Phil Fulmer and old tricks known well by Alabama football fans

The acrimony between Phil Fulmer and Alabama football fans goes back decades. Phil is back to old tricks, that Tide fans know well.

In 2004, Phil Fulmer declined to attend SEC media days in Hoover, AL. Fulmer and Alabama football had an acrimonious relationship going back to 2000 when Fulmer allegedly approached the NCAA and accused the Tide football program of cheating.

After Alabama football was placed on probation in 2002, Tide assistant coaches Ronnie Cottrell and Ivy Williams filed libel lawsuits against the NCAA. An Alabama subpoena was issued to require Fulmer to be deposed by the plaintiff lawyers. Fulmer avoided the subpoena by staying out of Alabama instead incurring a ten thousand dollar fine by the SEC for not attending Media Days.

Treachery and deceit are weapons often employed in conflicts driven by intense passions. Coaches attempting to do harm to opponents off the field did not begin with Phil Fulmer. As reported by ESPN, Fulmer’s stated position on talking to the NCAA was

"As one of several coaches contacted by the NCAA regardingthese serious violations by a small group of boosters, my responsewas honest, in line with our code of conduct, and the right thingto do."

As reported by al.com, Wendell Smith an Alabama football booster

"was charged by the NCAA in 2002 with paying $10,000 to former Alabama blue-chip signee Kenny Smith (no relation) to entice him in signing with the Crimson Tide."

Kenny Smith did not qualify academically and eventually signed with Tennessee. The Smith issue and the recruitment of  Albert Means, improperly enticed by Alabama booster Logan Young, led to a five-year probation and stiff penalties for the Tide.

Alabama fans believe Tennessee cheated under Fulmer

Alabama fans have never forgiven Fulmer for what was believed to be a Fulmer-led conspiracy to damage Alabama football. Further rankling Tide fans during Fulmer’s Tennessee head coaching tenure were frequent accusations of NCAA violations by some of the Vols most fervent boosters.

One of those boosters, Roy ‘Tenn Stud’ Adams reportedly admitted to paying players at Tennessee and other schools. He was investigated by the NCAA but never found culpable. The Commercial Appeal reported on Adams’ attitude about NCAA rules,

"“I knew the NCAA rules. I just didn’t care for them.”"

Like most claims about cheating in college football, the truth about Adams and Fulmer remains unknown. There is, however, more to the Phil Fulmer story that is widely believed and is relevant to the current soap opera surrounding Tennessee football.

Fulmer new Acting Athletic Director at Tennessee

Almost immediately after the one-day Tennessee Athletic Director vacancy was filled by Phil Fulmer in an ‘acting’ capacity, old Fulmer stories erupted. Multiple media members commented that John Currie’s exit was orchestrated by Fulmer. Check out this tweet from Pete Thamel.

The gist of these reports was that Fulmer worked to block every potential hire developed by Currie. Thamel went on to report,

"Fulmer was fired (probably unwisely) in 2008, and he’s never really moved on. He’s still in Knoxville and still wants to throw his weight around, to the point that many people believe he actively undercut Currie during this search."

Phil Fulmer and Johnny Majors

Undercutting or accusations of it have followed Phil Fulmer for years. As an assistant to Tennessee football legend, Johnny Majors, Fulmer lobbied to be named Majors’ replacement. Ambitious assistant coaches too often discard loyalty for promotion. Alabama football fans can remember when both Bill Oliver and Mike Dubose were believed to have been active enablers of an Alabama administration that made coaching untenable for Gene Stallings.

In the Fulmer-Majors saga, Johnny was vulnerable due to health problems and some seedy rumors that we choose to not detail. It was a window of opportunity for Fulmer and pushing his boss aside seemed to carry no risk.

It certainly worked out better for Phil Fulmer and Tennessee than it did for Mike Dubose and Alabama. Fulmer had a great run as the Vols head coach including the 1998 national championship.

In fairness, some national media members were optimistic about Fulmer as the Acting Athletic Director,

Agreeing with Thamel or Low does not much matter to Tennesse fans. The Volunteers program has been tarnished by coaching debacles and the recent hiring embarrassment. Most Tennessee fans view Fulmer as a redeemer.

What coach wants to work for Phil?

We wonder, given the current condition of Tennessee football, who wants to be Phil’s lapdog? Could it be with Fulmer’s history that as much as he loves Tennessee football, he loves Phil Fulmer more? As in a lot more. Does he want to micro-manage the next Vols coach? And if that next coach struggles, will Fulmer back him at the risk of his Tennessee legacy?

From the bottom of Butch Jones’ trashcan, the only direction for Tennessee football is up. But that direction carries no assurance of conference championships, much less national relevance. We could be wrong, but Jon Gruden is not going to suddenly decide to work for Phil Fulmer and neither will Peyton Manning.

A good football coach, without undue interference, can rebuild Tennessee football. Based on the old tricks of Phil Fulmer, how many coaching candidates will risk being dictated to or undermined by their athletic director?

Next: 10 Reasons Vols Hatred Runs Deep

There was a time many years ago when the respect for Alabama coaches and General Robert Neyland was stronger than any disdain shared by fans. For Wallace Wade, Frank Thomas and Bear Bryant, beating a Neyland team was a treasured memory. Though Bryant never topped Neyland as a coach. For Neyland the respect was mutual.