9. Phillip Fulmer
We’re starting to see a trend here. A lot of former players would go back to lead their alma mater to great heights as their head football coach. Phillip Fulmer would play his college ball at Tennessee for Doug Dickey from 1968 to 1971. He would do even better things when he was their head coach from 1992 through 2008.
Fulmer replaced Johnny Majors roughly two-thirds of the way through the 1992 NCAA season. Though he would be ousted from Tennessee after a dismal 2008 campaign, Fulmer made Tennessee an undisputed national power during his time as head coach.
Tennessee went 152-52 overall under Fulmer, going 96-34 in SEC play, winning the 1998 National Championship, two SEC Championships and five SEC East division titles. Fulmer’s Volunteers would also go 8-7 in bowl games.
Though Steve Spurrier’s Florida Gators would be a perpetual thorn in his side in the SEC East, Fulmer had an impressive nine 10-win seasons at Tennessee. His best player in Knoxville was some guy knowns as Peyton Manning. Tennessee has had four coaches since Fulmer’s ousting. The Volunteers have yet to win an SEC East title since his exodus.