All for Tennessee
Fansided

3 Tough decisions Phillip Fulmer could face by 2021

By Billy Williford

COLUMBIA, SC - NOVEMBER 01: Head coach Phillip Fulmer of the Tennessee Volunteers watches on from the sidelines against the South Carolina Gamecocks during their game at Williams-Brice Stadium on November 1, 2008 in Columbia, South Carolina. (Photo by Streeter Lecka/Getty Images)
COLUMBIA, SC - NOVEMBER 01: Head coach Phillip Fulmer of the Tennessee Volunteers watches on from the sidelines against the South Carolina Gamecocks during their game at Williams-Brice Stadium on November 1, 2008 in Columbia, South Carolina. (Photo by Streeter Lecka/Getty Images) /
facebooktwitterreddit
PASADENA, CA – SEPTEMBER 01: Head coach Phillip Fulmer of the University of Tennessee Volunteers waits with his team to take the field before the game with the UCLA Bruins on September 1, 2008, at the Rose Bowl in Pasadena, California. UCLA won 27-24 in the first overtime. (Photo by Stephen Dunn/Getty Images)
PASADENA, CA – SEPTEMBER 01: Head coach Phillip Fulmer of the University of Tennessee Volunteers waits with his team to take the field before the game with the UCLA Bruins on September 1, 2008, at the Rose Bowl in Pasadena, California. UCLA won 27-24 in the first overtime. (Photo by Stephen Dunn/Getty Images) /

Athletic Director, Phillip Fulmer signs a four-year contract that lasts until December 31, 2021. During that time Fulmer could face some tough decisions within the athletic department.

Must Read: 10 players to watch in Vols spring game

Tennessee fans are smiling with huge grins on their faces today as one of their own signs a four-year contract. The new deal will keep Vol legend, Phillip Fulmer running the athletic department for the next four years.

No one can question the love, Fulmer has for the University of Tennessee but for potential $1,000,000 a year who wouldn’t love Tennessee?

So now that Fulmer is in charge and the writing is in ink, the road ahead does not seem straightforward though. In fact, there are a couple of tough decides that Fulmer might have to make before his contract is up.

1. What to do with Holly Warlick?

Fellow editor, Caleb Calhoun, wrote a piece about the extension talk for Holly Warlick. Calhoun brought up some excellent points, one being Warlick has no Final Four appearances in six years and two straight second-round exits in the NCAA Tournament. That is baffling considering how Pat Summitt took the Lady Vols program to untouchable levels.

But, that is my point, I know fans are disappointed with Warlick and the lack of success, but she is following the greatest, most influential basketball coach of all time. I tend to think an argument could be made that Summitt is the greatest coach in any sport of all time. She was that amazing.

But, it is a “what have you done for me lately” society and Warlick has not done much. However, Fulmer is someone who values stability and understands the purpose of it.

Stability is critical but at the end of the day you have to win ball games, or fans will stop coming to the games and stop supporting. If Warlick does not find a way to rally the troops in the next two seasons, Fulmer could be tested with a difficult decision.

2. What if Rick Barnes retires?

What a job Rick Barnes has done with the Tennessee basketball program. He came in rolled up his sleeves by recruiting players to develop and boom, what a year it was for the baller Vols.

Tennessee finished 26-9 (13-5 SEC) this season with a Regular Season Co-Champs title and an appearance in the SEC Championship Game at the SEC Tournament. The team also received a three seed in the NCAA Tournament, and we all know how that ended…..Sister Jean had a curse on the tournament for a few games.

This season should still be considered a success which also saw the sweep of the Kentucky Wildcats for the first time since the 1999 season and the first time Tennessee beat Kentucky in Rupp Arena since the 2006 season.

With everyone except James Daniel III returning, everything is great in the world of basketball on Rocky Top. But, Barnes has been coaching since the 1977-78 as an assistant. And, his first head coaching job was in 1987-88 at George Mason. If you struggle with math as I do, that is 31 years being a head coach.

What if Tennessee wins the National Championship next year? Would Barnes retire? I think so. Which don’t laugh, Tennessee will have an outstanding shot to win it all next season.

What if Tennessee makes a Final Four run next year and then another in Grant Williams’ senior season. Would Barnes retire after back-to-back Final Fours? It would not be surprising.

So, where would Fulmer turn? Maybe, Steve Forbes? He is killing it at East Tennessee State University. Since 2015, Forbes has a 76-29 record at ETSU and appears to continue to be steady on the recruiting trail.

Fulmer should go ahead and make Forbes coaching in waiting so no other college sweeps him up before the Vols can.

3. What if Jeremy Pruitt does not succeed?

Let’s start off by saying that Jeremy Pruitt seems to be the right man for the Tennessee football job. He understands the traditional values of lifelong Tennessee fans and is a defensive-minded football coach which only bolds well in the SEC.

However, success might not happen immediately, and I know Vols fans are so sick and tired of hearing the terms “rebuilding” or “trust the process,” but fans will have to be patient a while longer.

Pruitt is not feeding fans with those bullcrap terms, he wants to win as soon as possible and is going to do everything in his power to make that happen.

Next: 5 3-stars who could shine for Vols

What if Pruitt struggles in his first two years? Will year three put him on the hot seat? There is a lot of questions in that decision, and I can’t read Fulmer’s mind, but I would let it play out as long as I could. Jeremy Pruitt along with Phillip Fulmer will make Tennessee football great again.

Home/Tennessee Volunteers