This, my friends, is simply priceless.
Phillip Fulmer couldn’t help himself.
Tennessee’s athletics director saw a couple of offensive linemen who he thought needed coaching during a drill last fall. So Fulmer, the former Vols coach, jumped in and coached them up.
That’s an NCAA violation.
And to think some of you don’t believe in the existence of the football gods. But wait! There’s more.
Fulmer self-reported the incident upon learning he might have committed an NCAA violation, according to the report.
Tennessee, in response, educated Fulmer on what “constitutes technical and tactical instruction.” Additionally, the SEC ruled that Fulmer be prohibited from attending practice for five days and that UT educate all coaches and non-coaching staff members on bylaws pertaining to coaching activity. The NCAA took no additional action.
Well, aside from snickering behind closed doors, I suspect.
Welcome back to Knoxville, Jim Chaney. Make sure you let your good friend Sam Pittman know about your new (old?) digs.
Get The Picture 
“Prohibited from attending practice for five days.”
Oooo. That has to sting.
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Not worried about Pittman to UT; but am worried about Pittman to Bama… Georgia needs to get that contract locked down.
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Pruitt doing a lot of things right there; but I have great faith in the Vol Nation and in Fulmer to get impatient and blow it all up.. Their frustration? Losing to Bama and Georgia consistently, with the potential to continue to lose to UF as well…
They suffer from the same ‘infliction’ we did back in the late 80’s and 90’s. We saw Georgia at one level, when our level of talent and coaching was at another.
UT still sees themselves as a National Power House, despite finishing dead last for two straight seasons. They actually think they should win the East every year, no accounting for the talent in the state of Georgia and Florida that will lean toward the home schools before considering heading off to Rocky Top…
Prediction: Pruitt is fired at the end of the 2020 season, with a 8-4 (Bowl game not included) or so record, while losing to Georgia and Alabama once again. With Georgia at the top of the East…
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They’re like Georgia was the day Richt was hired (as far as time spent in purgatory) but with less talent than we had, fewer natural advantages and 3 proximately located recruiting foes who are absolutely hording talent and surging nationally.
That’s an uphill climb with a steep grade.
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More like the day Donnan was hired. Donnan at least re-elevated UGA to the level where we routinely beat the Vandy’s, Kentucky’s, Ole Miss’s, Miss State’s of the world. Donnan was like 6-14 against UF, UT, AU, and GT. That’s what did him in. I forget the exact numbers but as I recall he was like 34-5 or something against everyone else. UT is nowhere near that right now.
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Yeah, that’s probably more accurate.
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In Donnan’s defense, FU was coached by Spurrier and FU was beating pretty much everybody then, UT was coached by Phat Phil who had an 80% plus winning percentage, Auburn was coached by Pat Dye and later Tommy Tuberville and both those guys were winning SEC championships and Tech was coached by George O’Leary—probably the Techster’s last really good HC who won 10 games routinely there. One of the reasons CMR was successful was that those coaches I just named left. Donnan was dealt a tough hand.
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But if Pruitt can do it, he will have earned himself a raise, Tony.
/HotTake
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Not to mention Vandy…
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I could see Fulmer doing this, I also don’t see the big deal. Hence the punishment. Or lack thereof.
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I couldn’t find the violation, but didn’t get past page 7 of the 440 pages in the NCAA rules manual. No wonder it’s so easy for the simplest of good intentions to run afoul of them. Penny wise and pound foolish.
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“So Fulmer, the former Vols coach, jumped in and coached them up.”
Fulmer: ‘Just ignore that other OL coach over there. He doesn’t know shit! I don’t know why Pruitt hired him. From now on you’ll listen to me, and only me.’
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It’s a good thing it only happened the one time. I’m sure Fulmer never expected to be able to just hang around the football team as a coaching consultant.
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Exactly.
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You have to love the “don’t put me in any of this” part.
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You have to love the “don’t put me in any of this” part.
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This only hastens his coup.
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Adult Swim fans, sing it with me now: “Tooooooo many cooks…”
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The idea that Pruitt, a guy with a notorious temper and stiff neck when it comes to authority, is now under the pumpkin….it’s GOLD Jerry, GOLD.
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Imagine, an AD not familiar with NCAA regs. What else doesn’t he know? Only good things can happen. I can’t wait.
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Probably only a matter of time he starts using Uncle Leo’s “I’m an old man! I’m confused!” excuse from Seinfeld.
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The UT Volunteer State Way- get these things reported leading up to national signing day!
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McGarity, realizing he once told a player to do something while in B-M, self-reports UGA and forfeits the upcoming 2019 season.
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Now that’s some informed commentary.
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