The forced resignation of Tennessee coach Phillip Fulmer sent shock waves throughout the college football world.
           
“I hate it,” said former Ohio State coach John Cooper, who was forced out in a similar manner to Fulmer. “It’s going to happen if you stay in it long enough. It happened to me. It happened to ( Michigan coach) Lloyd Carr. He did a great job. He’s a Hall of Fame coach. And they’ll appreciate him down the road. (Coaching at Tennessee ) is not as easy as everyone thinks.”
           
Fulmer made it clear during his jam-packed press conference that he wanted to stay. In 16-plus seasons, he had won 150 games, one national championship and two SEC titles. And he was confident he could turn around a team that is 3-6.
           
Athletic director Mike Hamilton, who, in the past four years, has fired a men’s basketball and a baseball coach, didn’t agree.
           
While Hamilton didn’t go into details about his reasoning, it’s clear he was unhappy about Fulmer’s fall from grace. In recent years, Fulmer has had a poor record against rival schools Florida, Georgia and Alabama, and since 2000, he’s 1-9 at home against top 10 teams with an average margin of defeat of 17 points.
           
Plus, Tennessee has averaged about 85,000 in three of its five home games at 102,000-seat Neyland Stadium. Alabama had more than 25,000 fans in the stands and outnumbered the UT unfaithful in the final stages of the fourth quarter.
           
Fulmer’s approval rating is at an all-time low. In a poll run by a local newspaper, 78 percent of fans said they would not re-elect Fulmer as head coach.
           
While reluctant to leave, Fulmer said it was time to unite a divided fan base.
           
The show of support from Fulmer’s players and friends was overwhelming as he received at least three standing ovations. Perhaps Hamilton was a bit overwhelmed as well.
           
More than 60 players jammed into a small media area for a 5pm press conference. They occupied about 40 seats reserved for the media. When some of the players were asked to move to make way for the media, many said not just “no,” but “hell, no.”
           
After an emotional Fulmer read a prepared statement, Hamilton read one as well. While Hamilton spoke, Fulmer never looked at his boss. After Fulmer took a few questions, he departed the podium, stage right - to another standing ovation.
           
When Fulmer left, so did the majority of players, not waiting around to hear what Hamilton had to say.
           
One player, senior receiver, Josh Briscoe, did wait, and asked Hamilton a pointed question about why the decision was about economics.
           
Offensive lineman Ramon Foster said the ouster was not a stand-up move by Tennessee.
           
Fulmer addressed his team at 4pm and told them of his resignation. Many already knew because in a Sunday night meeting, Hamilton told Fulmer of his decision and the news broke Monday morning.
           
When Hamilton addressed the players, I’m told, many rebelled, yelling, cursing and throwing chairs. It was an ugly scene.
           
The anger spilled over to the press conference an hour later.
           
Before the press conference, offensive lineman Vlad Richard was seen crying as he hugged a teammate. More tears were shed as Fulmer’s voiced cracked during his comments. About 10 minutes into his resignation, Fulmer’s wife, Vicky, went to the podium to put her hand on Fulmer’s shoulder.
           
Asked afterwards if she wanted to make a comment, Vicky said: `No, I stand by my man.”
           
Hamilton was asked why make the announcement now rather than wait until the last week of the season. He said he wanted the last three games to be a farewell to Fulmer and the Kentucky game Nov. 29 to be Phillip Fulmer Appreciation Day.
           
I don’t buy it. You could have sent Fulmer off with his day if you’d have announced the ouster Nov. 25.
           
I believe Hamilton felt compelled to pull the trigger with three games left to get a jump-start on his coaching search. I think he feels he’s competing with Clemson for a coach, and maybe Washington.
           
Here’s an interesting stat someone threw at me: The average hiring date of a college coach fired with more than three games left in a season is Dec. 12. The average hiring date of a coach fired the last week of the season is Dec. 16.
           
Would waiting another two or three weeks have really made that much difference?
           
It could when it comes to recruiting. I asked a college coach known as a terrific recruiter if it’s harder to keep commitments when you fire a coach on, say, Nov. 3, as opposed to Nov. 25.
           
Answer: Absolutely.
           
It’s easier to hold commitments when the window is three weeks instead of six. Look what’s happening at Clemson. The Tigers have had three recruits commit elsewhere while several others are making official visits to other schools.
           
And those other schools are voiding what had been a strong Clemson class by picking away at commitments.
           
Tennessee’s recruiting class ranks in the top five nationally after the recent commitment of star quarterback Tajh Boyd of Hampton, Va. How many commitments Tennessee retains depends on when the hire is made and who the hire is.
           
Fulmer said he was appreciative that he was offered a chance to remain at UT in the athletic department in some capacity. I doubt he’ll take it. Fulmer came across as a coach who believes he’s still got more good years. He turned 58 on Sept. 1. His age makes him less marketable. But his record would make him an attractive candidate.
           
It’ll be interesting to see if Fulmer follows in the footsteps of his close friend, David Cutcliffe. After Cutcliffe was fired at Ole Miss following the 2004 season, Ole Miss legend Archie Manning advised Cutcliffe to sit out a year, survey the landscape and determine if he wanted to enter the coaching arena again.
           
Cutcliffe sat out one year, took a second tour of duty as Tennessee ’s offensive coordinator, then was hired as Duke’s head coach in December 2007.
           
Cutcliffe was 50 when he was fired at Ole Miss. Fulmer is eight years older. That age difference might affect whether Fulmer jumps back into coaching in 2009 or sits out a year.
           
Fulmer’s close friend and former coaching colleague, Doug Mathews, thinks Fulmer will coach again.
           
Someone else told me Fulmer will coach again to stick it to Hamilton, to prove to Hamilton he made a major mistake by forcing him to resign.
           
Now Hamilton embarks on the search of his life.
           
After Hamilton fired basketball coach Buzz Peterson in the spring of 2005, he hit a home run by hiring Bruce Pearl.
           
He better hit another home run in his pursuit of a football coach or he might wind up like Steve Pederson at Nebraska . Pederson fired coach Frank Solich after a 9-3 season, hired Bill Callahan, and, when Callahan couldn’t revive the Nebraska program, Pederson was fired before Callahan.
           
Someone offered me a bet recently. He said Fulmer’s replacement won’t win 40 games in his first five seasons. That’s an average of only eight per season.
           
I’m not willing to make that bet.
           
Apparently, Hamilton is.
 

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