THE ASSOCIATED PRESS
KNOXVILLE, Tenn. - Phillip Fulmer is out as Tennessee's football coach after the season.
Fulmer had a 150-51 record with the Vols and had one national title in 1998. The Volunteers have had one of their worst stretches in recent memory this season as they've gone just 1-5 in conference - including a 30-6 shellacking by UF in Knoxville - and are just 3-6 overall. The 58-year-old coach Fulmer is the second winningest coach in school history with a record of 150-51 and has spent 28 years on Volunteers' coaching staff - 11 years as assistant coach and 17 years as head coach.
Tennessee lost 27-6 against South Carolina on Saturday.
While the Volunteers started off slow in 2007, they rebounded to win the Southeastern Conference Eastern Division. They lost to LSU 21-14 in the SEC Championship Game, but they did win the bowl game 21-17 against Wisconsin. After that season, Fulmer signed a new seven-year contract, which was worth $2.4 million this year. He will receive a $6 million buyout.
"It's a tough part of the profession," UF coach Urban Meyer said.
Fulmer joined an elite coaching list last season when his career record improved to 100 games over the .500 mark joining Bobby Bowden, Joe Paterno, Jim Tressel, Steve Spurrier, Chris Ault and Frank Beamer as the only active coaches in that fraternity. With three games remaining, Fulmer has a chance to spring back above that plus-100 milestone before his tenure at Tennessee ends. This wasn't enough to save his job, however.
Fulmer was an offensive guard at Tennessee from 1968-71. He began his coaching career at Tennessee before stints at Wichita State (1974-78) and Vanderbilt (1979). Fulmer returned to Tennessee in 1980 and was promoted to head coach in 1992. He has been enshrined in both the Tennessee Sports and Knoxville Sports halls of fame. Ninety of Fulmer's players have been drafted into the NFL while he has been the coach at Tennessee.
The university will celebrate the coach at the team's last home game on Nov. 29 when they host Kentucky.
