Tell me about Fulmer/Majors and what happened

By the time I was old enough to understand what was going on when I was watching the Vols play (1997), the Big Orange train was rolling along full speed. Fulmer was UT football to me as a kid growing up, he was all I knew. It wasn't until I got older that I started hearing/reading about how he backstabbed Majors and took his job way back in 1992. And obviously, the hatred/animosity seems to still be pretty strong between the two now, 22 years later.

I've read a lot of things about this and there's always a split with very strong opinions on both sides.

So for those of you older Tennessee fans that can remember what was going on back then, spill it. I want to learn. Was Fulmer really working like heck behind the scenes to pull the rug out from under Johnny while he was recovering from surgery? Or was Johnny the drunken old-timer that had lost the team and let the game pass him by?

Enlighten me. I'll hang up and listen.

 

IMO, the answers to your last two questions are yes and yes.

I was there from 90 to 95.

 

The News-Sentinal did a piece on this a few years ago I think. It was actually fairly well done.

 

"I want to thank the athletic department staff, the UT faculty and school officials who've been so helpful," Majors said. "And, of course, I want to thank all my assistants, the loyal ones. . . ."


"I want to make it known to all concerned that at no time have I ever demeaned or conspired against John Majors, or given anyone any sort of ultimatum," Fulmer said. "I was put in the middle of a situation not of my making. I have put my love, my heart and soul into this program, and that is the reason I'm standing here today."



There you have it.

 

Can't believe this thread hasn't blown up yet

 

Frankly, Majors had gotten long in the tooth and the game had passed him by. He was replaced.

Fulmer got long in the tooth and the game had passed him by. He was replaced.

Nature of the game. How it happens is secondary.

 

I heard a rumor that Auburn was very interested in Fulmer after the '92 season when Dye was forced out. Fulmer was a hot commodity at that time after showing what he could do in Majors' absence. Basically, Dickey either had to extend Majors' contract and watch Fulmer walk to AU or do what he actually did and force Majors to resign.


Is this true or bs?

 

It wasn't "or", there were multiple reasons. The team performed well when Fulmer was the interim, but then lost 3 straight after Majors returned, including to Bama as they always did under Majors, and to SC and Arkansas, in their first year in the conference. There were also some personal things between Majors and Dickey. Fulmer showed a lack of loyalty toward Majors, but who knows if that was simply him not putting his neck out for Majors or actually campaigning for the job.

 

This isn't VN

 

Fulmer made it known he was a wanted man. Majors had no problem telling Dickey where to go.

 

Not true.

Terry Bowden had been the hand picked successor prior to the 92 season.

Edit: to further elaborate, Bowden hired Lowder's niece as his secretary at Samford. From there Lowder saw early on that Bowden was the type that would take orders and pegged him as the heir once the Ramsey scandal hit.

 

Yeah, that's why I was skeptical of that rumor.

 

To some extent, Fulmer had to have maneuvered for the job. Had to have. It didn't just fall in his lap like that.

 

Majors should have been replaced, it was time, after he left Pitt and left Jackie Sherill behind he was never the same. He was a good coach but he was never again the great coach he was at Pitt.

The timing of how everything was handled was the worse with JM just coming off heart surgery .... Majors loved the Vols and so did Fulmer but neither cared much for the other. When PF took over during Majors health issues everybody in Knoxville knew that PF should be the next coach.

I blame Dickey for the terrible timing and the rift that continues to this day .... Dickey should have and could have taken the heat for the decision that He made and the time he made it

 

Anyone who thinks Fulmer was a better choice to replace Majors than Howard Schnellenberger needs their head examined.

 

I won't pretend that I know who that is. But after reading the Wikipedia about his time at Oklahoma, I can't tell if you're being serious.

 

Yep, game had really passed Majors by. It's not as if UT played in a major bowl each of his final three full seasons and won two SEC titles in that period.

 

He built the university of Miami's program from next to nothing

 

Louisville is in the Sun Belt right now if it weren't for Schnellenberger.

 

back in the "old" days, it was pretty much accepted that Phil stuck it to Johnny while he was out for the heart surgery.
At that time, since Johnny appeared to be letting the game pass him, no one said much since Phil looked to be a capable replacement and both were UT people.
At some time, I remember that Johnny made a statement like, "while the doctors were working on my heart, others were from the other side".
Also, I don't recall Johnny ever having any type of association with Phil or vice versa.
IMO, Phil denying any of this was total BS.