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Phillip Edward Fulmer Sr. (born September 1, 1950) is a former
American football American football (referred to simply as football in the United States and Canada), also known as gridiron, is a team sport played by two teams of eleven players on a rectangular field with goalposts at each end. The offense, the team wi ...
player, coach, and athletic director at the
University of Tennessee The University of Tennessee (officially The University of Tennessee, Knoxville; or UT Knoxville; UTK; or UT) is a public land-grant research university in Knoxville, Tennessee. Founded in 1794, two years before Tennessee became the 16th sta ...
. He served as head coach of the
Tennessee Volunteers football The Tennessee Volunteers football program (variously called "Tennessee", "Vols", "UT", or "Big Orange") represents the University of Tennessee (UT). The Vols have played football for 130 seasons, starting in 1891; their combined record of 862� ...
team from 1992 to 2008, compiling a 152–52 record. He is best known for coaching the Volunteers in the first BCS National Championship Game in 1998, defeating the Florida State Seminoles. Fulmer was the Volunteers' 20th head football coach. At the end of his tenure at Tennessee, Fulmer had the second-highest number of wins of any head coach in Tennessee history, 21 behind
Robert Neyland Robert Reese Neyland (; February 17, 1892 – March 28, 1962) was an American football player and coach and officer in the United States Army, reaching the rank of brigadier general. He served three stints as the head football coach at the Univ ...
. Fulmer also was the third coach in Tennessee history to win a claimed national championship. His 1997 and 1998 teams won consecutive SEC championships. Despite a decline in the later years of his career, he is considered to be an icon of Tennessee football, noted for his loyalty to the institution. In recognition of his accomplishments at Tennessee, Fulmer was inducted into the College Football Hall of Fame in 2012. Fulmer served as a special assistant to the athletic director at East Tennessee State University. On June 20, 2017, Fulmer was named as a special advisor to the University of Tennessee president. On December 1, 2017, Fulmer became the Athletic Director at the University of Tennessee, a position he held until his retirement in 2021.


Playing career

Fulmer was born in Winchester, Tennessee, where he attended Franklin County High School. While at Franklin, Fulmer played football and starred for the Rebels. Fulmer enrolled at the University of Tennessee as a student in 1968. He promptly joined the football team as an offensive guard. While playing for the Volunteers, Fulmer garnered All-Southeastern Conference honors at offensive guard. Fulmer contributed to Tennessee's 30–5 record from 1969 to 1971, where he played for head coaches
Doug Dickey Douglas Adair Dickey (born June 24, 1932) is an American former college football player and coach and college athletics administrator. Dickey is a South Dakota native who was raised in Florida and graduated from the University of Florida, w ...
(who returned to Tennessee as athletic director and hired Fulmer as the Volunteers' coach) and Bill Battle. The Volunteers captured the SEC championship with a 9–2 record in
1969 This year is notable for Apollo 11's first landing on the moon. Events January * January 4 – The Government of Spain hands over Ifni to Morocco. * January 5 **Ariana Afghan Airlines Flight 701 crashes into a house on its approach to ...
, went 11–1 and won the
Sugar Bowl The Sugar Bowl is an annual American college football bowl game played in New Orleans, Louisiana. Played annually since January 1, 1935, it is tied with the Orange Bowl and Sun Bowl as the second-oldest bowl games in the country, surpassed only ...
in 1970, and finished as
Liberty Bowl The Liberty Bowl is an annual American college football bowl game played in late December or early January since 1959. For its first five years, it was played at Philadelphia Municipal Stadium in Philadelphia before being held at Atlantic Cit ...
champions with a 10–2 record in
1971 * The year 1971 had three partial solar eclipses ( February 25, July 22 and August 20) and two total lunar eclipses ( February 10, and August 6). The world population increased by 2.1% this year, the highest increase in history. Events J ...
.


Early coaching career

Fulmer served as
linebacker Linebacker (LB) is a playing position in gridiron football. Linebackers are members of the defensive team, and line up three to five yards behind the line of scrimmage and the defensive linemen. They are the "middle ground" of defenders, ...
coach and defensive coordinator for the Vols freshman team in 1973 before moving to Wichita State University the following season. He spent five years at Wichita State, where he coached the offensive line in 1974 and 1977–1978 and served as linebacker coach in 1975–1976. He followed those years with a one-season stint at Vanderbilt, serving as an assistant to Commodores head coach
George MacIntyre George Wallace MacIntyre (April 30, 1939 – January 5, 2016) was an American football player and coach. He served as the head coach at the University of Tennessee at Martin from 1975 to 1977 and at Vanderbilt University from 1979 to 1985, comp ...
.


University of Tennessee

Beginning in 1980, Fulmer served 13 years as a Vols assistant coach, initially as the offensive line coach, and then as the offensive coordinator and offensive line coach. Linemen coached by Fulmer during this period include Bill Mayo,
Raleigh McKenzie Raleigh McKenzie (born February 8, 1963) is a former American football guard and center. During a 16-year football career, he played for four different teams. Raleigh played guard for the Washington Redskins from 1985 to 1994. Nicknamed "Rallo", ...
, Bruce Wilkerson, Harry Galbreath, Charles McRae,
Antone Davis Antone Eugene Davis (born February 28, 1967) is an American former professional football player who was an offensive tackle and guard in the National Football League (NFL) for seven seasons during the 1990s. He played one year of football for ...
, and Tom Myslinski.


1992 season

Johnny Majors was the coach of the Volunteers going into the 1992 season. However, a couple of weeks before the first game, Majors underwent quintuple-bypass heart surgery. Fulmer took over the role as interim head coach with Heath Shuler as his quarterback. Fulmer helped lead the team to a 3–0 start with a 38–3 victory over Southwestern Louisiana, a 34–31 victory over #14 Georgia, and a 31–14 victory over #4
Florida Florida is a state located in the Southeastern region of the United States. Florida is bordered to the west by the Gulf of Mexico, to the northwest by Alabama, to the north by Georgia, to the east by the Bahamas and Atlantic Ocean, and ...
. Majors returned for the
Cincinnati Cincinnati ( ) is a city in the U.S. state of Ohio and the county seat of Hamilton County. Settled in 1788, the city is located at the northern side of the confluence of the Licking and Ohio rivers, the latter of which marks the state line w ...
game, a 40–0 victory, and the LSU game, a 20–0 victory. However, the Vols dropped their next three games, a 25–24 loss to
Arkansas Arkansas ( ) is a landlocked state in the South Central United States. It is bordered by Missouri to the north, Tennessee and Mississippi to the east, Louisiana to the south, and Texas and Oklahoma to the west. Its name is from the O ...
, a 17–10 loss to #4
Alabama (We dare defend our rights) , anthem = " Alabama" , image_map = Alabama in United States.svg , seat = Montgomery , LargestCity = Huntsville , LargestCounty = Baldwin County , LargestMetro = Greater Birmingham , area_total_km2 = 135,7 ...
, and a 24–23 loss to
South Carolina )''Animis opibusque parati'' ( for, , Latin, Prepared in mind and resources, links=no) , anthem = " Carolina";" South Carolina On My Mind" , Former = Province of South Carolina , seat = Columbia , LargestCity = Charleston , LargestMetro = ...
. Among growing dissent among the fanbase, Majors resigned due to his contract being bought out and Fulmer became the 20th head football coach in Tennessee history at the end of the season. The team recorded three wins, a 26–21 victory over Memphis, a 34–13 victory over
Kentucky Kentucky ( , ), officially the Commonwealth of Kentucky, is a state in the Southeastern region of the United States and one of the states of the Upper South. It borders Illinois, Indiana, and Ohio to the north; West Virginia and Virginia ...
, a 29–25 victory over Vanderbilt to close out the regular season. The team recorded a 38–23 victory over #16
Boston College Boston College (BC) is a private Jesuit research university in Chestnut Hill, Massachusetts. Founded in 1863, the university has more than 9,300 full-time undergraduates and nearly 5,000 graduate students. Although Boston College is classified ...
in the
Hall of Fame Bowl The ReliaQuest Bowl is an annual college football bowl game played at Raymond James Stadium in Tampa, Florida, usually on New Year's Day. The event has been formerly called the Hall of Fame Bowl from 1986 to 1995 and the Outback Bowl from 1996 to ...
to finish with a 9–3 record and a #12 ranking in the
AP Poll The Associated Press poll (AP poll) provides weekly rankings of the top 25 NCAA teams in one of three Division I college sports: football, men's basketball and women's basketball. The rankings are compiled by polling 62 sportswriters and br ...
.


1993 season

Going into his first full season as the Vols' head coach, Fulmer's Vols were ranked #10 going into the season opener against Louisiana Tech. On September 4, the Vols defeated the Bulldogs by a score of 50–0. The next week, the Vols defeated the #22
Georgia Bulldogs The Georgia Bulldogs are the athletic teams that represent the University of Georgia. The female athletic teams are sometimes referred to as Lady Bulldogs. The Bulldogs compete in NCAA Division I and are members of the Southeastern Conference ( ...
by a score of 38–6. The first setback came in the next game against #9
Florida Florida is a state located in the Southeastern region of the United States. Florida is bordered to the west by the Gulf of Mexico, to the northwest by Alabama, to the north by Georgia, to the east by the Bahamas and Atlantic Ocean, and ...
, a 41–34 loss in The Swamp. The Vols won their next three games, a 42–20 victory over LSU, a 52–19 victory over
Duke Duke is a male title either of a monarch ruling over a duchy, or of a member of royalty, or nobility. As rulers, dukes are ranked below emperors, kings, grand princes, grand dukes, and sovereign princes. As royalty or nobility, they are r ...
, and a 28–14 victory over
Arkansas Arkansas ( ) is a landlocked state in the South Central United States. It is bordered by Missouri to the north, Tennessee and Mississippi to the east, Louisiana to the south, and Texas and Oklahoma to the west. Its name is from the O ...
to move to a 5–1 record. The next game, against #3
Alabama (We dare defend our rights) , anthem = " Alabama" , image_map = Alabama in United States.svg , seat = Montgomery , LargestCity = Huntsville , LargestCounty = Baldwin County , LargestMetro = Greater Birmingham , area_total_km2 = 135,7 ...
, was a rare 17–17 tie. Fulmer led the team to victories in the next four games against
South Carolina )''Animis opibusque parati'' ( for, , Latin, Prepared in mind and resources, links=no) , anthem = " Carolina";" South Carolina On My Mind" , Former = Province of South Carolina , seat = Columbia , LargestCity = Charleston , LargestMetro = ...
, #13 Louisville,
Kentucky Kentucky ( , ), officially the Commonwealth of Kentucky, is a state in the Southeastern region of the United States and one of the states of the Upper South. It borders Illinois, Indiana, and Ohio to the north; West Virginia and Virginia ...
, and Vanderbilt to finish the regular season with a 9–1–1 record. In the
Citrus Bowl The Citrus Bowl is an annual college football bowl game played at Camping World Stadium in Orlando, Florida. The bowl is operated by Florida Citrus Sports, a non-profit group that also organizes the Cheez-It Bowl and Florida Classic. The gam ...
against #13 Penn State, the Volunteers fell 31–13 to finish Heath Shuler's final season with a 9–2–1 record and #12 in the AP Poll.


1994 season

Going into the 1994 season, Fulmer's Vols were the preseason #13 team. The season started off with a 25–23 loss to UCLA, the first season-opening loss of Fulmer's head coaching career. The Vols got their first win, a 41–23 win over the #23
Georgia Bulldogs The Georgia Bulldogs are the athletic teams that represent the University of Georgia. The female athletic teams are sometimes referred to as Lady Bulldogs. The Bulldogs compete in NCAA Division I and are members of the Southeastern Conference ( ...
, in the next game. The Vols faced a tough task in the next game against #1
Florida Florida is a state located in the Southeastern region of the United States. Florida is bordered to the west by the Gulf of Mexico, to the northwest by Alabama, to the north by Georgia, to the east by the Bahamas and Atlantic Ocean, and ...
and fell 31–0. The Vols' struggles continued in the next game, a 24–21 loss to Mississippi State to fall to 1–3 and unranked for the first time with Fulmer at the helm. However, despite the loss, Fulmer had a young
Peyton Manning Peyton Williams Manning (born March 24, 1976) is an American former football quarterback who played in the National Football League (NFL) for 18 seasons. Nicknamed "the Sheriff", he spent 14 seasons with the Indianapolis Colts and four with ...
as his quarterback due to injuries of previous starters Jerry Colquitt and Todd Helton. The Vols won their next two games, a 10–9 victory over #17
Washington State Washington (), officially the State of Washington, is a U.S. state, state in the Northwestern United States, Pacific Northwest region of the Western United States. Named for George Washington—the first President of the United States, U.S. p ...
and a 38–21 victory over
Arkansas Arkansas ( ) is a landlocked state in the South Central United States. It is bordered by Missouri to the north, Tennessee and Mississippi to the east, Louisiana to the south, and Texas and Oklahoma to the west. Its name is from the O ...
to get to 3–3 on the season. A rough 17–13 loss to #10
Alabama (We dare defend our rights) , anthem = " Alabama" , image_map = Alabama in United States.svg , seat = Montgomery , LargestCity = Huntsville , LargestCounty = Baldwin County , LargestMetro = Greater Birmingham , area_total_km2 = 135,7 ...
followed before a four-game winning streak, which included a 52–0 victory over
Kentucky Kentucky ( , ), officially the Commonwealth of Kentucky, is a state in the Southeastern region of the United States and one of the states of the Upper South. It borders Illinois, Indiana, and Ohio to the north; West Virginia and Virginia ...
and a 65–0 victory over Vanderbilt to close out the season brought the Vols to a 7–4 record and a bowl game. The Vols faced off against #17
Virginia Tech Virginia Tech (formally the Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University and informally VT, or VPI) is a public land-grant research university with its main campus in Blacksburg, Virginia. It also has educational facilities in six re ...
in the Gator Bowl and defeated them 45–23. The Vols finished 8–4 and #22 in the AP Poll despite their rough start to the season.


1995 season

The Volunteers started the season with a #8 ranking, the highest to start a season under Fulmer to that point. The season started with back-to-back victories over
East Carolina East Carolina University (ECU) is a public research university in Greenville, North Carolina. It is the fourth largest university in North Carolina. Founded on March 8, 1907, as a teacher training school, East Carolina has grown from its origi ...
(27–7) and Georgia (30–27). The Vols suffered their first setback in a 62–37 defeat to #4
Florida Florida is a state located in the Southeastern region of the United States. Florida is bordered to the west by the Gulf of Mexico, to the northwest by Alabama, to the north by Georgia, to the east by the Bahamas and Atlantic Ocean, and ...
. Fulmer lead the team to eight straight victories to close out the regular season. In the winning streak was Fulmer's first victory over
Alabama (We dare defend our rights) , anthem = " Alabama" , image_map = Alabama in United States.svg , seat = Montgomery , LargestCity = Huntsville , LargestCounty = Baldwin County , LargestMetro = Greater Birmingham , area_total_km2 = 135,7 ...
, a 41–14 win in
Birmingham, Alabama Birmingham ( ) is a city in the north central region of the U.S. state of Alabama. Birmingham is the seat of Jefferson County, Alabama's most populous county. As of the 2021 census estimates, Birmingham had a population of 197,575, down 1% f ...
. With a 10–1 record, the Vols played #4
Ohio State The Ohio State University, commonly called Ohio State or OSU, is a public land-grant research university in Columbus, Ohio. A member of the University System of Ohio, it has been ranked by major institutional rankings among the best public ...
in the
Citrus Bowl The Citrus Bowl is an annual college football bowl game played at Camping World Stadium in Orlando, Florida. The bowl is operated by Florida Citrus Sports, a non-profit group that also organizes the Cheez-It Bowl and Florida Classic. The gam ...
and defeated the Buckeyes by a score of 20–14. The Vols finished with an 11–1 record and #3 in the final AP Poll for their best finish with Fulmer to that point.


1996 season

The Vols started the 1996 season ranked #2 in the nation. Fulmer led the team to two victories over UNLV (62–3) and UCLA (35–20) to start the season. Similar to the previous season, the Vols' first setback came to the #4 Florida Gators, this time by a score of 35–29. The Vols rolled off four straight victories, including another victory for Fulmer over #7
Alabama (We dare defend our rights) , anthem = " Alabama" , image_map = Alabama in United States.svg , seat = Montgomery , LargestCity = Huntsville , LargestCounty = Baldwin County , LargestMetro = Greater Birmingham , area_total_km2 = 135,7 ...
. The Vols faced Memphis and were shocked by the Tigers by a score of 21–17. To close out the regular season, the Vols ran the table to finish 9–2. They faced the Northwestern Wildcats in the
Citrus Bowl The Citrus Bowl is an annual college football bowl game played at Camping World Stadium in Orlando, Florida. The bowl is operated by Florida Citrus Sports, a non-profit group that also organizes the Cheez-It Bowl and Florida Classic. The gam ...
and won 48–28 to finish 10–2 and #9 in the final AP Poll. Fulmer led the team to consecutive 10-win seasons for the first time since 1971–1972 under Bill Battle.


1997 season

Fulmer's Vols started the 1997 season #5 in the nation and eventually finished in uncharted territory. With Peyton Manning, the Vols started with two victories over
Texas Tech Texas Tech University (Texas Tech, Tech, or TTU) is a public research university in Lubbock, Texas. Established on , and called Texas Technological College until 1969, it is the main institution of the five-institution Texas Tech University Sys ...
(52–17) and UCLA (30–24). Once again, the #3 Florida Gators defeated the Vols 33–20 for the first setback of the year. The Volunteers did recover from the defeat and won out in the regular season to finish with a 10–1 record. The Volunteers qualified for the
SEC Championship The SEC Championship Game is an annual American football game that has determined the Southeastern Conference's season champion since 1992. The championship game pits the SEC East Division regular season champion against the West Division regula ...
and faced off against the
Auburn Tigers The Auburn Tigers are the athletic teams representing Auburn University, a public four-year coeducational university located in Auburn, Alabama, United States. The Auburn Tigers compete in Division I of the National Collegiate Athletic Associ ...
and won 30–29 for their first conference championship since 1990. The Vols played against #2
Nebraska Nebraska () is a state in the Midwestern region of the United States. It is bordered by South Dakota to the north; Iowa to the east and Missouri to the southeast, both across the Missouri River; Kansas to the south; Colorado to the sout ...
with a potential National Championship at stake. However, the Vols fell 42–17 and finished with an 11–2 record and #7 in the final AP Poll. Despite the disappointing ending, Fulmer had brought the Volunteers to and sustained national prominence and greater things were on the horizon.


1998 season: National Championship

Due to the loss of Peyton Manning to the NFL, the Vols might not have been as respected going into the 1998 season. However, Fulmer had a new quarterback ready to go in Tee Martin. The season started with a close 34–33 victory over the Donovan McNabb-led
Syracuse Orangemen The Syracuse Orange are the athletic teams that represent Syracuse University. The school is a member of NCAA Division I and the Atlantic Coast Conference. Until 2013, Syracuse was a member of the Big East Conference. The school's mascot is O ...
. Two weeks later, after years of defeat, the Vols finally overcame the #2 Florida Gators in a 20–17 overtime victory. The following game was a 42–7 victory over
Houston Houston (; ) is the most populous city in Texas, the most populous city in the Southern United States, the fourth-most populous city in the United States, and the sixth-most populous city in North America, with a population of 2,304,580 ...
. On October 3, the Vols survived a close game with the
Auburn Tigers The Auburn Tigers are the athletic teams representing Auburn University, a public four-year coeducational university located in Auburn, Alabama, United States. The Auburn Tigers compete in Division I of the National Collegiate Athletic Associ ...
by a score of 17–9. Against the #7
Georgia Bulldogs The Georgia Bulldogs are the athletic teams that represent the University of Georgia. The female athletic teams are sometimes referred to as Lady Bulldogs. The Bulldogs compete in NCAA Division I and are members of the Southeastern Conference ( ...
in the next game, the Vols won 22–3. Fulmer continued his winning streak over
Alabama (We dare defend our rights) , anthem = " Alabama" , image_map = Alabama in United States.svg , seat = Montgomery , LargestCity = Huntsville , LargestCounty = Baldwin County , LargestMetro = Greater Birmingham , area_total_km2 = 135,7 ...
with a 35–18 victory. After two more wins against
South Carolina )''Animis opibusque parati'' ( for, , Latin, Prepared in mind and resources, links=no) , anthem = " Carolina";" South Carolina On My Mind" , Former = Province of South Carolina , seat = Columbia , LargestCity = Charleston , LargestMetro = ...
and UAB, the top-ranked Vols faced off against #10
Arkansas Arkansas ( ) is a landlocked state in the South Central United States. It is bordered by Missouri to the north, Tennessee and Mississippi to the east, Louisiana to the south, and Texas and Oklahoma to the west. Its name is from the O ...
. The Vols escaped with a 28–24 victory after recovering a late fumble by the Razorbacks to get the go-ahead score. The Vols closed out the regular season undefeated with wins over
Kentucky Kentucky ( , ), officially the Commonwealth of Kentucky, is a state in the Southeastern region of the United States and one of the states of the Upper South. It borders Illinois, Indiana, and Ohio to the north; West Virginia and Virginia ...
and Vanderbilt. In the SEC Championship, the Vols defeated the #23 Mississippi State Bulldogs by a score of 24–14. The Vols made the BCS National Championship game and faced off against the #2 Florida State Seminoles in the 1999 Fiesta Bowl. The Vols defeated the Seminoles by a score of 23–16. With the victory, the Volunteers won their first National Championship since 1967. Fulmer's senior class of the 1998 team compiled a record of 45–5, losing only to
Florida Florida is a state located in the Southeastern region of the United States. Florida is bordered to the west by the Gulf of Mexico, to the northwest by Alabama, to the north by Georgia, to the east by the Bahamas and Atlantic Ocean, and ...
(three times),
Nebraska Nebraska () is a state in the Midwestern region of the United States. It is bordered by South Dakota to the north; Iowa to the east and Missouri to the southeast, both across the Missouri River; Kansas to the south; Colorado to the sout ...
, and Memphis. As a result of the 1998 season, Fulmer was named National Coach of the Year and SEC Coach of the Year.


1999 season

Fresh off the National Championship, Fulmer's Vols started the season as the #2 team in the country. After a 42–17 victory against the
Wyoming Cowboys The Wyoming Cowboys and Cowgirls are the athletic teams that represent the University of Wyoming, located in Laramie. Wyoming is a member of the Mountain West Conference (MW) and competes in NCAA Division I, fielding 17 NCAA-sanctioned sports. ...
, the Vols dropped a game to the #4 Florida Gators by a score of 23–21. The Vols then won their next six games including another victory over #10
Alabama (We dare defend our rights) , anthem = " Alabama" , image_map = Alabama in United States.svg , seat = Montgomery , LargestCity = Huntsville , LargestCounty = Baldwin County , LargestMetro = Greater Birmingham , area_total_km2 = 135,7 ...
and a 38–14 victory over Notre Dame. On November 13, the Vols lost 28–24 to
Arkansas Arkansas ( ) is a landlocked state in the South Central United States. It is bordered by Missouri to the north, Tennessee and Mississippi to the east, Louisiana to the south, and Texas and Oklahoma to the west. Its name is from the O ...
before closing out the regular season with two wins to finish 9–2. In the
Fiesta Bowl The Fiesta Bowl is an American college football bowl game played annually in the Phoenix metropolitan area. From its beginning in 1971 until 2006, the game was hosted at the Sun Devil Stadium in Tempe, Arizona. Since 2007, the game has been pl ...
, the Vols lost 31–21 to #3
Nebraska Nebraska () is a state in the Midwestern region of the United States. It is bordered by South Dakota to the north; Iowa to the east and Missouri to the southeast, both across the Missouri River; Kansas to the south; Colorado to the sout ...
. Fulmer's streak of 10-win seasons was snapped, but the Vols finished #9 in the nation going into 2000. Fulmer was honored with the State Farm Eddie Robinson Coach of Distinction Award in December 1999.


2000 season

The 2000 season brought Fulmer and the Vols some struggles early on in the season. The season started off with a narrow victory 19–16 victory over #22 Southern Miss. After the game, the City of Knoxville proclaimed September 9, 2000, as "Phillip Fulmer Day" in honor of the coach. However, the Vols lost the next game 27–23 to #6
Florida Florida is a state located in the Southeastern region of the United States. Florida is bordered to the west by the Gulf of Mexico, to the northwest by Alabama, to the north by Georgia, to the east by the Bahamas and Atlantic Ocean, and ...
. After a 70–3 victory over Louisiana–Monroe, the Vols dropped their next two games to LSU by a score of 38–31 and #19 Georgia by a score of 21–10 to drop to 2–3 and unranked for the first time in several years under Fulmer. The Vols recovered and won their next six games, which included a 20–10 victory over
Alabama (We dare defend our rights) , anthem = " Alabama" , image_map = Alabama in United States.svg , seat = Montgomery , LargestCity = Huntsville , LargestCounty = Baldwin County , LargestMetro = Greater Birmingham , area_total_km2 = 135,7 ...
and a 17–14 victory over #17
South Carolina )''Animis opibusque parati'' ( for, , Latin, Prepared in mind and resources, links=no) , anthem = " Carolina";" South Carolina On My Mind" , Former = Province of South Carolina , seat = Columbia , LargestCity = Charleston , LargestMetro = ...
, to finish with an 8–3 record and qualified for a bowl game. In the Cotton Bowl against Kansas State, the Vols fell 35–21 and finished unranked for the first time under Fulmer.


2001 season

Despite the disappointing ending to the 2000 season, the Vols started the 2001 season ranked #8 in the nation. The Vols started the season off with two wins over Syracuse (33–9) and
Arkansas Arkansas ( ) is a landlocked state in the South Central United States. It is bordered by Missouri to the north, Tennessee and Mississippi to the east, Louisiana to the south, and Texas and Oklahoma to the west. Its name is from the O ...
(13–3). Due to the 9/11 terrorist attacks, the Florida game had to be moved to later in the season. The Vols faced off against #14 LSU without having played in three weeks. The Vols won 26–18 to move Fulmer to 3–0 on the season. The Vols suffered their first setback against Georgia in the next game, a 26–24 loss. The Vols followed the loss with a six-game winning streak to move to #5 in the nation and faced off with the #2 Florida Gators on December 1. The Vols won a close game against their rivals, 34–32, to go up against #21 LSU in the SEC Championship. The Vols controlled their own destiny in the National Championship race, but fell 31–20 to the
Nick Saban Nicholas Lou Saban Jr. (; born October 31, 1951) is an American football coach who has been the head football coach at the University of Alabama since 2007. Saban previously served as head coach of the National Football League's Miami Dolphi ...
-led Tigers. In the
Citrus Bowl The Citrus Bowl is an annual college football bowl game played at Camping World Stadium in Orlando, Florida. The bowl is operated by Florida Citrus Sports, a non-profit group that also organizes the Cheez-It Bowl and Florida Classic. The gam ...
against #17
Michigan Michigan () is a state in the Great Lakes region of the upper Midwestern United States. With a population of nearly 10.12 million and an area of nearly , Michigan is the 10th-largest state by population, the 11th-largest by area, and t ...
, the Vols won 45–17 to finish 11–2 and #4 in the country in the AP Poll. In 2001, Fulmer has named to the
Tennessee Sports Hall of Fame The Tennessee Sports Hall of Fame is an American hall of fame which honors athletes, teams, coaches, sports writers, and sports executives for their contributions to sports in the state of Tennessee. The Hall of Fame inducted its first class in ...
.


2002 season

Fulmer and the Vols had high expectations as a result of their #5 ranking to start the 2002 season. However, the season was inconsistent for the Vols. After two wins against
Wyoming Wyoming () is a state in the Mountain West subregion of the Western United States. It is bordered by Montana to the north and northwest, South Dakota and Nebraska to the east, Idaho to the west, Utah to the southwest, and Colorado to t ...
and
Middle Tennessee State Middle Tennessee State University (MTSU or MT) is a public university in Murfreesboro, Tennessee. Founded in 1911 as a normal school, the university consists of eight undergraduate colleges as well as a college of graduate studies, together off ...
, the Vols dropped a game to the Florida Gators by a score of 30–13. After two victories over Rutgers and
Arkansas Arkansas ( ) is a landlocked state in the South Central United States. It is bordered by Missouri to the north, Tennessee and Mississippi to the east, Louisiana to the south, and Texas and Oklahoma to the west. Its name is from the O ...
, the Vols dropped two games to #6 Georgia and #19
Alabama (We dare defend our rights) , anthem = " Alabama" , image_map = Alabama in United States.svg , seat = Montgomery , LargestCity = Huntsville , LargestCounty = Baldwin County , LargestMetro = Greater Birmingham , area_total_km2 = 135,7 ...
. The unranked Vols finished out the season with a 3–1 stretch to make a bowl game against
Maryland Maryland ( ) is a state in the Mid-Atlantic region of the United States. It shares borders with Virginia, West Virginia, and the District of Columbia to its south and west; Pennsylvania to its north; and Delaware and the Atlantic Ocean t ...
in the 2002 Peach Bowl. The Vols fell to the Terrapins by a score of 30–3 and finished with an 8–5 record.


2003 season

Fulmer's Vols came into the 2003 season with a #14 ranking. The Vols started off the season with four straight victories to move to #8 in the country going into the Auburn game. The Vols fell to the Tigers 28–21 for their first setback. The Vols dropped the next game to #8 Georgia by a score of 41–14. The Vols won their next six games, including a 5OT 51–43 victory over
Alabama (We dare defend our rights) , anthem = " Alabama" , image_map = Alabama in United States.svg , seat = Montgomery , LargestCity = Huntsville , LargestCounty = Baldwin County , LargestMetro = Greater Birmingham , area_total_km2 = 135,7 ...
to finish with a 10–2 record. In the 2004 Peach Bowl against Clemson, the Vols fell 27–14 to finish 10–3 and #15 in the final AP Poll.


2004 season

Fulmer's Vols started the 2004 season #14 in the country. The Vols started off 3–0, including a 30–28 victory over the #11 Florida Gators in the last matchup with Gator head coach Ron Zook. The Vols lost the next game against the #8
Auburn Tigers The Auburn Tigers are the athletic teams representing Auburn University, a public four-year coeducational university located in Auburn, Alabama, United States. The Auburn Tigers compete in Division I of the National Collegiate Athletic Associ ...
by a score of 34–10 before winning four straight, including a 19–14 over #3 Georgia. On November 6, the Vols lost to Notre Dame by a score of 17–13 before winning out to finish 9–2. In a rematch with the #3 Auburn Tigers in the
SEC Championship The SEC Championship Game is an annual American football game that has determined the Southeastern Conference's season champion since 1992. The championship game pits the SEC East Division regular season champion against the West Division regula ...
, the Vols fell 38–28. In the 2005 Cotton Bowl against #22 Texas A&M, Fulmer led the Vols to a 38–7 victory to finish 10–3 and 13th in the final AP Poll.


2005 season

In 2005, Fulmer's pre-season #3 Volunteers had very high expectations. However, for the first time in his tenure, Fulmer's Volunteers struggled mightily by the standards that were established. After a close 17–10 victory over UAB, the Vols fell to the #6
Florida Florida is a state located in the Southeastern region of the United States. Florida is bordered to the west by the Gulf of Mexico, to the northwest by Alabama, to the north by Georgia, to the east by the Bahamas and Atlantic Ocean, and ...
by a score of 16–7. After a 30–27 victory over #3 LSU and a 27–10 victory over Ole Miss, the Vols lost four straight games to stand at 3–5. The Vols ended up 5–6, losing to in-state SEC rival Vanderbilt for the first time in his 14-year tenure. The losing season also kept Tennessee out of a
bowl game In North America, a bowl game is one of a number of post-season college football games that are primarily played by teams belonging to the NCAA's Division I Football Bowl Subdivision (FBS). For most of its history, the Division I Bowl Subdivis ...
for the first time since 1988, a streak of 16 years, which was the third-longest in the NCAA.


2006 season

Despite their abysmal finish to the 2005 season, Fulmer's Vols started the 2006 season ranked #23. The team started with two straight wins over #9
California California is a state in the Western United States, located along the Pacific Coast. With nearly 39.2million residents across a total area of approximately , it is the most populous U.S. state and the 3rd largest by area. It is also the m ...
and
Air Force An air force – in the broadest sense – is the national military branch that primarily conducts aerial warfare. More specifically, it is the branch of a nation's armed services that is responsible for aerial warfare as distinct from an ...
before dropping a game to #7 Florida Gators by score of 21–20. The Vols reeled off five straight wins before dropping two games to #13 LSU and #11
Arkansas Arkansas ( ) is a landlocked state in the South Central United States. It is bordered by Missouri to the north, Tennessee and Mississippi to the east, Louisiana to the south, and Texas and Oklahoma to the west. Its name is from the O ...
. The Vols won their last two regular season games to finish 9–3 and face Penn State in the
2007 Outback Bowl The 2007 Outback Bowl Game was a college football bowl game played on January 1, 2007, at Raymond James Stadium in Tampa, Florida. It was part of the 2006–2007 bowl game season that concluded the 2006 NCAA Division I FBS football season. T ...
. The Vols fell to the Nittany Lions by a score of 20–10 to finish 9–4 and #25 in the final poll.


2007 season

Fulmer's Vols started the season ranked #15. The Vols dropped their opening game to the #12 California Golden Bears by a score of 45–31. After a 39–19 win over Southern Miss, the Vols dropped a game to #5 Florida Gators by a score of 59–20. They won their next three games, a 48–27 victory over
Arkansas State Arkansas ( ) is a landlocked state in the South Central United States. It is bordered by Missouri to the north, Tennessee and Mississippi to the east, Louisiana to the south, and Texas and Oklahoma to the west. Its name is from the Osage la ...
, a 35–14 upset against #12 Georgia, and a 33–21 victory over Mississippi State. The next week, Tennessee suffered a setback in a 41–17 loss to
Alabama (We dare defend our rights) , anthem = " Alabama" , image_map = Alabama in United States.svg , seat = Montgomery , LargestCity = Huntsville , LargestCounty = Baldwin County , LargestMetro = Greater Birmingham , area_total_km2 = 135,7 ...
. Tennessee went on a five-game winning streak to close out the season, which included a 27–24 victory over #15
South Carolina )''Animis opibusque parati'' ( for, , Latin, Prepared in mind and resources, links=no) , anthem = " Carolina";" South Carolina On My Mind" , Former = Province of South Carolina , seat = Columbia , LargestCity = Charleston , LargestMetro = ...
. The Vols finished with a 9–3 record, won the SEC East, and qualified for the SEC Championship. Against #5 LSU, the Vols fell 21–14. In the 2008 Outback Bowl against
Wisconsin Wisconsin () is a state in the upper Midwestern United States. Wisconsin is the 25th-largest state by total area and the 20th-most populous. It is bordered by Minnesota to the west, Iowa to the southwest, Illinois to the south, Lake M ...
, the Vols won 21–17 to finish 10–4 and #12 in the final AP Poll.


2008 season

The Vols started the 2008 season as #18 in the country. The team dropped their season opener to UCLA by a score of 27–24 in overtime and fell out of the rankings. In the next game, the Vols got their first victory of the a season, a 35–3 result against UAB. Tennessee dropped their next two games against #4
Florida Florida is a state located in the Southeastern region of the United States. Florida is bordered to the west by the Gulf of Mexico, to the northwest by Alabama, to the north by Georgia, to the east by the Bahamas and Atlantic Ocean, and ...
by a score of 30–6 and #15 Auburn by a score of 14–12. After a narrow 13–9 victory over Northern Illinois, the Vols dropped a game by a score of 26–14 to #10 Georgia. The Vols recorded their first conference win in the next game against Mississippi State 34–3 before dropping a 29–9 result to #2
Alabama (We dare defend our rights) , anthem = " Alabama" , image_map = Alabama in United States.svg , seat = Montgomery , LargestCity = Huntsville , LargestCounty = Baldwin County , LargestMetro = Greater Birmingham , area_total_km2 = 135,7 ...
and a 27–6 result to
South Carolina )''Animis opibusque parati'' ( for, , Latin, Prepared in mind and resources, links=no) , anthem = " Carolina";" South Carolina On My Mind" , Former = Province of South Carolina , seat = Columbia , LargestCity = Charleston , LargestMetro = ...
to fall to 3–6. After the 3–6 start, Fulmer came under increased scrutiny from Tennessee fans, leaving skepticism about how long he would remain Tennessee's head football coach despite having just received a contract extension after the 2007 season. Tennessee athletic director Mike Hamilton finally notified Fulmer of his dismissal on November 2, 2008. The next day, he agreed to step down as head coach following the season. That week, the Vols suffered a loss at the hands of
Wyoming Wyoming () is a state in the Mountain West subregion of the Western United States. It is bordered by Montana to the north and northwest, South Dakota and Nebraska to the east, Idaho to the west, Utah to the southwest, and Colorado to t ...
, a 26-point underdog. Fulmer completed his long tenure at the University of Tennessee with a 28–10 win over
Kentucky Kentucky ( , ), officially the Commonwealth of Kentucky, is a state in the Southeastern region of the United States and one of the states of the Upper South. It borders Illinois, Indiana, and Ohio to the north; West Virginia and Virginia ...
on November 29, 2008.
Lane Kiffin Lane Monte Kiffin (born May 9, 1975) is an American football coach who is currently the head coach of the Ole Miss Rebels. Kiffin formerly was the offensive coordinator for the USC Trojans football The USC Trojans football program represent ...
was hired by Mike Hamilton to succeed Fulmer as the head coach of the Tennessee Volunteers.


Legacy

Fulmer had a reputation as an ace recruiter, leading many analysts to praise him as one of the game's top head coach recruiters. Despite his decline over the last several years of his career, Fulmer's winning percentage was still among the top in the country for head coaches who had over ten years' experience. After winning the National Championship in 1998, a street near Neyland Stadium was renamed "Phillip Fulmer Way". During Fulmer's tenure, Tennessee had a seven-game winning streak over longtime rival Alabama from 1995–2001. The winning streak marked the longest for a Tennessee coach in the
Third Saturday in October The Third Saturday in October is the Alabama–Tennessee football rivalry, an American college football rivalry game played annually by the Crimson Tide of the University of Alabama and the Volunteers of the University of Tennessee. The respe ...
. Fulmer never lost to the
Kentucky Wildcats The Kentucky Wildcats are the men's and women's intercollegiate athletic squads of the University of Kentucky (UK), a founding member of the Southeastern Conference. The Kentucky Wildcats is the student body of the University of Kentucky. 30,47 ...
, winning 17 straight games.


Post-coaching career

Fulmer was a sports analyst on CBS's ''SEC Postgame Show'', as well as various programming on the CBS College Sports Network. Fulmer was a strong candidate for the University of Louisville head coaching job. He stated in many interviews that he was interested in the job and had a phone interview with Louisville athletic director Tom Jurich. However, the job was eventually offered to
Charlie Strong Charles Rene Strong (born August 2, 1960) is an American football coach who is currently the co-defensive coordinator and linebackers coach at the University of Miami. He recently served as the assistant head coach and inside linebackers coac ...
. After UConn head coach
Randy Edsall Randy Douglas Edsall (born August 27, 1958) is a retired American football coach, formerly the head football coach at the University of Connecticut from 1999 to 2010 and again from 2017 until his abrupt retirement in 2021. He also served as the h ...
left for
Maryland Maryland ( ) is a state in the Mid-Atlantic region of the United States. It shares borders with Virginia, West Virginia, and the District of Columbia to its south and west; Pennsylvania to its north; and Delaware and the Atlantic Ocean t ...
in January 2011, sources confirmed that Fulmer expressed interest in the coaching vacancy at Connecticut. After Mike Hamilton stepped down as University of Tennessee athletic director, Fulmer was frequently brought up by Tennessee fans as a potential replacement, but said that he did not consider himself a likely candidate. Fulmer appeared as himself in the 2009 biographical
sports Sport pertains to any form of competitive physical activity or game that aims to use, maintain, or improve physical ability and skills while providing enjoyment to participants and, in some cases, entertainment to spectators. Sports can, ...
drama film In film and television, drama is a category or genre of narrative fiction (or semi-fiction) intended to be more serious than humorous in tone. Drama of this kind is usually qualified with additional terms that specify its particular super- ...
'' The Blind Side''. On May 15, 2012, Fulmer was inducted into the College Football Hall of Fame. Fulmer served as a consultant and special assistant to athletic director Richard Sander at East Tennessee State University, which relaunched a football program it had shut down for financial reasons in 2003. Fulmer became a founding partner at BPV Capital Management in Knoxville. He serves as part of the business development team. On June 20, 2017, it was announced that Fulmer will serve as a special advisor to the University of Tennessee president. On December 1, 2017, following the suspension of John Currie, the previous athletic director at the University of Tennessee, Fulmer was named the new Athletic Director for the university. In April 2018, Fulmer signed a four-year contract extension. In 2018, Fulmer was able to achieve getting the University of Tennessee to #35 in the
NACDA Directors' Cup The NACDA Directors' Cup, known for sponsorship reasons as the NACDA Learfield Directors' Cup or simply as the Directors' Cup, is an award given annually by the National Association of Collegiate Directors of Athletics to the colleges and univer ...
. In 2019, he helped improve Tennessee's standing to #25, their best finish since 2011. Fulmer retired as Athletic Director in 2021. In 2018, Fulmer was named to the 2018 SEC Legends Class, honored at that year's SEC Championship game. In 2019, Fulmer was named East Tennessean of the Year by the East Tennessee Historical Society. In December 2019, Fulmer was named to ESPN's list of their top 150 college football coaches to celebrate the 150th anniversary of the sport. He was named #94.


Family

Fulmer and his wife have three daughters. In addition, Fulmer has a son.


Head coaching record

*Fulmer served as interim coach for the first three games of the 1992 season while Johnny Majors recovered from heart surgery. He was named full-time coach after the 1992 season, and led the team in the 1993 Hall of Fame Bowl. Tennessee credits the first three games of the 1992 regular season and the Hall of Fame Bowl to Fulmer, and the eight games in between to Majors.
^Fulmer's 1993 Tennessee team finished 9–2–1 (6–1–1), but Alabama subsequently forfeited the tie to Tennessee.


See also

*
List of College Football Hall of Fame inductees (coaches) This is a list of College Football Hall of Fame members who have been inducted as coaches. As of the 2017 inductions, 214 individuals have been inducted as coaches since the College Football Hall of Fame was established in 1951. Details Active ...
*
List of NCAA Division I athletic directors The following is a list of NCAA Division I universities in the United States (listed alphabetically by their schools' athletic brand name) and their current athletic director. This list only includes schools playing Division I football or men's b ...
*
List of Tennessee Volunteers head football coaches The Tennessee Volunteers college football team represents the University of Tennessee in the East Division of the Southeastern Conference (SEC). The Vols compete as part of the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) Division I Footba ...
*
List of presidents of the American Football Coaches Association Presidents of the American Football Coaches Association are: According to AFCA tradition officers move up one office each year until becoming president. Notes References {{Reflist * ...


References


External links


Tennessee Volunteers coach profile


* * {{DEFAULTSORT:Fulmer, Phillip 1950 births Living people American football offensive linemen Tennessee Volunteers football coaches Tennessee Volunteers football players Tennessee Volunteers and Lady Volunteers athletic directors Vanderbilt Commodores football coaches Wichita State Shockers football coaches College Football Hall of Fame inductees People from Winchester, Tennessee Coaches of American football from Tennessee Players of American football from Tennessee