[Lefty Noob]

I find it hard to believe that Tennessee football coach Phillip Fulmer's on the hotseat entering the 2006 season. I was looking over his career numbers the other day, and last year was his first losing season as Vols coach. It's also the first time he failed to take his team to a bowl game. His 101-25 record over the past decade is the best in the SEC, to boot. How about giving the guy a little slack, eh? He's a good football coach!

[retUTalum]

I agree, I think that he is a great coach.

I don't believe that he is in any real trouble at all, I think that people who don't like the Vols/Fulmer just enjoy having a chance to take a shot at UT whenever they can.

Fulmer is one of the highest paid coaches in college football and you don't make that kind of money unless you bring a lot to the table.

As you mentioned, his record speaks for itself.

With that said, I really hope he puts a complete stop to this rotating QB thing he has started over the last 2 years. It makes a lot of people very uneasy and I think it hurts peoples confidence more than it helps. IMHO

RET

[rmjvol]

He's a good coach but his biggest assset is his recruiting skills. Unfortunately, he really didn't get it done this last football recruiting season.

He's never been a great gameday coach. Good not not great.

I don't think he's really on the hotseat unless the Vols just fall apart this season. If they're sitting at 2-6 heading into November, then he's on the hotseat. Anything below 6-6 will cause real problems but he'll keep his job. A 3-9 season (which I can't imagine) gets Fulmer fired.

[Lefty Noob]

I'm with you, retUTalum. Never been a big fan of the two QB system. Best way for a coach to mess up his team is to have two passers -- and, thus, no field generals -- splitting time under center. Pick a horse and ride him, eh?

[KENVOL]

I think Fulmer got the message when his contract was not extended and he didn't get a raise. I personally believe that Fulmer is not a great coach maybe ok at best. A monkey could have the record that he has. If he was great we would have a lot more championships.

[rmjvol]

I'm with you on all but the monkey part

Show me a monkey who can muster the team and staff to win one championship. That would be some monkey

I split it between he's not great on the sidelines, not a great "gameday" coach. But he's been able to have a pretty good staff (though far from perfect), recruit some awesome players, make nice with media/boosters/UT Admin, and win quite a few ballgames.

I think it's the total package that you gotta look at because if Phil Fulmer was a horrible recruiter but a great gameday coach, he would have been gone a long time ago.

[retUTalum]

been out of town for the last week,

I am pretty sure that Fulmer is in no need of a contract extension right now and unless your contract is being extended or in negotiation, you will most likely not get a raise.
With that said I do agree that last years performance woud have raised more than a few eyebrows if coach Fulmer would have gotten a raise and rightly so.

However, to say that a monkey could do what he has done

You have to remember that only one team can win a National Championship a year (unless two split it-I hate the BCS but can't suggest anything better) and it is a very difficult thing to do- perfect season etc... and Fulmer did it. He also has had quite a few 10 win seasons in the SEC, all I am saying is give a little credit where it is due.

[rmjvol]

Read this in one of the newspapers:

Coach Phillip Fulmer, UT: The Volunteers were supposed to battle for the national title in the 2005 season. Instead, the Vols finished with a 5-6 record, the worst UT football record since 1988. The losing season included a loss to Steve Spurrier's Gamecocks. Vol fans won't be accept 2 consecutive down seasons from their football team.

A lot of the media thinks Fulmer is on the hotseat.

[epic37311]

I think alot of fans truely dont understand how hard it is to have a winning season much less a year in and year out always having 9,10,or 11 wins.
Very hard to do especially when you go up against Bama, LSU, Auburn, Florida, Georgia, even South Carolina now and almost every smaller school have your game day circled and trying to be one of the few to beat you.
La.tech or somewhere else is going to work alot harder to beat you than they would against say a Ole'Miss or Kentucky. Thats like a bowl game for some teams who won't make it to a bowl. Then the out of conferance teams are always top caliber. Cal this year, The Irish last year, Miami the year before that.

I wish people would give him a break.

We could always hire Rich Brooks.





Kentucky's head coach I think.