Fulmer's Way

Tennessee's head man explains his career and program.
by: Victoria Jacobs-Gray, Ph.D.
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In Knoxville, Phillip Fulmer Way intersects with Peyton Manning Pass right in front of the main entrance to Neyland Stadium. But, no one really needs directions to the famed shrine of college football that has seen Phil Fulmer emerge as one of the nation's top collegiate coaches. Tennessee appreciates their favorite son. His face graces the covers of books and magazines and now the street that leads loyal Volunteer fans to the football stadium has been renamed in his honor.

The 1998 National Championship team at Tennessee was called a team with a destiny. Many writers predicted a rebuilding year, but Tennessee surprised the pundits with a perfect 13-0 season. Along the way, Coach Fulmer earned the titles of National Coach of the Year, and the Southeastern Conference Coach of the year. He has a 67-11-0 record with a 5-2-0 bowl record. His .85897 % winning record have earned recognition as the Winningest Active Football Coach.

As a man who has spent all except four years of his life in Tennessee he is well-acquainted with the rich Tennessee tradition and the coaching styles of his previous mentors. Nevertheless he has chosen to define himself and his program in a way that is as unique as he is. This is a man who realizes that he cannot live two lives. He also realizes that the student athletes can't either. He explains that coaches are teachers and must teach their students. This means meeting the needs for student athlete growth on and off the field, academically, socially, and spiritually as well as athletically. Families are a part of the balance his program offers his athletes and staff. It is interesting that he didn't plan to be a coach; coaching was an unexpected opportunity. What could be a better combination than a team with a destiny coached by a man with a destiny.

Q. When did you decide you wanted to be a coach; was it something you always wanted to do?

A. I was at school at UT and realized I probably wasn't going to be a professional football player, which was something I'd always wanted to do. When I came to school I was in pre-dentistry, but didn't particularly like the chemistry. Then I wasn't sure what I wanted to do. I graduated on time. I had an academic scholarship for my graduate studies, but had to go back and take some undergraduate courses in political science to get into law school. In the interim, Coach Bill Battle asked me to help out while I was going to school: I loved it! I really, really enjoy being around the coaches, the players, the planning, the recruiting; and, at that point, I thought this might be something I really wanted to do. I had no idea at what level I thought I wanted to be in college, but high school would have been okay. I was 22, in my first semester of graduate school when Jim White, UT's offensive coordinator, got the job at Wichita State and offered me a job. I was really fortunate; I really just got into coaching.

Q. So for you there is no life without football?

A. It would be different. I've always felt like I could do other things, if I enjoyed it and wanted to do it. My problem is that I would want to do it well. Whatever it would have been, I'd have to have been totally into it. I certainly haven't looked back. I've enjoyed it.

Q. You've said that you don't want your team to carry the satisfaction of their past success [the 98 National Championship] into this season. What did you do to keep them hungry and humble?

A. We stayed with the routine. The expectations have stayed the same socially, academically, as well as the workouts. If anything we worked harder this Spring and Summer than we did last year, to make sure they knew that we as coaches were serious about our jobs. Our consistency let them know that we're not satisfied. We're not just fat and happy and glad to be here; it reflects in them. We spent a lot of time with our seniors and our upperclassmen, particularly our captains. It's not just what they say, but how they go about being leaders. Thus far it has been very good.

Q. I've heard that you had a sign placed in the dressing room that read "0 and 13 to go" at the beginning of spring practice.

A.We did that right after winning the championship. We didn't wait until spring practice. That's the approach we're taking. Last year was great and wonderful. We're very happy about that, but this is this year and this year's team will stand on its own two feet.

Q.Are you optimistic about another championship?

A. We're optimistic every year. That's what we compete for is another championship. In the last four years, we haven't been a team that shouldn't compete for a championship. Physically, we're gifted. We've got good leadership, but we've still got to play the games for the wins. That's always our first thought to win the SEC East, and then the SEC. Then, if you win the SEC you're going to be in the National Championship picture somewhere.

Q. Are your athletes as focused in the academic arena with the same desire to do well?

A.I don't have any question that they're all related to each other. If a kid is motivated on the field, then he should be motivated socially and academically. He should think, "If I can be an A student, I shouldn't be happy with a C. I should be trying to make an A or at least a B." Now if I'm a C student and that's all I can make; then, that's okay if I've given my best effort. We go to great lengths, not just monitoring their academic progress. With a large group of guys, it's time consuming, but we monitor daily for class attendance and tutorial attendance. From our standpoint, it's hammered all the time. But you've always got a few players that you've got to keep you're thumb on. It's amazing with these guys, if they turn the corner, they become you're best ambassadors. There's no reason for them not to have success; the support system is there.

If they go to class and give the effort and they don't make it, you feel like you've failed if they don't make it. If a kid gets himself into academic trouble, there's the position coach that should be responsible and accountable, the recruiting coach, and, finally there's me, as well as the academic support system. Somewhere we've failed the kid if he's been giving the effort, going to class and those kinds of things. You can't save them all, but most of the time, we have good success.

We've just had three kids come back and graduate. Reggie Cobb who last attended here in '89. Mose Phillips who left here in '94, and Nilo Silvan who attended shortly after that. All three got their degrees. We supported that, paid for their school-ten years later.

It's good that we can financially afford to do that. It's also good that our administration supports this policy. That's the business we're really in. The bottom-line is for those kids to have an opportunity for a better life because they've been in our program.

Q. Many people have talked about your concern for the by the spiritual growth of your team members. Any comments?

A. I think it goes back to the overall leadership issue. I started a chapel program here my first year and there were six people at the first meeting. Now we have a chapel program on Friday night or Saturday morning before the game and there will be 60 or 70 people there; that tells you something. We've had guys who were great spiritual leaders. For example, Jeff Hall [kicker] was outstanding. John Stecky our strength and conditioning coach is wonderful. He spends so much time with them while we're off recruiting and doing other things. He provides the foundation because he sees them every day. That isn't anything I asked them to do; that's something they wanted to do. I'm really encouraged about the spiritual growth of our football team. We have a lot of involvement with the Fellowship of Christian Athletes, Campus Crusade, Athletes in Action and other groups. This summer some of them did their own Bible study. We have different speakers that we have come in. I think we're reaching them[the team]. That makes you feel something positive is happening and that's good.

Q. As the longtime O-line coach, do you miss the contact with the offensive line?

A. I do, but like I tell [offensive line coach] Mike Barry all the time, "I'm the best assistant line coach in the country." I can go down and help him anyway I want, anytime I want. We talk about it; he gives me his ideas about things to do. Of course, I can have input anytime. I get to work with them and have a rapport with these guys. They're a special group of guys because they're in an unselfish position. Nobody knows too much about them until they don't do well. Let them give up a sack and everybody knows them. The fans may have to look up their name in the program, but the fans know who they are.

I've also filled in and established other relationships with other members of the team. That's the hardest part of the job-trying to satisfy everybody. There are so many demands and time limitations that sometimes you don't get as close to all of them as you'd like to. Over a period of time, it's possible to develop a good relationship. The young ones [freshmen], I was just in their homes while they were being recruited. You try to keep a personal relationship and know what's going on in their lives. You can't be afraid to pick up the phone and get help from mom if you need it. But yes to answer your question; yes, I do miss it.

Q. You'd certainly have to [miss it]. You had a fine reputation as an offensive line coach.

A.I'm far enough removed now though-seven years, that's a long time to not coach a position. It's not nearly as bad as it was initially.

Q. Is your recruiting policy to look for people to fill particular positions or do you look for the best qualified athletes and plan to train them?

A. Both. With the scholarship limitations we have, it's important to fill positions and needs like quarterback. We also try to project. If they're really good athletes, we may project them to be in other positions if that's where we need them to be. We try to mix the two. We can't just take all great athletes. Sometimes you have to recruit by position. The best players are team players. Al Wilson was a really outstanding tailback in high school. Raynoch Thompson was a strong safety. Eric Westmoreland was a free safety. All three of them played linebacker in college. Cosey Coleman was one of the top defensive linemen coming out of high school; now he's one of the best offensive linemen around. He was good on defense, but he's great on offense. So we've found the best spot for them and it fits our needs.

Q. What advice would you give to somebody who wants to consider coaching as a career?

A. First and foremost, understand the dedication that it will take. It's really no any different than any other field you might choose. If you want to be the best, you have to spend time. There has to be an understanding wife and family involved. Somebody who understands that you can't live two lives: the family life and this [coaching] life. So it's important to find a mate that understands and enjoys athletics. Don't forget the kids-sometimes I've seen coaches who want to impress themselves, players, and peers so much that they belittle kids. I really hate to see that particularly at the jr. High and high school level. That doesn't mean that you can't expect the best from them, but there's a rapport and a relationship that they want to give. Those two things are real important. Study the game. There's a lot more to it than people realize.

Fundamentals of it [the game], don't loose sight of it. A lot of time people want to scheme everybody with X's and O's and defenses. That's not really what it's about. It's about who can block and tackle, secure the football and do things fundamentally that you have to do to win.

Q. If you had the opportunity to ask yourself a question, what would it be?

A.I might ask something like, "How do you manage the distractions that come up during the course of trying to run the overall program?"

There are so many people trying to pull at your time and only so many hours in the day. That's a key. I have good people around me; I have good support. I tell them I want to coach and recruit. I don't want to be a pencil pusher doing administrative things all the time.

If you're not careful, you'll lose sight of the most important things: your family, the players and the coaches. If you're not careful, it will be the alumni, fundraising, or media, or whatever that can become a tremendous distraction. We've tried hard not to let that happen.

We teach our players the importance of time management. We have orientation for all freshmen. We cover everything that can be a pitfall for college players. If they'll pay attention, it's a good orientation. Typically, we cover females, academics, time management, agents, gambling, alcohol, drugs, AIDS, and all the other things that all young people have to deal with. But, it's all magnified because of their limitations with time or their status as athletes. It's the same things we work on as a staff prioritization and time management.
Fulmer, a life-long Vol, has seen his dreams come true coaching his alma mater and winning the National Championship.

Fulmer's File

Playing Career: Offensive Guard, Tennessee 1968-71

Coaching Career: Tennessee 1972-73; Witchita State 1974-78; Vanderbilt 1979; Tennessee 1980-1991; Head Coach 1992-Present.

Fulmer's Head Coaching
Record at Tennessee

Season Won Lost Pct. Bowl
1992 4 0 1.000 Hall of Fame
1993 10 2 .833 CompUSA Citrus
1994 8 4 .667 Outback Gator
1995 11 1 .916 CompUSA Citrus
1996 10 2 .833 CompUSA Citrus
1997 11 2 .846 FedEx Orange
1998 13 0 1.000 Tostitos Fiesta
Totals 67 11 .859

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