Fulmer Gone

ESPN is reporting that Fulmer is out. My friend Micah asked me (jokingly) if my happiness at the news reflected a lack of loyalty. I (in all seriousness) don't think so; the Vols have been in such a steady decline for so long that there was no reason to think that he was the guy to lead them out. After this year, they'll have missed out on a bowl twice in four years, after 16 seasons in a row without fail. I think that most teams (especially in the NFL) are way too eager to fire the guy who happens to be at the helm when a lot of other stuff goes wrong; for instance, how is it Lovie Smith's fault that the Bears haven't been better given all the defensive injuries and Tank Johnson they've had, not to mention the JV quarterback play over the past five years? (I know Smith wasn't fired, but it was silly that he was on the hot seat.) I also think most organizations that stick with a competent coach over the long haul are rewarded (think of the long-term success of Cowher's Steelers and Fisher's Titans).

But Fulmer has had chance after chance to guide UT out of its doldrums, to once again recruit players on the level of Peyton Manning, Shaun Ellis, Leonard Little, Al Wilson, Chad Clifton, Cosey Coleman, Jamal Lewis, Jason Witten, Deon Grant, Donte Stallworth, Albert Hayneworth, John Henderson, et cetera. The players who've arrived in Knoxville since around 2001 simply don't compare with the group listed above. The Vols under Fulmer never excelled because of an ingenious system or an exceptional dedication to football fundamentals; it was always due mainly to recruiting, and he hasn't been able to do so successfully in one of the country's greatest settings for college football for the better part of a decade. Consequently, the teams have gotten a lot worse. How can you not lay that at the coach's feet?