The Absolute Worst Time to Fire Pillip Fulmer

by Smart Enough Not to Tell
(Knoxville, TN)

Head Coach Phillip Fulmer

After the 6th loss this season to South Carolina last night, coached by Tennessee fans' arch-nemesis Steve Spurrier, calls for Phil Fulmer's job on a platter have reached fever pitch. Pressure on the Athletic Department to make a change is being applied liberally by fans and major boosters alike. Many assume that action is highly likely.

Nothing could be more wrong-headed for UT Men's AD Mike Hamilton to do.

It's going to cost the University of Tennessee athletic department $6 Million to fire Phil Fulmer as Head Coach of UT Football. This, in the worst budget crisis the University of Tennessee has experienced -- $31,100,000 in budget cuts, effecting the academics and student services of the University the worst -- as part of the latest $106,000,000 budget cut announced by the State in early October (Commissioner Dave Goetz' Letter to UT President John Peterson).

So while it's great fun for Vols fans to gripe about Fulmer, and even more fun for us to cheer on the Vols when they're winning, what many are clamoring for (Fulmer's job) is fiscal foolishness of world class proportions. Boosters will be asked to make up that 6 million, plus the multiple $millions needed to fund the next coach, who will definitely NOT have an overall winning record anywhere close to that of Fulmer. That money could go to much greater benefit within the academic services of UT -- or to any number of worthy causes for that matter.

I challenge anyone to make an argument that says firing Fulmer is more important than putting that money towards something else, or simply not spending it at this moment.