You might think a 150-51 mark with one national championship would guarantee a Division One head coach’s job security, but said suspicion would be to ignore the abuse aimed in the direction of Tennessee’s Phillip Fulmer of late. With a 3-6 record thus far in ’08 (1-5 in the SEC), Fulmer will announce his intention to step down at season’s end, according to the Tennessean’s Bryan Mullen.
Fulmer and athletic director Mike Hamilton were to hold a press conference at 6 p.m. ET Monday to “discuss the future of the football program,” according to the Tennessee athletic department.
Fulmer signed a new seven-year contract in the summer which was worth $2.4 million this season. A buyout of the contract after this season would cost $6 million.
The contract was to be worth an average $3 million annually over the next seven seasons with built-in raises each season, raises for an SEC championship or BCS bowl appearance and an automatic one-year extension for every eight-win season.
Fulmer’s longtime attorney and friend, Jeff Hagood, said he was aware of what was being reported about an announcement but declined to talk about it. “I’m really upset about this right now,” he said of the news reports.