31 Facts About Phillip Fulmer

1.

Phillip Fulmer is best known for coaching the Volunteers in the first BCS National Championship Game in 1998, defeating the Florida State Seminoles.

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2.

Phillip Fulmer was the third coach in Tennessee history to win a claimed national championship.

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3.

In recognition of his accomplishments at Tennessee, Phillip Fulmer was inducted into the College Football Hall of Fame in 2012.

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4.

Phillip Fulmer served as a special assistant to the athletic director at East Tennessee State University.

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5.

On June 20,2017, Phillip Fulmer was named as a special advisor to the University of Tennessee president.

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6.

On December 1,2017, Phillip Fulmer became the Athletic Director at the University of Tennessee, a position he held until his retirement in 2021.

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7.

Phillip Fulmer was born in Winchester, Tennessee, where he attended Franklin County High School.

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8.

Phillip Fulmer enrolled at the University of Tennessee as a student in 1968.

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9.

Phillip Fulmer promptly joined the football team as an offensive guard.

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10.

Phillip Fulmer served as linebacker coach and defensive coordinator for the Vols freshman team in 1973 before moving to Wichita State University the following season.

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11.

Phillip Fulmer followed those years with a one-season stint at Vanderbilt, serving as an assistant to Commodores head coach George MacIntyre.

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12.

Phillip Fulmer took over the role as interim head coach with Heath Shuler as his quarterback.

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13.

However, despite the loss, Phillip Fulmer had a young Peyton Manning as his quarterback due to injuries of previous starters Jerry Colquitt and Todd Helton.

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14.

Phillip Fulmer led the team to two victories over UNLV and UCLA to start the season.

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15.

Phillip Fulmer was honored with the State Farm Eddie Robinson Coach of Distinction Award in December 1999.

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16.

However, for the first time in his tenure, Phillip Fulmer's Volunteers struggled mightily by the standards that were established.

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17.

Phillip Fulmer had a reputation as an ace recruiter, leading many analysts to praise him as one of the game's top head coach recruiters.

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18.

Phillip Fulmer never lost to the Kentucky Wildcats, winning 17 straight games.

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19.

Phillip Fulmer was a sports analyst on CBS's SEC Postgame Show, as well as various programming on the CBS College Sports Network.

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20.

Phillip Fulmer was a strong candidate for the University of Louisville head coaching job.

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21.

Phillip Fulmer stated in many interviews that he was interested in the job and had a phone interview with Louisville athletic director Tom Jurich.

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22.

Phillip Fulmer appeared as himself in the 2009 biographical sports drama film The Blind Side.

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23.

On May 15,2012, Phillip Fulmer was inducted into the College Football Hall of Fame.

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24.

Phillip Fulmer served as a consultant and special assistant to athletic director Richard Sander at East Tennessee State University, which relaunched a football program it had shut down for financial reasons in 2003.

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25.

Phillip Fulmer became a founding partner at BPV Capital Management in Knoxville.

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26.

On June 20,2017, it was announced that Phillip Fulmer will serve as a special advisor to the University of Tennessee president.

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27.

On December 1,2017, following the suspension of John Currie, the previous athletic director at the University of Tennessee, Phillip Fulmer was named the new Athletic Director for the university.

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28.

In 2018, Phillip Fulmer was named to the 2018 SEC Legends Class, honored at that year's SEC Championship game.

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29.

In 2019, Phillip Fulmer was named East Tennessean of the Year by the East Tennessee Historical Society.

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30.

In December 2019, Phillip Fulmer was named to ESPN's list of their top 150 college football coaches to celebrate the 150th anniversary of the sport.

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31.

Phillip Fulmer was named full-time coach after the 1992 season, and led the team in the 1993 Hall of Fame Bowl.

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