The Firing Line: Focus on Phil Fulmer – 10/01/2008

“The Firing Line” at Football Rumor Mill focuses on coaches around the country who are in serious jeopardy. The latest edition centers on Tennessee Coach Phillip Fulmer…

As Tennessee coach Phillip Fulmer continues to try and fight his way out of the deepest hole of his coaching career, the calls for his job among fans are mounting. Fulmer, in his 16th full season as Tennessee’s head coach, has proved time and time again that he’s as resilient as they get. I wouldn’t count him out this time, either. That said, I think he has to find a way to finish 7-5 or better to have a chance to come back. If he’s 6-6 or worse, I don’t see many scenarios where he would return. That would be two nonwinning seasons for him in the last four years, and no coach at Tennessee would be able to survive that. The Vols are off to their first 1-3 start since 1994. They rebounded to finish 8-4 that season. One of the biggest questions I’ve gotten from Tennessee fans is what the university would owe Fulmer if he were to be fired following this season. According to details from his latest contract obtained by ESPN.com, his total buyout effective Jan. 1, 2009, would be a whopping $6 million. That money would not be payable in one lump sum. Rather, it would be spread out over 48 months in equal installments. The total buyout for Fulmer’s coaching staff would be an additional $3.55 million, although that figure could be significantly reduced if those coaches obtain other coaching jobs. So, in other words, making a coaching change this year could cost Tennessee, in a worst-case scenario, nearly $10 million. – ESPN

Stanford coach Jim Harbaugh doesn’t need any help recruiting — he might haul in the Pac-10′s No. 2 class behind USC on Feb. 4 — but he got some help from an interesting place according to this story: Tennessee’s Neyland Stadium. Quarterback recruit Josh Nunes was attending the Vols game against Florida. At the time, he was committed to Tennessee. But that wasn’t a good day for the Vols. They got whipped by Florida and their fans rained down boos on them as they left the field. And a few days later, Nunes decided to look elsewhere. And that elsewhere is Stanford (Note: Nunes insists in the story that he didn’t change his mind because of the boos). Something to think about for fans eager to boo 18- to 23-year-old college students. – ESPN