Vols Look Forward as Fullmer Steps Down

Phillip Fulmer "stepped down" as head coach at the University of Tennessee yesterday after 17 seasons on the Volunteers sideline. Fulmer, of course, was for all intents and purposes fired and admitted at his press conference that it wasn't his decision to step down from coaching his alma mater. But in the midst of its third losing season in five years and with attendance dwindling, the program clearly needs a new direction. Really, it isn't about whether or not Fulmer can coach anymore--we all know he can (just not as great as he once used to and not as great as people thought he ever could)--it's about the product on the field not being a valuable asset to the school anymore; in other words, it's about money. Dwindling attendance is a result of apathy from the fans. Disinterested fans not coming to ballgames means less money for the university. Come on people, this is the NCAA after all. The talent level on the Tennessee roster clearly has diminished in recent years. Could they compete with teams like Ole Miss, Vanderbilt and South Carolina with Fullmer? Maybe, sure. But this is Tennessee, and Fulmer once led them to a national championship. There are great aspirations in Knoxville. This situation is different from Clemson's, in that Tommy Bowden wasn't winning with a boatload of talent, while Fulmer wasn't winning because of a lack of talent. The fact of the matter is that the Tennessee players taking the field week in and week out have not been of the same caliber in recent years as they were in the late 90's and earlier this decade. Perhaps former USC recruiting guru Lane Kiffin could be the guy to reinvigorate the Tennessee program. And perhaps Fullmer would be a good fit at Clemson. Terry Don Phillips, are you reading this?