Fulmer wants to restore stability at Tennessee as athletic director
File, Jack Smith / AP Former Tennessee head coach Phillip Fulmer is the Volunteers’ fifth athletic director since 2011.
KNOXVILLE, Tenn. — Phillip Fulmer believes stability played a major factor in his coaching success at Tennessee, and he wants to help bring it back.
Stability — built on trust, expectations and communications — was replaced by upheaval.
After taking over as athletic director last month, Fulmer has been working to return Tennessee to the cohesion it enjoyed in its peak years.
The College Football Hall of Fame coach remembers when he had Tennessee’s football program consistently competing for Southeastern Conference titles in the 1990s. Joe Johnson was entrenched as university president and Doug Dickey was a fixture as athletic director.
“We knew what was expected,” Fulmer said in an interview with The Associated Press. “We weren’t going to embarrass our university or them. They knew that we were going to do the right thing and that we were going to give the kids who were here a positive experience, and those kinds of things. There was a great trust.
“And then the next few years ... we had four presidents in six years, there was no stability, nobody communicating, nobody trusting each other. That was horrible to be a part of and go through.”
That upheaval continued long after Fulmer stopped coaching.
Fulmer became Tennessee’s fifth AD since 2011 last month when he replaced John Currie, who was removed after only eight months. Fulmer’s first task was to hire football coach Jeremy Pruitt, the fourth man to hold that position since Fulmer’s 2008 forced exit. Fulmer is working for Beverly Davenport, who took over as Tennessee’s chancellor last year.
Tennessee recently concluded a tumultuous search for a football coach.
Currie signed a memorandum of understanding to hire Ohio State defensive coordinator Greg Schiano to replace the fired Butch Jones before that deal was scrapped amid a public backlash. Less than a week later, Fulmer took over for Currie, who was suspended and placed on paid leave while the school investigates whether it can fire him with cause.
“We needed leadership, and I needed someone I could trust and depend on,” Davenport said via email. “Phillip and I are a great team. He has been welcoming and supportive since I arrived, and I knew he would be a great partner for me. There is no one more committed to the University of Tennessee than Phillip Fulmer.”
MELBOURNE, Australia — Roger Federer found himself in a slightly awkward position before the Australian Open draw. Just being there. A few minutes later when the formalities were completed, Federer found out how difficult defending his title could be after landing in the same half as sixtime champion Novak Djokovic.
“This is not normal,” Federer told a crowd of hundreds of fans before the draw on Thursday at Margaret Court Arena. “I don’t like usually going to draws because they freak me out. I don’t want to know who I play other than just seeing the sheet at the end and knowing who my firstround opponent is.”
First up, the 36-year-old Swiss will play Ajaz Bedene of Slovenia. He also has No. 7-ranked David Goffin, Juan Martin del Potro, Sam Querrey, and Milos Raonic in his quarter.
There’s a potential semifinal against Djokovic, who is aiming for a record seventh Australian Open title but is seeded 14th as he returns from six months on the sidelines with a right elbow injury.
Djokovic is in the same quarter as the Zverev brothers — fourthseeded Alexander could meet older brother and No. 32-seeded Mischa in the third round — 2014 champion Stan Wawrinka, and No. 5 Dominic Thiem.
Federer beat Rafael Nadal in the final here last year on his return from six months on the sidelines and is seeded No. 2 as he bids for a 20th Grand Slam singles title.
Djokovic had a contrasting 2017, starting at No. 2 but losing in a second-round upset at the Australian Open and not playing again after Wimbledon. It was the first year since 2009 that Djokovic didn’t reach at least one Grand Slam final.
He delayed his return until two exhibition appearances this week.
Top-ranked Nadal will open against Victor Estrella Burgos, has a potential fourth-round match against John Isner, and No. 3 Grigor Dimitrov in his half of the draw. He followed his run to the final in Melbourne by winning the French Open and U.S. Open, splitting the Grand Slam honors with Federer for the year.
Serena Williams has opted not to defend her title four months after giving birth to her first child, leaving the women’s draw open.
Her sister Venus, who lost the all-Williams Australian Open final last year, has a tough opener against Belinda Bencic — who combined with Federer to win the Hopman Cup for Switzerland last week — and is also in the same quarter as U.S. Open winner Sloane Stephens.
Top-ranked Simona Halep opens against Australian wild card Destanee Aiava, has a potential second-round match against 2014 Wimbledon finalist Eugenie Bouchard, and is in the same half as Garbine Muruguza, the Wimbledon champion.
Third-seeded Muguruza is in a difficult quarter containing former Australian Open champions Maria Sharapova and Angelique Kerber, and U.S. Open finalist Madison Keys.