Wow. Pay Dye died Monday. Johnny Majors died today. RIP
- Thread starter Orangeclad
- Start date
RIP Johnny and Pat.
I'd like to know how Johnny survived a knife wound in his back by Fat Phil Fulmer back in 1992.
I'd like to know how Johnny survived a knife wound in his back by Fat Phil Fulmer back in 1992.
Did not happen. Majors went to the AD and made demands after Fulmer won some significant games while Majors was out from heart surgery. Majors lost two games to obviously lesser talented teams after Fulmer won some big rival games. You just do not make demands of the boss when you are under performing and your office mate is knocking it out of the park.
I am a fan of both men.
I guess Majors felt Fulmer was undermining him and also should have declined the offer. But really? Sorry you dont have to leave when the boss gets fired and you are offered his job. That is just not smart. Fulmer was loyal to a fault but even he wasn't dumb enough to put loyalty over taking the HC job.
Fulmer is in the Hall of Fame as a coach and Majors as a player. History validates the decision.
Just imagine if the plug wasn't pulled on Fulmer during the 2008 season. And I thought us Gator fans had some f*!ked up hires like Musdump, Butters McElwain and Zook. Damn, you had Lame Kiffin, little Dooley and Sgt Carter.
I was for letting Fulmer go....I admit that I was wrong. No way he would have done worse than the last 3. In fact had he not been fired mid season he would more than likely finished 7-6...team collapsed after the firing. Fulmer was saddled with a bad QB, new OC ...but he had both Tahj Boyd and Brice Petty ready to sign...Kiffin ran both off even though they still showed interest. Both had great college careers...Kiffin managed a 7-6 record after running off half the team and a lot of talent. Looking back I think Fulmer does as well or not better if allowed to return.
Cutcliffe and Chief made fulmer. He was Mike Dubose/Houston Nutt/Gene Chizik without them.
I hate to admit this, but I was all for bringing in Scott Frost to UF with Chip Kelly as the backup plan. Had that happened, Dan Mullen would have turned that Vols program around.
Well there are 2 basic stories and probably a little truth to both. The one I hold to be the most likely was that Majors pre-season was asking for more money, had heart surgery, saw Fulmer's success while sidelined, heard rumors of admin and fans not happy with him and went to Dickey and asked outright for a raise to force the issue.Definitely not the version I heard
Supposedly he asked for an amount that would have made him the highest paid coach in SEC. Dickey said no and Majors threw something at him.
Fired next day.
Other story is that Fulmer, Pres Johnson, a booster and AD Dickey conspired against Johnny. If Johnson and Dickey were already sour on Johnny it didn't matter what Fulmer wanted. They had the power not him. And bosses dont need to conspire to fire an employee. Even with dropping a few games the record would have been a winning one. So its not likely to have been a real factor in his firing even with Fulmer's growing popularity with the fanbase.
Behind the scenes he was rubbing the bosses the wrong way. Talk between Fulmer and booster was more than likely to see if he would take the job if offered if Johnson and Dickey decided to fire Majors. Doubt Fulmer was actively lobbying for job unless he was told Majors was gone for sure. In other words I doubt Fulmer "pushed" Majors out. He didn't have the clout or the power.
Major's Brutus shtick with Fulmer was IMO just a face saving act to deflect from having been a bad employee and getting fired for it.
Like I said I like both men but IMHO Majors was his own enemy. Still he was a hall of fame player, a very successful coach at UT and Pitt the first run, and a VFL. He deserved the Heisman over Hornung.
Fulmer was a very good OC under Majors. So no he was always better than that lot.
Randy Sanders was no Cutcliffe. And Fulmer held on to him for too long. It didnt help that J Crompton was his QB during the transition to new OC. Crompton messed up his shoulder and was a bust when he became the starter.
I think Dave Clawson's record at turning around and building programs speaks for itself and given time he would have helped Fulmer keep TN rolling.
Add in that he stabbed whoever the AD was before him in the back to get his job and the latter version holds more water. The AD had an agreement from Mike Leach to take the UT job, fulmer found out about it and told the Chancellor he could do a better job, the AD called her to ok the job offer, she said no, come back to Knoxville, and she fired him and hired fulmer.
Who took two weeks to hire Pruitt
But didn't Clawson bring some kind of line swapping strategy where lineman would swap positions every play or series or some kind of crazy strategy. And if I am remembering that correctly in any way, seemed odd that Fulmer would go for that.
Add in that he stabbed whoever the AD was before him in the back to get his job and the latter version holds more water. The AD had an agreement from Mike Leach to take the UT job, fulmer found out about it and told the Chancellor he could do a better job, the AD called her to ok the job offer, she said no, come back to Knoxville, and she fired him and hired fulmer.
Who took two weeks to hire Pruitt
LOL you guys ...Currie tried to hire Schiano and set the state on fire...we even had legislators threatening the money over that. Currie then went on to get told no and become desperate...previous to Curries hiring Fulmer was given a "courtesy" interview for the job but was the one "stabbed in the back" by boosters who dont like him.
They had NO intention on hiring him and excluded boosters who liked Fulmer from the meetings. Not only that but long time UT guy David Blackburn wasn't even given an interview when he was a better fit than Fulmer or Currie.
Fulmer was a special assistant to the Pres at the time Currie got fired for insubordination. The prez and the Chancellor finally stood up to Pilot Flying J corp and told the Haslams we are hiring Fulmer for AD. Blackburn was probably no longer an option after how badly they had treated him.
Sad week for respected SEC coaches passing away. RIP Pat and Johnny, you represented the SEC with class.
Come on you know JC was the main problem not scheme....He had to roll out right from the pocket to pass. His accuracy oddly enough was better on the run than in the pocket. BTW Clawson was HC a Richmond. They were 3 and 8 the year he arrived and the year he came to TN they won the NC in their division. I think it took him 4 years to build a NC from a loser. Awesome hire by Fulmer that never had a chance due to Hammy , Crompton and an impatient fanbase me included.
DC, you and I go back a ways to the old site on KNS. I was under Biggestutfan back then.
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