Tennessee Athletics have plenty to be thankful for under Fulmer's direction

On December 1st of 2017, the University of Tennessee hired Phillip Fulmer to be the Athletic Director. Fulmer, a Volunteer legend, gave beaten and battered Vols fans new hope. There was a sudden sense of life around the University again. Within just a few days of taking the position full-time, Fulmer hired Jeremy Pruitt to be the next head coach of Tennessee's football program. Again, hope radiated from around the fan base. Fulmer hired a football guy, who was tasked with restoring Tennessee to the level of greatness that he had once achieved. Fulmer's first year went over relatively smooth. That would quickly change with the turn of the year.

In March, Fulmer would be tasked with replacement a long-time fixture in the Lady Vols Basketball program, Holly Warlick. He would hire former Vol Basketball standout, Kellie Harper, less than two weeks later. Shortly after this, Fulmer would have to battle to retain Rick Barnes, after UCLA came calling on the Vols Head Basketball coach, but he was able to do so. Tennessee athletics has grown exponentially under Fulmer's direction, so let's take a look at why Tennessee fans have plenty to be thankful for under Phillip Fulmer.

Tennessee's football program had a chance to become bowl eligible in year one of Jeremy Pruitt's tenure. The Vols knocked off two top 15 opponents in Auburn and Kentucky, but could not finish the deal against Vanderbilt. The Vols fell to 5-7 on the season, but returning a bulk of production there was hope. Then Jeremy Pruitt went out and brought in a class full of talented prospects that stocked the fire even more. He would go on to hire Jim Chaney, as one of the highest-paid coordinators in the country, and steal Derrick Ansley away from the Oakland Raiders to be his defensive coordinator. The future looked bright on Rocky Top, but then August 31st rolled around. Tennessee suffered a devastating setback at the hands of a 38-30 defeat by Georgia State. The Vols were quickly sitting at 1-4, and there was a lot of cause for concerns. Fulmer was unwavering in his support of Jeremy Pruitt, and the second-year head coach started righting the ship. Pruitt's team got a big win at home over Mississippi State, and after a loss to Alabama, a week later have not lost since. Tennessee now 6-5, is bowl eligible with a chance to win 7-8 games. A feat that is quite frankly hard to fathom. Fulmer and Pruitt have once again restored hope in one a fan base that supports one of the most prestigious football programs in all of America.

Fulmer pulled off the feat of keeping Barnes away from UCLA, one of, if not, the best college basketball programs of all-time. There was a lot of tension from the fan base when Barnes expressed interest in the job, even big boards for who his replacement could be were popping up. There was some chatter that maybe now was a good time for this to happen, considering Barnes had not recruited at a high-level. Where would Tennessee's program go if he left later on? Would there be enough talent left to sustain success? Well, it turned out that Tennessee fans would not have to find that out yet. Barnes came back to the University, and what did he do? He composed a recruiting class that currently sits as number 4 in the land, according to 247 Sports. He has his basketball team ranked inside the top 25, yet again, after starting the season unranked. He has already gone on the road to a neutral site and took down a top 20 Washington Huskies team. He has people believing that his team can once again play with anybody in the nation. With the parity across college basketball early on, that is a correct assumption at this point. Fulmer retained Barnes and kept the building process in place in Knoxville for what has the potential to be something special.

Kellie Harper returned to the University of Tennessee with a storied history. A narrative that had the potential of telling itself, a pupil becoming the master, a return of a prodigy. Kellie Harper was a part of the success and legacy that Pat Summit built around the Lady Vols basketball program. Could the hard-nosed Harper have the same success as her mentor? Harper has already made it evident that she is going to make a run at restoring this program to its glory days. She is recruiting at a high level and having success on the hardwood. Harper's team boasts a 6-0 record, and she already has the Vols ranked in the top 20. Fans once again have hope that they could see what they once loved and cherished unfold again. Harper's gritty coaching style and her team's relentless defensive efforts are exactly what many had wanted to see. Another hire for Fulmer looks aimed towards success.

Also to be noted, Tennessee's women's softball team went 43-17 last season, before exiting the NCAA tournament in the Super Regionals. Tony Vitello's baseball team surpassed expectations in a top-heavy SEC and went 40-21 before losing to North Carolina in the Chapel Hill Region. With Jeremy Pruitt's football team getting bowl eligible every major program at the University of Tennessee has experienced the post-season under Fulmer. Fulmer has restored hope and turned Tennessee athletics toward a brighter future. Sports dominate some people's lives and Fulmer has given Tennessee Athletics a lot to be thankful for.

Featured image via utsports.com