VTTW Board Index

...that Blackburn didn't even get a formal interview.  If true, WTF? :frown:

JMO....but I think they were going to hire a AD from a Power 5 school and it seems to me Blackburn had no chance. The Blackburn name was being driven by a lot of UT fans just like Fulmer's was.

 :patriot:

Interesting read here:

https://www.seccountry.com/tennessee/committee-phillip-fulmer-tennessee-ad

I'm willing to give Currie a chance.  Like I said yesterday, we should find out in fairly short order what kind of AD he's going to be.

But to me, the primary qualification for this particular search shouldn't have been fund raising, but the ability to identify and hire quality head coaches.  And when the candidate with by far the best record in that area doesn't even get an interview, that tells me that, at the very least, the search process was flawed.  But that flawed process is likely just a symptom of a larger problem on The Hill.  It doesn't give me a whole lot of confidence going forward. :frown:

It doesn't sound like all those warm fuzzies between Fulmer and UTAD for the past few years will continue. :frown:

Absolutely.  It's his job.  He will either sink or swim on his own.  

I have a very good friend who worked in SID office with Bud Ford during Currie's tenure, and part of Currie's responsibility was with that department.  My buddy told me that Currie is the kind of guy that either you loved or hated - few were/are indifferent with him.  My buddy, who isn't with the UTAD any longer - he started his own PR firm after about 25 years in the UTAD - says that Currie has a lot of fences to mend within the building.  

But my friend also understands that Currie is now the boss and others are going to have to adapt to Currie.  But there is still respect to be earned.  

One encouraging word from my buddy was that it is his belief that Currie won't put up with Butch's MAC level BS any longer, and especially in his excuses and BS with media.   If Currie can straighten that mess out I will be impressed.  

He also says that Butch likely is beginning to realize that he very much does need to get his act together sooner rather than later.  

Well, I would hope that Butch would be on notice, even without a new AD in the house.  I would think that if he has one more sub-par season, any newbie AD would know what needs to be done, so I won't give Currie any points in that area.  It's not the decision to fire Butch that concerns me, but who they would get to replace him.

That depends.  It was never clear to me that Fulmer really wanted the job that badly or if it was just boosters stirring things up.  I don't think Fulmer would get butt hurt over this, but you never know.

While i am on this topic, I want to add that I don't think fans will be upset that Fulmer wasn't selected, or at any rate not the great majority of them.

I was on record as saying I wasn't convinced Fulmer would be a huge disaster as some seem to think, but I never said I actually wanted the guy or he was top of the list, and I don't know a whole lot of folks that did.  It's one thing to say hiring him would not automatically be a disaster, another thing to actually have him at the top of the list.

My guess is less than 10% of the fanbase actually wanted him as AD, and maybe even < 5%.

Update...I just saw the post by Tnphil below that suggests Fulmer is really upset.  If so, I feel for him, but I also understand this hiring.  In spite of some initial panic, on closer inspection I think it was a good, and possibly great hire.