If I was a lawyer (I'm not) who was bringing forth a case to fire Phil Fulmer (which I'm not ready to do yet), here is what it would look like:
*Tennessee is unranked at 1-2, giving up an average of 41 points/game.
*Tennessee is 14-12 in its last 26 games.
*Tennessee has not been to a BCS bowl game since 1999.
*Fulmer is making $2 million/year to deliver wins and championships, not finish 3rd in the SEC East.
*Despite mounting evidence (44.5 yards/return on punts, two punts returned for touchdowns, kickoff coverage that continually gives up a short field) that one is needed, Fulmer continues to resist hiring/assigning a special teams coach.
*Precedent - Winning coaches do get fired. Ask Ron Zook or David Cutcliffe. Ask Jim Donnan or Mike Shula. Ask Johnny Majors...
Do I think Fulmer is on the hot seat? Not really. Barring another 5-6 debacle, I cannot fathom a scenario in which Fulmer is canned. I do, however, think the Vols fan base is getting restless.
Fulmer may have gotten a little too comfortable in the driver's seat since the 1998 National Championship. It was easy to take for granted victories over South Carolina, Kentucky and Vanderbilt. Split the Florida and Georgia games, keep beating Alabama and get the team into a New Year's bowl game was a simple recipe for complacency.
No longer. Steve Spurrier is at USC. Rich Brooks has Kentucky moving in the right direction. Same thing with Bobby Johnson at Vandy. Nick Saban is leading Alabama. Suddenly, Fulmer seems like a good coach in a league of great ones (Spurrier, Saban, Tuberville and Richt) who can't compete at the highest level.
The question today is this: can Phil Fulmer bring Tennessee back to national prominence? Scratch that. Can Phil Fulmer bring Tennessee back to SEC prominence?
Right now, I really don't know.
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Sad Fulmer numbers - I got these from a UT messageboard while doing some research for tomorrow's article.
Years without SEC title: 8
Years without BCS bowl: 7
Years without top 10 ranking: 5
Years without AP Top 25 ranking: 2000, 2002, 2005, (2006-25th)
Years with 3 or more losses: 1999, 2000, 2002, 2003, 2004, 2005, 2006 (5 straight years and 7 out of 8 )
Years with multiple losses to unranked teams: 2003, 2005
Years with loss in last 2 games of season: 1999, 2000, 2001, 2002, 2003, 2004, 2005, 2006 (EIGHT straight years and counting)
4-8 (.333) vs. Spurrier: (2-3 since 1998 )
2-4 (.333) vs. Richt
1-3 (.250) vs. Tuberville
1-2 (.333) vs. Saban
0-3 (.000) vs. Meyer
9-17 (.346) 1999 - present vs. FL, GA, LSU, AUB (thank God for Zook!)
7-16 (.304 ) 2000 - present vs. FL, GA, LSU, AUB
5-15 (.250) 2000 - present vs. FL, GA, LSU, AUB excluding games vs. Zook
5-13 (.278) 2000 - present vs. FL, GA, AUB
3-12 (.200) 2000 - present vs. FL, GA, AUB excluding games vs. Zook
5-10 (.333) 2000 - present vs. FL, GA
3-9 (.250) 2000 - present vs. FL, GA excluding games vs. Zook
2-5 (.286) 2000 - present vs. GA
8-16 (.333) vs. Top 10 teams 1999 - present
1-6 (.142) vs. Top 10 teams at home 2000 - present
6-14 (.300) vs. Top 10 teams 2000 - present
17-21 (.447) vs. Ranked Teams 1999 - present
2-5 (.285) Bowl games since 1998 (all double digit losses)
2-7 (.222) Postseason record since 1998 including SECCG (all double digit losses)
I hate it when sports fans completely overreact to a loss, but I'm ready for Fulmer to go now. You said it yourself, you can't be paid 2 million/year to suck. For the past 5 Septembers we have gone into the season hoping to make it to the Peach Bowl and then get the shit kicked out of us by a perennial powerhouse like Maryland or Clemson. I wonder where the athletes are too, but our staff didn't have any problems coaching blue chip recruits in the 90's. Maybe this is what happens when you have a street named after you--also see Lloyd Carr. This game made me sick. And I'm almost angry at Berry for giving me any hope with the 96 yd pick/6.
The bowl losses you mention are from 5-6 years ago. That is the point - this isn't a kneejerk reaction. Last year, Fulmer righted the ship by beating Cal, but things weren't great after that. The bowl game against Penn State should have been an indication that things were regressing, not improving.
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