Wiedmer: Time for Hamilton to take over Fulmer’s hot seat

KNOXVILLE — It certainly wasn’t meant to slam the Tennessee Volunteers’ effort in their first nine football games this season, even if six have ended in defeat. It was meant as a tribute to his fired head football coach, though the University of Tennessee’s official term for Phillip Fulmer’s ouster on Monday was “stepped aside.”

But defensive back Eric Berry’s words concerning the players’ take on the Vols’ remaining three games against Wyoming, Vanderbilt and Kentucky may have explained Fulmer’s departure as well as anything.

“You might see a new Tennessee team out there,” Berry said. “Playing with a lot of emotion, a lot of passion.”

A lot of UT fans will no doubt argue that had the Vols displayed more emotion and passion this season, they might not have to worry about who will become their coach in future seasons.

Then again, the players have been saying that all season, often taking the brunt of the blame for the Big Orange’s stunning slide following last year’s appearance in the SEC title game.

“Coaches don’t fumble; coaches don’t throw interceptions,” former starting quarterback Jonathan Crompton said after the Auburn loss. “We’ve got to play better.”

But they never really have. They have played surprisingly bad football from the season-opening loss at UCLA through last weekend’s complete defeat at South Carolina.

Nevertheless, the emotion displayed by Berry and his teammates was raw, angry, bitter, hurt. They entered the Neyland Stadium media room nearly 80 strong, as if itching for a fight. Or at least an explanation, which no one apparently gave them until they met with coaches at 4 p.m., one hour before the news conference.

“We found out watching ESPN this morning,” said place-kicker Daniel Lincoln.

“That wasn’t right,” added defensive back Brent Vinson.

And to the extent that the players should never have been the last to know that their coach was stepping aside, it wasn’t right.

In fact, this entire situation may not prove to be right for UT football. One might even argue that if Tennessee athletic director Mike Hamilton could have witnessed Monday’s news conference through a one-way mirror before he officially pulled the plug on Fulmer’s 35 years inside the Big Orange program, he might have developed a massive case of buyer’s remorse.

Especially if Hamilton was really being honest when he told the media that Fulmer’s UT career was over because of what had taken place in the last 24 hours.

Maybe something did happen. Maybe boosters and donors — though clearly not John “Thunder” Thornton — threatened to pull their dollars if a change wasn’t made.

Maybe the belief that the vaunted recruiting class the Vols are apparently putting together will mostly honor their verbal commitments, whether the coach is Fulmer, Texas Tech’s Mike Leach, Tampa Bay’s Jon Gruden, Minnesota’s Tim Brewster, Texas defensive coordinator Will Muschamp or Cincinnati’s Brian Kelly — to name but five possibles on Hamilton’s wish list.

And if you’re looking for a clue to which of those five might most intrigue Hamilton, Kelly would appear to best fit the AD’s earlier hires of Bruce Pearl in basketball and Todd Raleigh in baseball. Like Kelly, they came from smaller programs on the rise rather than established powers, which also means they might be more grateful to Hamilton for the opportunity.

But whatever happened between Sunday and Monday, it almost certainly didn’t include any surrender from Fulmer, who said, “I don’t think there’s any doubt that given the opportunity, this staff and these players could have turned this around.”

The players will still have that opportunity under a different staff. And if Hamilton already knows what type of coach he will look for to lead the players, he wasn’t saying on Monday.

“I don’t want to get into that today,” he said. “This is Phillip’s day.”

From this point forward, every day for Big Orange fans will focus on Hamilton. This is his defining moment. This is arguably his career.

Bringing in Pearl to coach the basketball Vols may have been a stroke of genius, but basketball doesn’t pay too many bills other than its own. Football supports roughly 80 percent of the athletic department.

So Fulmer did more than just step aside as the Vols’ head coach. He handed the hottest seat in college athletics over to his AD.

“Change is never easy in life,” Hamilton said. “It will be a painful process. But we’ll get through the process.”

Getting through the process is one thing. Finding someone to top Fulmer’s lone national championship, two SEC titles and five SEC title game appearance may be another.

Yet regardless of whom Hamilton ultimately chooses, here’s hoping the players don’t have to learn the identity of their new coach on ESPN.