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Fulmer's here to stay

by Tony Basilio

While some Tennessee fans are discussing this week what to do with their Gary Lundy voodoo doll, most UT loyalists are questioning one thing—the state of UT football. For the first time in his 12-year tenure as head coach of the Vols, Tennessee fans are wondering if Phillip Fulmer has finally reached the end of the road.

I took a couple of unbelievable calls on our post-game call-in show on the Horne Radio Network following the Dogs' pounding in Neyland. One guy said, "It's a shame Coach Fulmer and Johnny Majors don't talk anymore. Maybe he can find out what it feels like to be fired from his alma mater." Or how about this one. "This guy is a complete bum. He's a quitter. He proved it in that game tonight by quitting on his team and letting his team quit. Now he needs to get the third strike and quit himself. Bring back Spurrier." Bring back Spurrier?

I know these are desperate times on the hill, but bring back Spurrier? With a week off for the Vols, it's time for Tennessee fans to unemotionally evaluate this situation surrounding UT football. Hey, at least we're not Kentucky! Here's the deal: Tennessee's football team isn't that good. Georgia talent-wise is where Tennessee was 5 years ago. They are the team with all of the first round NFL draft choices while Tennessee is the team that is full of nice college football players.

Look at the quarterback position. I love Casey Clausen to death. I think he's a warrior, a great leader who has enjoyed a terrific career in Knoxville. Casey Clausen is no David Green. David Green is a special college quarterback who will make a living playing on Sundays. How about the lines? Georgia has all kids on their offensive line and still manages to be far superior to Tennessee's veteran offensive front. Tennessee has highly recruited guys in the trenches, but they are not getting it done. And at this point in their maturation together, it's safe to say they aren't going to get it done. Tennessee is an average, at best, football team right now. Problem is, average doesn't get it done when you have one of the highest ticket prices and most demanding donor programs in the country. While Tennessee fans would've put up with this type of performance 15 years ago, the economics dictate that this type of five-year stretch will draw even the most loyal Vol fan to call for the Coach's head.

Here's something to consider: Players win games. Coaches coach, but players are the ones who ultimately win football games. Coaches recruit players and guide programs while setting a tone. Coaches also represent the program in the public with the media, fans and boosters. At times like this, damage control becomes another attribute in the job description of the head coach. Phillip Fulmer, taking a cue from his predecessor who was at his best in times like this, apologized to the UT fans for his team's woeful performance. This was the first thing out of his mouth after the Georgia game.

News flash for those of you who think that Phillip Fulmer's job is in jeopardy. He's not going anywhere. Only he will make the call if and when it has to be made. UT will never, and I mean never, fire Phillip Fulmer. How in the world could any institution consider firing a coach who has the resume this guy does? His accomplishments on the Hill make him a member of the Elliott Ness coaching fraternity. He is untouchable!

How do you even consider getting rid of the man who brought you the school's only National Championship in the modern era? He also has won the SEC Championship twice in the past 7 years along with a third Eastern Division title back in '01. This run through '01 easily represented the school's best stretch in the modern era. It's not even close. His record overall is far superior to any previous UT coach. He knows, however, that coaches and programs are judged on five-year intervals. In college football you are either hot or you're not. From '93-98, Tennessee won 90 percent of its games. That's hot! From '99 through the present that number is hovering around 70 percent. That's Ole Miss! Coach Fulmer knows that at a program with Tennessee's resources, an average finish of 8-3 is not good enough.

Fulmer deserves the opportunity to try and right the ship. Get off the guy's back already. Kind of makes me feel sorry for the man even though he jacks down $1.6 million per year to coach a kid's game. Look at how the job has aged him. Let's afford him the loyalty that he has shown us. When his star was burning brightly, he had several opportunities to test the NFL waters a few years back, but chose to stay here even though the pros are much more lucrative. Fulmer is a Tennessee guy. He loves and cherishes the program. Losing like that to Georgia hurts him more than even the most ardent of UT supporters. Maybe Spurrier had the right idea. Get out while the gettin's good. Now if I could only figure out what to do with this goofy voodoo doll.