http://www.ajc.com/services/content/sports/stories/2008/11/03/phil_fulmer_richt.html
“I was sorry to hear the news about Phil,” Georgia coach Mark Richt said. “My thoughts and prayers are with him, his staff and their families.”
“I have a tremendous amount of respect for Phillip Fulmer and what he’s done at Tennessee, full body of work, 16 years, won a national championship. I can’t say enough about what he’s done there. From a professional standpoint, you hate to see any one of your colleagues go through this kind of thing,” Alabama coach Nick Saban said.
“This part of the business is not a good part of the business.”
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“The only thing I can say is that he’s had a great tenure at Tennessee,” LSU coach Les Miles said. “He’s done a number of great things. In my opinion, he’s had a very distinguished coaching career. I hope it’s something that he wanted to have happen. I hope it was something that he enjoyed. There will be great memories of his time there. I suspect that he’ll do a lot with his time from this point forward, and certainly, those were his calls.”
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“Our Tennessee family is united in its goals but divided in the right path to get there. I love Tennessee too much to let her stay divided. That is why I accept the university’s decision that this will be my last season as Tennessee’s football coach,” Phillip Fulmer said Monday in announcing he was accepting the decision for him to step down after this season.
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“It is a shame, because they are losing more than a football coach. He has helped a lot of players and people, including myself, to be the successes they are today. I guess in the grand scheme, winning is important. I hope the coach they do find will be as good a person and mentor as Coach Fulmer and who will have the well-being of the players in mind, and not just winning games and advancing his own career,” said Titans defensive tackle Albert Haynesworth, who was a first-round draft pick in 2002 after playing for Fulmer.
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“Phillip Fulmer is the reason that I chose to come to Tennessee, and it was one of the greatest decisions I ever made,” two-time NFL MVP Peyton Manning said. “I will always be indebted to him for the impact he has made on my life and my football career. I know I speak for hundreds of players when I say it was an honor to have played for him at UT. I am fortunate to have played four years for one of the greatest coaches in the history of college football.”
Atlanta Journal Constitution
11/3/08
