East Tennessee Says Goodbye to Fulmer and Hello to Kiffin
UT football plays a strong role in East Tennessee's culture. If you have actually attended a game, you know the powerful orange and white passion: 108,000 fans packed together in Neyland Stadium chanting and cheering; Rocky Top and victory calls perfectly blasted from the university's top-notch marching band; the tailgating before and the parties after the game. While recent seasons haven't been as successful as hoped, UT football fans are a loyal bunch, sticking with the team through its highs and lows - even when the unthinkable happens.
Photo of Neyland Stadium by dkolbay.
Since the first of November, UT fans and players have been trying to adjust to the shocking news of Phil Fulmer's resignation. After 17 seasons, including the first national championship in 47 years (1998), Fulmer was asked to step down when just one year before, in 2007, he signed a new seven-year contract.
The university launched a search for a new coach and found one in less than a month. In a December 1st announcement, the position was handed to former Oakland Raiders coach Lane Kiffin. Kiffin, 33, will be the second youngest head coach in UT's history and the "21st head coach and the program's third in the last 31 years." Kiffin is a controversial choice: He was fired in September from Oakland after a 5-15 season.
Before joining Oakland, "Kiffin was an assistant at Southern California (2001-06) and spent his final two seasons there as offensive coordinator." It was in that position that his reputation was forged: "Southern California's 2005 offense, which featured future first-round NFL draft picks and Heisman Trophy winners Matt Leinart and Reggie Bush, led the nation in total yards (and) Kiffin has been credited with bringing an emphasis on national recruiting to USC and guided the Trojans to top-rated recruiting classes as their recruiting coordinator in 2005 and 2006.' All this, along with the young coach's energy, charisma, and "a lifelong love affair with football" led UT's Athletic Director Mike Hamilton to proclaim Kiffin "a perfect fit for Tennessee." We wish him well.
Want more information? Contact us.
