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Sources: No scenario where Blackburn is Fulmer's No. 2
Posted on 2/13/17 at 12:44 pm
Posted on 2/13/17 at 12:44 pm
With materials collected and Turnkey Search handling the University of Tennessee’s quest for a new vice chancellor/director of athletics to replace the outgoing Dave Hart, contact with candidates and formal interviews are soon expected to begin for UT’s next head of athletics.
While sources have indicated UT has vetted numerous candidates and likely will interview between three and five possible replacements for Hart, who has served from September 2011 through present, the top two finalists and viewed as current Chattanooga athletics director David Blackburn and former UT football player and coach and College Football Hall of Famer Phillip Fulmer.
What sources have stressed to 247Sports the past week, in speaking with people on Capitol Hill in Nashville to those on Rocky Top and in Chattanooga, "there is not a scenario that works out for Blackburn to leave Chattanooga in order to be a No. 2 to Fulmer, if Fulmer lands the top post."
Sources familiar with recent meetings in Nashville and elsewhere emphasized to 247Sports that Blackburn is very happy in his top post at Chattanooga, where he has set records for the Mocs in fundraising and cut costs while increasing operating budget by more than 10 percent, and would only consider leaving Chattanooga for a top athletics director position at a Power-5 school --- specifically Blackburn’s alma mater on Rocky Top.
It had been suggested, per others, that speculation had circulated that Fulmer would tab Blackburn for his No. 2 spot, if Fulmer returned to college athletics for the first time since 2008.
However, again, sources close to Blackburn and familiar with UT’s search process emphasized this weekend to 247Sports that Blackburn would immediately hire Fulmer to his staff, if Blackburn is tabbed to UT’s top spot, and would work to change bylaws in Neyland Stadium to get Fulmer’s name in the ring of those honored between the upper and lower decks of Neyland Stadium."
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While sources have indicated UT has vetted numerous candidates and likely will interview between three and five possible replacements for Hart, who has served from September 2011 through present, the top two finalists and viewed as current Chattanooga athletics director David Blackburn and former UT football player and coach and College Football Hall of Famer Phillip Fulmer.
What sources have stressed to 247Sports the past week, in speaking with people on Capitol Hill in Nashville to those on Rocky Top and in Chattanooga, "there is not a scenario that works out for Blackburn to leave Chattanooga in order to be a No. 2 to Fulmer, if Fulmer lands the top post."
Sources familiar with recent meetings in Nashville and elsewhere emphasized to 247Sports that Blackburn is very happy in his top post at Chattanooga, where he has set records for the Mocs in fundraising and cut costs while increasing operating budget by more than 10 percent, and would only consider leaving Chattanooga for a top athletics director position at a Power-5 school --- specifically Blackburn’s alma mater on Rocky Top.
It had been suggested, per others, that speculation had circulated that Fulmer would tab Blackburn for his No. 2 spot, if Fulmer returned to college athletics for the first time since 2008.
However, again, sources close to Blackburn and familiar with UT’s search process emphasized this weekend to 247Sports that Blackburn would immediately hire Fulmer to his staff, if Blackburn is tabbed to UT’s top spot, and would work to change bylaws in Neyland Stadium to get Fulmer’s name in the ring of those honored between the upper and lower decks of Neyland Stadium."
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This post was edited on 2/13/17 at 12:46 pm
Posted on 2/13/17 at 1:16 pm to WhiskeyPapa
If he were willing to come here as a #2 to anybody, I'd question whether we should've looked at him to ever be #1.
Article could've easily just been,
Article could've easily just been,
quote:
Blackburn Not a Pushover Dipshit.
nm
This post was edited on 2/13/17 at 1:18 pm
Posted on 2/13/17 at 3:30 pm to WhiskeyPapa
Thanks for the share -- I'd love to have both of these guys on in some capacity. Give Blackburn AD and Fulmer Assistant AD or some thing close?
Posted on 2/13/17 at 3:42 pm to InVolNerable
yeah, we need a head man who is actually a head man. or else we will just continue our downward spiral
Posted on 2/13/17 at 3:50 pm to WhiskeyPapa
If I were Tennessee, the situation with Blackburn running the show and Fulmer being the face of the department is a win win.
Posted on 2/13/17 at 4:03 pm to Triple Daves
quote:
If I were Tennessee, the situation with Blackburn running the show and Fulmer being the face of the department is a win win.
This. I would be fine with Fulmer being involved in some capacity (e.g. fundraising), but would much prefer Blackburn as the AD.
Posted on 2/13/17 at 7:22 pm to Triple Daves
That's the smart move but you know we won't do it
Posted on 2/13/17 at 8:04 pm to Robert Goulet
quote:
quote:
If I were Tennessee, the situation with Blackburn running the show and Fulmer being the face of the department is a win win.
This. I would be fine with Fulmer being involved in some capacity (e.g. fundraising), but would much prefer Blackburn as the AD.
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Posted on 2/14/17 at 6:09 am to TRUERockyTop
Yeah, I would love to see Fulmer in a Spurrier-esque role as head of Fball operations but with a little more power than what I think Spurrier currently maintains at UF.
Posted on 2/14/17 at 1:08 pm to Triple Daves
quote:
If I were Tennessee, the situation with Blackburn running the show and Fulmer being the face of the department is a win win.
Problem is a booster who is pissed that Blackburn strongly objected to the Dooley hire and said it was madness back when it was being discussed. Said booster got mad as hell about it and the fact that Blackburn couldn't have been more right only made it worse.
Said booster doesn't give a frick if it hurts or helps UT. It's all about his ego.
Posted on 2/14/17 at 1:17 pm to BigOrangeVols
quote:
Yeah, I would love to see Fulmer in a Spurrier-esque role as head of Fball operations but with a little more power than what I think Spurrier currently maintains at UF.
Spurrier is a figurehead. Regardless of the Blackburn-Fulmer choice and where you fall there/who you support, Fulmer is far more valuable and suited to an administrative role than Spurrier. Fulmer has experience setting up an athletic program and is a partner in an investment fund and he's always had one of the most enviable Rolodex's in CFB and the NFL. TBH, both Blackburn and Fulmer are very qualified for the position. Blackburn from a more technocratic and bureaucratic standpoint but Fulmer has comparable skills both in and outside of college bureaucracies. The advantage of Blackburn is youth whereas with Fulmer you get someone with very powerful connections and clout (not a bad guy to have if the time comes to make a new football hire sooner rather than later as Fulmer can pull people Blackburn can't).
That said, when it comes to the AD as a whole (one that includes multiple sports) Blackburn, imo, is going to do a better job whereas I think Fulmer likely cares most about football and men's and women's basketball which really is about all fans care about.
At this point, I just want the hire to be made. There comes a point when waiting does damage and we are already at that point. In fact, there's reason to believe it may have influenced some of the offseason hires already.
This post was edited on 2/14/17 at 1:19 pm
Posted on 2/14/17 at 1:42 pm to Prof
Iirc, that same booster preferred Kesling over Jackson when the Voice of the VOLS throne opened up.
Posted on 2/14/17 at 1:50 pm to David Ricky
quote:
Iirc, that same booster preferred Kesling over Jackson when the Voice of the VOLS throne opened up.
Oh sure give me hell for a half remembered story of other people's desires that I fully admitted when going down that garden path that I might not be remembering right, ya bastard.
(And yes, I upvoted you).
This post was edited on 2/14/17 at 1:53 pm
Posted on 2/16/17 at 4:10 am to Supravol22
quote:
Figures
He's pretty much everywhere. Rumor has it he's determined to frick up UT sports. TIFWIW. ;-)
Posted on 2/16/17 at 5:07 am to Prof
Beat writers saying things have moved to the interview phase and the hire should take place sooner rather than later.
This post was edited on 2/16/17 at 5:09 am
Posted on 2/16/17 at 7:11 am to David Ricky
quote:
Iirc, that same booster preferred Kesling over Jackson when the Voice of the VOLS throne opened up.
I recall when Kesling would do the Jefferson Pilot games and you could SEE he was making bad or premature calls. Now on the radio you just assume he is.
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