Why Tennessee can thank Phil Fulmer (sort of) for it's football revival | Whitley
“We had to destroy the village in order to save it.”
So (supposedly) said a U.S. Army commander who decided to shell a Vietnamese town to keep the Vietcong from taking it. Apparently, Phil Fulmer is a student of military history
He didn’t just save Tennessee’s football program by destroying it, Fulmer inadvertently put it on a fast-track to national prominence. That became clear last week when the NCAA found the Vols guilty of 18 Level 1 violations under ex-coach Jeremy Pruitt.
It fined UT $8 million, reduced scholarships and did some other wrist-slapping. The Vols escaped NCAA jail and will continue the amazing recovery from the dumpster fire that had raged in Knoxville since 2008.
That’s when Fulmer was fired, which led to a revolving door of terrible hires. It culminated with Jeremy Pruitt, who promptly tried to cheat his way to the top.
He was hired by Fulmer, who’d returned as athletic director. His main qualifications were winning the 1998 national championship and a keen ability to look the other way.
Fulmer resigned the day Pruitt was fired. Three days later, UCF’s Danny White was hired as athletic director. He’s proven to be one of the best in the business.
White’s first move was hiring Josh Heupel from UCF. The Rocky Top Renaissance was on. There are two schools of thought here:
After years of coaching and administrative incompetence at UT, Fulmer knew a total reboot was needed. New coach, new leadership, new culture, new everything. He shrewdly played 4-D chess, knowing the Vols would eventually come out of the scandal way ahead.
2. Fulmer was a buffoon completely in over his head.
I’d go with 2.
Either way, Tennessee’s athletic village has been totally and impressively refurbished. And it wouldn’t have happened if Fulmer hadn’t taken a torch to it…
Fulmer eyed Napier: Florida football coach Billy Napier was on Tennessee's wish list, email states
Whodunnit?: Florida football: UFPD investigating burglary at Heavener Center
Stud of the Week: Sabrina Ionescu
For breaking the WNBA and NBA records for most points in a 3-point shooting contest during the WNBA’s All-Star Weekend. The NBA should invite her to the 3-point contest at its next All-Star Weekend, along with the winner of the WNBA dunk contest.
Stud II: LSU cheesecake gymnast Olivia Dunne.
The NIL queen revealed she made $500,000 for a single Instagram post, proving once again that nothing pays like being a cute blonde…
Stud III: Buchholz’s math team, which won its 15th national championship in 16 years. If high school academics had NIL, the Bobcats would all be Olivia Dunnes…
Stud IV: Fried chicken. A poll found that it is now more popular than fish and chips in the United Kingdom. Who says American culture is in decline?...
Dud of the Week: MLB All-Star uniforms
Players wore Seattle-themed American League or National League duds that were apparently designed by a visually impaired Bigfoot. Please bring back the days when players wore their team’s uniforms.
Dud II: The Yankees, who are putting an advertising patch on their uniforms. It’s one thing for the Padres to do it. It’s another to see “Starr Insurance” on pinstripes. How long until we see an ad on the Washington Monument?...
Dud III: The FIFA Women’s World Cup.
Sales are so slow in New Zealand that FIFA is giving away tickets. The TV rights deal came in $100 million short of projections.
In response, FIFA is reportedly considering hiring Olivia Dunne to play goalie for every team…
And in other news – Messimania!
Lionel Messi, Miami’s new MLS superstar, was spotted in a Publix last week. The grocery chain sponsors Inter Miami CF, but I don’t care if the outing was staged. There’s something very American about bumping shopping carts with the world’s most famous soccer player…
Trivia: Marketa Vondrousova is A) the runner-up in the WNBA’s 3-point contest, B) the Wimbledon women’s singles champion, C) the manager of the Publix deli where Messi ordered a turkey sub…
WNBA clarification: The league doesn’t actually stage a dunk contest, though Zion Williamson could always re-identify as a female and challenge all comers…
Tennessee Redux: One of the millions of NCAA violations was exceeding the number of coaches. It came when Fulmer, a former All-SEC guard, was watching practice one afternoon and couldn’t resist instructing offensive linemen.
Reminds me of the time Scott Stricklin tried to teach Trinity Thomas how to do a Yurchenko double pike on the vault…
Speaking of Yurchenkos, the Swiss Gymnastics Federation has banned sports photographers from taking “suggestive” photos of gymnasts. No more shots of women spreading their legs during competition.
This pretty much assures Olivia Dunne will not transfer to the University of Zurich…
Trivia answer: B, I think…
Inter Miami CF will pay Messi between $50 million and $60 million a year. That’s more than the combined team salaries of Orlando, Salt Lake City, New York, Montreal and St. Louis. Though it doesn’t quite match what Jeremy Pruitt wanted to spend on Tennessee’s 2018 recruiting class…
This Just In: Zion Williamson has announced he will not transition and enter the WNBA’s slam dunk contest. But he might enter next year’s Nathan’s Hot Dog Eating contest…
That’s about all the space we have for this week’s Whitley’s Believe It or Not. Till next time, if you see Lionel Messi in a Publix, tell him to try the fried chicken. It's always a bargain.
David Whitley is The Gainesville Sun's sports columnist. Contact him at dwhitley@gannett.com. Follow him on Twitter @DavidEWhitley
This article originally appeared on The Gainesville Sun: Phillip Fulmer inadvertently resurrected Tennessee football
