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Phil Fulmer for UT Coach?

929 views · Published 20 November 2012 · 2:36 · Indexed 4 November 2026

Channel: WTVC NewsChannel 9 · 2012 · News & Politics

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by John Madewell  Phone lines lit up during "Sports Talk" at Talk 102.3. Fans across the city and state want to know who the next football coach will be at the University of Tennessee.And the talk in sports bars across the area also turned to who will next call Rocky Top home sweet home.    Rob Covington stopped into Bud's Sports Bar for lunch. Covington keeps a close watch and feel on UT's pulse. He's a co-host with "Stump on Sports."He, like most Vol fans,  knows the number one name being bandied about. "Lots of times they talk about (Jon) Gruden and I think the Tennessee fan base would love to see that. I don't expect that to be the case, you know the Charlie Strong, Bob Stoops, Jim Mora, Jr."Cleveland businessman Allan Jones watched the Vols humbling loss to Vanderbilt. Jones said, "Rocky Top is at a low point right now."Jones has a different outlook, a look back. "I think the one guy we need to hire is Phillip Fulmer. He knows the SEC, he knows the University of Tennessee. The problem as I see it right now, is there's nobody up there that knows the University of Tennessee."     And UT athletics knows Jones. The Check Into Cash founder funded Tennessee's Aquatic Center and is a football season skybox ticket holder. "I couldn't see anybody out there that can do what Fulmer can do. And we kind of need some instant, some type of instant person who knows where the ball is on the field and to me, Phillip Fulmer's the guy."Fulmer is also getting support from financial contributor John "Thunder" Thornton. The developer said Fulmer is the one who convinced him to give money for the academic tutorial building known as the Thornton Center.Thornton said he respects the way Athletic Director Dave Hart handled the Dooley termination and the qualifications he was seeking for the next coach. Thornton said Hart's requirements "described Phil Fulmer to a T."Across Vol Nation, the wish list varies. But a return to winning is unanimous. Jones put it this way, "It's not only important to the University of Tennessee. It's important to this business. It's important to my "Buy Here Pay Here" company. We sell more cars when Tennessee's winning. Dealers across the state sell more cars. Business is better in Tennessee when Tennessee's winning."

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