Tag: Phillip Fulmer

Phillip Fulmer, Jeremy Pruitt, Vols’ assistant coach contracts and when they expire

Phillip Fulmer, Jeremy Pruitt, Vols’ assistant coach contracts and when they expire.

KNOXVILLE — Four games remain in the 2020 regular season.

Tennessee (2-4, 2-4 SEC) opened the 2020 campaign with wins at South Carolina and against Missouri. The Vols have since lost to Georgia, Kentucky, Alabama and Arkansas.

Ahead of Tennessee’s next contest against Texas A&M at Neyland Stadium Saturday (7:30 p.m. EST, ESPN), Vols Wire takes a look at Director of Athletics Phillip Fulmer, head coach Jeremy Pruitt and the Vols’ assistant coaches contracts and when they expire. Contracts are provided by the University of Tennessee.

Rush Propst discusses the State of the Tennessee program under Jeremy Pruitt

Photo by Dan Harralson, Vols Wire

Phillip Fulmer

  • Through December 31, 2021

NEXT: University of Tennessee football contracts

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Tennessee head coach Jeremy Pruitt receives contract extension

Pruitt saw two more years tacked onto his contract as he heads into his third season in charge.

KNOXVILLE — Tennessee head football coach Jeremy Pruitt received a contract extension on Thursday.

The University of Tennessee announced Pruitt’s extension two days before he kicks off his third season as the Vols’ head coach.

Pruitt’s contract was extended by two years, running through the 2025 season with a salary increase that will see his annual income rise from $3.8 million in 2020 to $4.2 million in 2021.

“I’m excited that this extension gives Jeremy the runway to continue to build on the momentum and energy we have around our football program coming out of last season,” said Tennessee Athletics Director Phillip Fulmer in an official statement. “He has made excellent progress entering just his third year and clearly realizes there is much work still to be done. This extension secures him to continue his efforts to return our program to a championship level and shows our commitment to him, his staff, this team and the future of the Tennessee Volunteers.

“I am very grateful to Chancellor Plowman, our administration and Board of Trustees for their confidence and support as well as their leadership and attentiveness to the future of our overall athletics program.”

Fulmer stated that Pruitt’s extension was intended to be finalized earlier in 2020, but the COVID-19 pandemic halted an announcement.

“Jeremy and I were close to finalizing his extension early this year, but once the pandemic hit and we learned more and more about its potential impact on the department, Jeremy informed me that he preferred not to accept a raise for this year,” Fulmer said. “His focus quickly shifted to his players and supporting them through a period of interruption and uncertainty. His selflessness and concern for the greater good has been neat to observe through all of this.”

Jan 2, 2020; Jacksonville, Florida, USA; Indiana Hoosiers head coach Tom Allen (left) and Tennessee Volunteers head coach Jeremy Pruitt (right) shake hands as defensive lineman Darel Middleton (97) dunks the coaches after a Tennessee victory over Indiana in the Taxslayer Gator Bowl at TIAA Bank Field. Mandatory Credit: Douglas DeFelice-USA TODAY Sports

Pruitt is 13-12 in his first two seasons with the Vols, improving from a 5-7 campaign in 2018 to 8-5 in 2019, including a TaxSlayer Bowl championship.

“My family and I are grateful for the unwavering commitment the University of Tennessee has made to us,” said Pruitt. “We have worked hard to build our program the right way in a short amount of time, and there is still much work to be done.

“It’s a privilege to coach and mentor the outstanding young men who represent the Tennessee Volunteers. We are excited about the future and will continue to build a program Tennessee fans can be proud of.”

Year No. 3 of the Pruitt era begins Saturday for the Vols. Tennessee kicks off against South Carolina at 7:30 p.m. EDT. The contest will be televised by SEC Network.

Phillip Fulmer’s 2004 media days appearance named No. 1 SEC story

Phillip Fulmer’s 2004 media days appearance named No. 1 SEC story.

Southeastern Conference teams will take the field for the first time Saturday to kick off the 2020 season.

The SEC will play a 10-game league-only schedule due to the coronavirus pandemic. With the 2020 campaign being delayed, an annual SEC football media days did not take place ahead of the season.

Since there was no SEC media days this year, we of the USA TODAY Network coverage team had our own. Part of our coverage was looking back on some of the best stories that have taken place at SEC media days.

(AP Photo/ Haraz Ghanbari).

Former Tennessee head coach and current UT Director of Athletics Phillip Fulmer’s 2004 appearance was No. 1 on the list. Fulmer did not take part in SEC media days in person, as he did virtually via telephone.

1. The speaker phone

Seriously, this was like something out of a “Seinfeld” episode. Phillip Fulmer said he couldn’t come to Media Days because they were waiting for him at the hotel with a subpoena in a lawsuit that had to do with two former Alabama assistants. So he did his news conference, questions and all, through a speaker phone. The amazing thing was that there was still a crowd of mini-cams around the table filming the speaker phone.

The entire list of SEC stories can be read here.

Games at Neyland Stadium could be played before one-quarter capacity

Games at Neyland Stadium could be played before one-quarter capacity.

NASHVILLE — The college football season will certainly look different in 2020 and University of Tennessee athletic director Phillip Fulmer provided some insight on what things could look like at Neyland Stadium in the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic.

At a press conference in Nashville on Tuesday, Fulmer announced plans to limit seating capacity at Volunteers’ home games to “around 25 percent capacity.”

Neyland Stadium currently holds 102,455 and at one-quarter capacity, seating would be restricted to 25,614.

While the Big Ten and Pac-12 have already canceled its season this fall and have hopes of playing in the spring, the Southeastern Conference is looking to play a conference-only slate starting Sept. 26. The SEC is leaving seating capacity guidelines up to its member schools.

Tennessee’s home schedule this season includes games with Missouri (Oct. 3), Kentucky (Oct. 17), Alabama (Oct. 24), Texas A&M (Nov.14) and Florida (Dec. 5).

Former Florida State tight end Naseir Upshur tried to join Tennessee’s program

Former Florida State tight end Naseir Upshur tried to join Tennessee’s program.

Former Florida State tight end Naseir Upshur took to Twitter Tuesday and discussed his attempt to join the Tennessee Volunteers’ football program.

Upshur, who was planning on walking on at Tennessee, said UT Director of Athletics Phillip Fulmer prevented him from joining the program.

“I got accepted to Tennessee was gone walk on for a semester was excited for my second chance,” the former Florida State tight end said on Twitter. “Got there and the athletic director said he heard I was a bad kid and couldn’t take me! Nobody can vouch that ima a bad kid, I brought life to FSU everyday!”

Upshur totaled four receptions for 53 yards during his 26-game career with the Seminoles.

Phillip Fulmer releases statement on Neyland Stadium game attendance

Phillip Fulmer releases statement on Neyland Stadium game attendance.

KNOXVILLE — The Southeastern Conference will play only league games during the 2020 football season.

The start of the season is slated for Sept. 26 and the SEC championship game is scheduled for Dec. 19. A revised 10-game schedule for the 2020 SEC football season will be announced at a later date following approval by the Conference’s athletics directors.

Tennessee Director of Athletics Phillip Fulmer discussed the SEC’s scheduling decision, as well as plans for attendance at Neyland Stadium.

UT press release:

Today’s announcement by the Southeastern Conference provides important clarity as it relates to the 2020 football season. The league office is currently developing a revised schedule.

A tremendous amount of thought and discussion went into making what we believe is a responsible decision on scheduling format, and it’s exciting to be making progress toward competition. Our student-athletes and coaches are working hard to prepare while prioritizing health and safety. There are still several logistical unknowns, but we appreciate Vol Nation being patient and sticking with us as we continue to work through these unique circumstances.

Our next important reference point is a decision on capacity at Neyland Stadium. We plan to coordinate with state and local officials on gameday attendance, understanding that potential limitations could change from week to week once the season begins. This underscores the importance of the public practicing healthy habits statewide.

We’ve been working through plans for several different capacity scenarios and ticket allocation strategies and aim to communicate specifics once details are finalized.

Conversations remain ongoing at the NCAA and conference level regarding fall plans for Olympic sports.

 

Vols’ football history 1992-2008: Head coach Phillip Fulmer

Vols’ football history 1992-2008: Head coach Phillip Fulmer

KNOXVILLE — Tennessee football is rich in tradition and Vols Wire will explore the program by examining each head coach’s tenure.

This installment will recap Phillip Fulmer’s time as head coach in Big Orange Country.

Fulmer was head coach at Tennessee from 1992-2008. He is one of the top coaches in the great history of UT’s program.

He played for the Vols and was an assistant coach under Johnny Majors at UT.

Fulmer first became interim head coach in 1992 when Majors was sidelined with heart problems. The former Vol coached UT in the first three games that year, going 3-0 and posting wins over Southwestern Louisiana, Georgia and Florida.

Majors returned and finished the season, going 6-3 with consecutive losses to Alabama, Arkansas and South Carolina, after beating LSU in his first game back on the sideline. The losses to the Crimson Tide and Razorbacks came in the friendly confines of Neyland Stadium.

The Vols rebounded to beat Memphis State, Kentucky and Vanderbilt before Majors was forced out.

Fulmer was named head coach on Nov. 29, 1992, and guided UT to a victory over Boston College in the Hall of Fame Bowl.

Tennessee enjoyed some of its best years under Fulmer, who went 152-52 in his career. He won five Southeastern Conference Eastern Division championships (1997, 1998, 2001, 2004 and 2007). He also nabbed a pair of consecutive conference titles in 1997 and 1998.

In 1998, he guided the Vols to a perfect 13-0 record and the 1998 national championship with a win over Florida State in the Fiesta Bowl. Tennessee won the first BCS championship.

He had two losing seasons on Rocky Top, going 5-6 in 2005 and 5-7 in 2008.

The College Football Hall of Famer was fired in 2008 and told during homecoming week he would not return as coach.

His tenure ended with back-to-back wins over Vanderbilt and Kentucky.

His departure, much like Majors’ was bitter, but he is now the school’s athletics director.

Phillip Fulmer discusses confidence in upcoming football season

Phillip Fulmer discusses confidence in upcoming football season.

KNOXVILLE – With the sports world still seemingly in flux, whether or not college football will be in full swing this fall remains to be seen.

Even if teams take the field, fan presence in stadiums will be a huge question mark due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

Tennessee Director of Athletics Phillip Fulmer joined Nashville sports radio station 104.5 The Zone’s Midday 180 on Wednesday, providing context on how UT will approach the college football season.

Fulmer remained positive about the prospect of spectators being in Neyland Stadium, but warned fans to take precautions in order for that to happen.

“I am confident,” said Fulmer when asked about his confidence level of football happening this fall. “I don’t think anybody knows exactly yet what that will look like.

“We’re planning on a full stadium and adjust from there. If we don’t, we’re in trouble. It’s easier to adjust down than adjust up. Hopeful that the trend will turn back down after it’s turned up in our country in places. Bend the curve back down and we can all participate if we want to.”

Tennessee football: Players who wore No. 65

Tennessee football: Players who wore No. 65

KNOXVILLE — The University of Tennessee has a proud football program rich in tradition and history, and over the years many great players have played on Rocky Top.

Vols Wire looks at which players wore each jersey number for the Volunteers.

No. 65

The number goes back to 1937 in Big Orange football history. It was first worn by Bonnie Hodge.

Hodge, a halfback for the Vols, sported the number for one season. It was later worn by Steve DeLong, Phillip Fulmer and Jacques McClendon, who have all made their marks in football.

DeLong, a guard at UT, is a College Football Hall of Famer and a two-time All-American. He won the Outland Trophy in 1964 and went on to have a stellar pro career in both the American and National Football Leagues.

Fulmer was an offensive guard for Tennessee from 1968-71, playing for coaches Doug Dickey and Bill Battle on Rocky Top.

Following his time as a player on the gridiron for the Vols, Fulmer became a student assistant coach on Battle’s staff from 1972-73.

In 1974, the Winchester, Tennessee native went on to Wichita State, where he coached the offensive line and linebackers for the Shockers from 1974-78.

He returned to the Volunteer State in 1979, serving as an assistant coach for Vanderbilt.

In 1980, he joined head coach Johnny Majors as an assistant at Tennessee. He was an assistant at his alma mater from 1980-92, serving as the offensive line coach from 1980-88.

He took over as offensive coordinator and retained his duties as offensive line coach until 1992.

In 1992, Fulmer was appointed interim head coach while Majors was hospitalized. He went 3-0 with wins over Southwestern Louisiana, Georgia and Florida before Majors returned and the Vols finished 9-3.

Majors was forced to resign in 1992 and Fulmer was named head coach.

The College Football Hall of Famer guided the Vols to the first BCS national championship in 1998. He was named Coach of the Year by multiple outlets that season. He also won a pair of Southeastern Conference titles in his career and finished with a record of 152-52-1. He was fired in 2008.

McClendon played at UT from 2006-09. He played in the NFL between 2010-16 for Indianapolis, Detroit, Jacksonville and Miami. The former center in now working for the Los Angeles Rams as the team’s Director of Player Engagement.

All-time players to wear No. 65 at Tennessee:

Bonnie Hodge (1937)

Paul Clark (1939)

Albert “Al” Rotella (1941-42, 1946-47)

Bill Padgett (1945)

John Elkins (1948)

Frank “Boomer” Boring (1948, 1950-51)

Tom Hensley (1952-53)

Bill Hubbard (1954)

Dick Piontkowski (1955)

Bobby Urbano (1956-58)

Paul Inglett (1959-61)

Steve DeLong (1962-64)

Ron Molaskey (1965)

Charles Rosenfelder (1966-68)

Phillip Fulmer (1969-71)

Larry Satterfield (1972-74)

Glenn Tucker (1975-78)

John Gorence (1979)

Mark Furnas (1981-82)

Robby Scott (1983-86)

Patrick Lenoir (1988-91)

Robert Poole (1994-97)

Dan Stacey (2000-01)

Brandon Jefferies (2003)

Jacques McClendon (2006-09)

Joseph Ayres (2010-11)

Jacob Gilliam (2012-14)

Clay Keaton (2015)

Parker Ball (2019)

*Source: 2019 Tennessee Football Media Guide

Phillip Fulmer: Johnny Majors ‘gave many of us coaches our start in big-time college football’

Phillip Fulmer: Johnny Majors ‘gave many of us coaches our start in big-time college football’

PODCAST: In his own words, the life of Johnny Majors

KNOXVILLE — Former Tennessee player and head coach Johnny Majors died Wednesday.

He was 85.

Tennessee Director of Athletics Phillip Fulmer served as an assistant under Majors from 1980-92.

Fulmer released a statement regarding Majors’ passing.

“It’s a sad day,” Fulmer said in a UT press release. “He gave many of us coaches our start in big-time college football. He mentored us, pushed us and allowed us to be part of the proud resurgence of Tennessee football.

“He touched and changed many lives for the good, and our thoughts are with his family, former players and great fans who are remembering him today.”