Extension of Fulmer's Contract Will Hurt UT

Did I hear correctly?  Is Tennessee really extending Phillip Fulmer's Contract?   Are they really considering bumping his pay up nearly half a million?  I can't be the only one puzzled by this late spring move by UT.

Yes, I do understand that Phillip Fulmer has an outstanding record at Tennessee.   During the decade of the 90s there was no doubt that the SEC's two top dogs were Spurrier and Fulmer.  Drive past Neyland Stadium and you'll see a street named after the man.  The 1998 National Championship team proved that Fulmer was certainly a big time coach in a big time league.  Things have changed though.

In 2001 it looked as if it was finally time for Tennessee to take its place above Florida in the SEC.   The UT-Florida game had been postponed to the final week of the season due to the 9/11 terror attacks.  The game setup perfectly for the SEC fan.  You had the 2 giants of the last decade playing in the regular season final for the SEC East Crown.   A week prior undefeated Nebraska was blown out by Colorado, so it appeared that a UT win would put them in the National Championship game.   The 2 teams battled all day long and in the end the scoreboard read UT 34 Florida 32.  Tennessee was set for a National Title Showdown, that was until LSU upset the Vols in the 01 SEC Championship game.

Still, things looked up for the Vols.  They went on to crush Michigan in the Citrus Bowl and it was announced that Fulmer's rival Steve Spurrier would be leaving Florida to coach in the NFL.  The SEC was Tennessee's to own for the next few year right?  Well, what happened? 

The best answer I can give is that the SEC went from tough to super tough.  No longer was the league a two team battle.  Georgia hired a great recruiter in Richt, Saban was building LSU into a power, Tubberville was steadily building AU into a tough program, and even Holtz was keeping South Carolina competetive.   The league changed, Fulmer and UT didn't adjust. 

The days of going into Georgia and stealing recruits from the Dogs are over.   Tommy Bowden and Steve Spurrier have done a good job keeping Palmetto prospects away from fulmer lately.  Kids in Florida no longer look at UT like they did a decade ago.  Bobby Petrino has locked down Arkansas recruits and the Tarheel State is no longer UT's for the picking.   It doesn't help that the Volunteer State lacks quality D-1 recruits.  Fulmer's recruiting has slipped and it is showing. 

Yes, Tennessee won 10 games last year, but 10 win seasons aren't what they once were.  UT also lost 4 games, in 3 of those games they allowed 145 points combined!   Is this a program Vol fans are proud of?  Are they happy with the numerous arrests and discipline problems that Fulmer has faced the last several years? 

Face it, kids now days aren't begging to play for Fulmer.  Saban, Richt, Tubberville, Petrino, and Miles are names kids notice.  Fulmer has grown stale.    Why would you give a huge raise and long extension to a man that at best is the 7th hottest coach in the conference?   Are other teams knocking at the door to hire Fulmer away from UT?  The answer is no and its obvious this extension makes very little business sense.

Vol fans you might not agree with me, but let me put it this way.  Tonight eleven other SEC fanbases will celebrate the thought of Fulmer being around 7 more years.    Ten years later and the Spurrier-Fulmer Rivalry now is a battle for the Music City Bowl.  Remember, you can't spell Music City without the "U" and the "T"



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