ESPN is reporting that several members of the UT Board of Trustees have contacted former coach Phil Fulmer about the possibility of returning to Tennessee as its athletic director or even as its football coach. But a senior UT officials said the system knows of no trustee or UT officials who had contacted Mr. Fulmer.

If there was a call from a trustee, it would not be in any officials capacity, said Hank Dye, spokesman for the system.

If a trustee did place a call to Mr. Fulmer, UT officials don't know about it, Mr. Dye said.

Mr. Fulmer was head coach from 1993 to 2008 when he was replaced by Lane Kiffin, who now is heading to California to coach USC.