Another One Bites the Dust: Phillip Fulmer to Step Down at the End of the Season

In 1998, Phillip Fulmer led Tennessee to a National Championship. This year, his 17th as head coach and more than 30th since he started with the school as a player (and then an assistant coach), the Vols are facing what could be  their second losing season in the past four years. At 3-6 (1-5 in the SEC), things don’t look good.

And so, Fulmer is stepping down.

Sources say that the coach and school have come to an agreement, mutually agreeing that it would be best if he left. A buy-out of his seven-year contract (he just signed it last summer) calls for a $6 million buyout. Whether or not they negotiated a lower price, I don’t know.

I’m glad to hear that Fulmer is staying until the end of the season, and I’m kind of disappointed that that they announced him leaving so early. Will Fulmer stay with Tennessee in a different position or will he move on? No one can say…but I hear the job at Toledo has just opened up…

That said, I think this will be a fun opening to watch. I think a lot of people are going to want this job.

Picture via Newscom.