the SEC? Seems impossible with the talent we had on the field.
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Wow, we don't have the best history against 1st year SEC teams, do we?
 
#93
#93
utvols74 said:
Actually at the SEC-CG in 2001. If they would have won, they would have played (and probably beaten) Miami in the Rose Bowl for the NC. I was at that game.

Can you imagine having J Henderson, A Haynesworth, on the same D-line.......or Kelly Washington and Donte Stallworth....

Can you imagine knocking out the opponent's 1st team QB and RB.......

Can you imagine playing a team you've already beaten once before during the regular season for the SECCG....

.....and still lose?

On the way back, I told some friends traveling that I would be surprised if the coaching staff got over this loss. Fulmer was later quoted that this loss was the worst in his career. He never got past it.
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I'm sorry but no. UT was good that year, but no.
 
#94
#94
“I guarantee you it will be a better-coached football team than what’s been up there in eight or 10 years; probably 10 years at least,” Majors said. “Butch Jones is going to get it done; you mark this down on August the 12th. John Majors doesn’t know all, but John Majors can tell you who can coach and who cannot coach and Butch Jones can coach.”
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Did he just refer to himself in third person in an interview?



(kind of surprised I hadn't seen anyone else note that)
 
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#95
#95
vols4evah said:
well I was living in Knoxville during all this and knew some folks at UT. I can say there was a lot of bad blood between majors and Fulmer and Fulmer pushed hard to get the job.

So if Majors is still holding a grudge I cant say I blame him, ole Phil did stab him in the back.
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One thing I know for sure. This was the "dream job" for Majors and Fulmer. I understand why Johnny is sore AND why Phil wanted the job so damn bad.
 
#97
#97
Why does Johnny Majors have such a hatred for Fulmer? Would you turn down the chance to coach at the University of Tennessee? It wasn't Fulmer that told him to get lost, we're hiring Fulmer. If he holds a grudge it should be with the Athletic Director at the time.
 
#100
#100
VolGee4 said:
I always find it interesting that this topic always divides the fan base. Give it another 20 years, and these discussions are few and far between. I am a relatively young Vol (no, not in my 20's anymore), and I do understand the importance of Johnny Majors in our school's rich history. He put UT back on the map. However, at some point, people have to let things go. I think it shows the kind of person you are when you are constantly taking shots at something that happened 20+ years ago- more than half my life. He continues to make himself look foolish, and frankly, it divides the fan base and not unite it. I am sure the oldies will have some response. Make no mistake, I am proud that Johnny is on our side. But, show some humility. JMO.
Click to expand...

It only divides the portion of the fan base that was content with absolute mediocrity as long as a "legend" was at the helm. The rest of us are just glad it passed. IBlvNTmWrk has already covered the key points quite adequately. The record is out there. The numbers don't lie. People just excuse them away. "Still be winning championships" is pretty laughable. 3 SEC titles in 16 years, but 2 of them were co-champions with the co-champion having kicked our butts, and the 3rd was a 2nd place turned champion because UF was ineligible (though, to give credit where it's due, we clobbered Florida that year, and the '85 Sugar bowl win over Miami will forever be a favorite). I'll take CPF's tenure over CJM's every day and twice on Sundays - it's not even close. Two 10-win seasons in 16 years is not "bringing Tennessee back", unless your standard is very low. Legendary player, mediocre coach. Don't care what he did at Pitt with 85 signees in one year and Tony Dorsett. Great coaches win consistently, he didn't.
 
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