Would Phil Fulmer returning to the sidelines save Tennessee football?

Tennessee football certainly needs a jolt. Could a sensational return to the sidelines for Phillip Fulmer cure what ails the Vols?

Jeremy Pruitt is only in his second season at the helm of the Tennessee football program but his job is already in jeopardy. Starting 0-2 by losing to Georgia State and BYU at home has that effect on an SEC program. There are even rumblings that Phillip Fulmer could make a stunning move from the Athletic Director’s office to the sidelines in an effort to save his beloved Volunteers.

There’s no question that something needs to change. Tennessee’s 0-2 start is ugly, but things could get worse quickly for Pruitt’s team. Upcoming games against Florida, Georgia, Mississippi State and Alabama don’t look like winnable games for the Volunteers. A win next week against UT-Chattanooga followed by four losses as sizable underdogs would leave Pruitt’s record at 1-6. That’s not an acceptable mark for anyone coach in charge on Rocky Top.

People in Knoxville are clearly starting to panic. Veteran Knoxville News-Sentinel writer John Adams claims Fulmer has “never been so close to getting his old job back.” After all, as the school’s Athletic Director he has the power to oust Pruitt and name him as his successor with just a few strokes of the pen.

Don’t think that such a move is fiscally impossible for an athletic department with Tennessee’s vast financial resources. Currently, Pruitt can be fired for a buyout fee of $5 million. If the school waited until the conclusion of this season it would fall to just $4 million. Neither is an insignificant amount of money, but the sums represent a drop in the bucket compared to the potential revenue Tennessee might lose if their football program continues its downward spiral.

There is a very logical argument to be made that Pruitt should be let go. The former Alabama defensive coordinator has lost nine of his first 14 games on the job. He also lacks the personality to really engage the Tennessee fan base. Being a no-nonsense coach works well win you win games like Nick Saban. It’s untenable when you win fewer games than Butch Jones.

That does not mean that Fulmer returning to the sidelines is some sort of silver bullet that can instantly save the Tennessee program. In fact, it’s very likely that Fulmer returning to coach the team would only plunge the program into deeper despair. The program needs to be modernized. Hiring a coach who was ousted 11 years ago hardly seems like a good way to propel Tennessee forward into becoming a leading program that can challenge the likes of Alabama and Georgia for SEC titles.

The simple truth is that Tennessee ran Fulmer out of the job for a reason. He did a tremendous job with the program in the late 90s, but his effectiveness as a head coach was starting to wane significantly as the new millennium arrived. The chances of him improving his coaching skills during his decade long absence from the game are almost non-existent.

Proponents of Fulmer regaining his old job will point to his genuine affection for the University as a big reason why he’s the right guy to repair things. There are a lot of people out there who care deeply for their alma mater on Rocky Top. That doesn’t make them qualified to be Tennessee’s next football coach. It’s a nice bonus for any potential coaching candidate, but it’s not nearly enough to qualify someone for the job.

The idea that Fulmer can come down from the Athletic Director’s office to the sidelines to save the program he piloted to a National Title 20 years ago sounds like a terrific plot for a Disney movie. Unfortunately, it’s not a realistic cure for all of the issues facing Tennessee football at the moment. A coaching change in Knoxville looks like a necessity at the moment, but Fulmer isn’t the right guy to get this once proud program back on the right track.