David Cutcliffe reminiscing about his years at Tennessee will have Vol fans misty-eyed

Over a 25-year span, David Cutcliffe held more than half a dozen positions with the Tennessee football program, including quarterbacks coach, offensive coordinator, associate head coach, and more.

While he went on to become the head coach of the Ole Miss Rebels and eventually the Duke Blue Devils, his time with the Tennessee Volunteers was unforgettable, for both him and the Vols.

Cutcliffe played college football for the Alabama Crimson Tide, yet another SEC opponent of the Vols. However, right after his collegiate career, it was clear he wasn't going pro, yet, he had an opportunity to ensure that his time with football wasn't cut short.

"I had developed a friendship with Coach [Phillip] Fulmer when he was an assistant coach at Vanderbilt, and he was recruiting; he signed one of our kids. I was a head high school football coach," Cutcliffe said. "Phillip called me and said, 'Coach [Johnny] Majors wants to fly you up and talk to you about the job. So that's how I ended up at Tennessee."

Majors and Fulmer were, of course, the two legendary head coaches whom Cutcliffe worked under while with the Volunteers. Fulmer led Tennessee to its most recent National Championship (1998) as well as two SEC Championships. Majors led the Vols to three conference titles.

After explaining his path to Knoxville, Cutcliffe went on to talk about how he would have accepted the job for any amount of money: "I accepted without ever asking what he was going to pay me."

"When I got my first check, I went to check with him. I said, 'Excuse me, Coach, what length is this for?' He said, 'That's for a month.' He said, 'It's not healthy for a young, single SEC assistant football coach to make too much money."

Cutcliffe continued the story, saying he eventually went up to Majors to thank him for keeping him healthy, "Coach, I am the healthiest assistant football coach in all of college football, but I need a raise.

"But that's how I ended up at Tennessee, and very fortunate to develop the relationship with Coach Fulmer through those years, and the other coaches that we worked with." 

No, Cutcliffe was never a head coach of the Volunteers. However, he has undeniably become one of the most beloved (if not the most beloved) non-head coaches in Tennessee football history.