Phillip Edward Fulmer Sr. is a former American football player, coach, and athletic director at the University of Tennessee. He served as head coach of the Tennessee Volunteers football team from 1992 to 2008, compiling a 152–52 record. He is best known for coaching the Volunteers in the first BCS National Championship Game in 1998, defeating the Florida State Seminoles. Fulmer was the Volunteers' 22nd head football coach.
The 1998 Tennessee Volunteers football team represented the University of Tennessee in the 1998 NCAA Division I-A football season. Tennessee entered the 1998 season coming off an 11–2 record in 1997. The Volunteers were given a preseason ranking of No. 10 in the AP Poll.
The 1951 Tennessee Volunteers football team represented the University of Tennessee in the 1951 college football season. In his next to last season as head coach, Robert Neyland led the Vols to their second consecutive national title and the fourth during his tenure. The 1951 title was also the first undisputed, at the time, national title in school history. Maryland has since been retroactively credited with the 1951 national championship by several selectors, including analyst Jeff Sagarin, as they went undefeated that year and beat Tennessee in the Sugar Bowl. At the time, the AP awarded the title before the bowl games were played. 1951 was also Neyland's ninth undefeated regular season in his career. The 1950 Tennessee team had gone 11–1, winning its last nine games and capping the season off with a victory over Texas in the Cotton Bowl. In 1951, The Vols put together a 10–0 regular season and were voted national champs by the AP Poll before the bowl season began, as was the convention at the time. In addition to AP, Tennessee was named national champion by NCAA-designated major selectors Litkenhous, United Press International, and Williamson, leading to a consensus national champion designation.
The 1950 Tennessee Volunteers football team represented the University of Tennessee in the 1950 college football season. Led by head coach Robert Neyland, the Volunteers lost only one game, a 7–0 upset at Mississippi State in the second game of the season. The Vols handed #3 Kentucky, coached by Bear Bryant, its only loss and defeated #3 Texas in the Cotton Bowl Classic en route to an 11–1 record.
The 1994 Tennessee Volunteers football team represented the University of Tennessee in the 1994 NCAA Division I-A football season. Phillip Fulmer was the head coach. Freshman Peyton Manning began the season as Tennessee's third-string quarterback, but injuries to Todd Helton and Jerry Colquitt forced him into the lineup in a game against Mississippi State, which the Volunteers lost 24–21. In his first start the following week against Washington State, the Vols won, 10–9. They lost only one more game the rest of the season, finishing 8–4 with a 45–23 victory over Virginia Tech in the Gator Bowl.
The 1997 Tennessee Volunteers football team represented the University of Tennessee during the 1997 NCAA Division I-A football season. Quarterback Peyton Manning had already completed his degree in three years, and had been projected to be the top overall pick in the 1997 NFL draft, but returned to Tennessee for his senior year. The Volunteers opened the season with victories against Texas Tech and UCLA, but for the third time in his career, Manning fell to Florida, 33–20. The Vols won the rest of their regular season games, finishing 10–1, and advanced to the SEC Championship Game against Auburn. Down 20–7, Manning led the Vols to a 30–29 victory. Throwing for four touchdowns, he was named the game's MVP, but injured himself in the process. The #3 Vols were matched up with #2 Nebraska in the Orange Bowl. Had Tennessee won and top-ranked Michigan lost to Washington State in the Rose Bowl, the Vols would have been expected to win the national championship. However, the Vols' defense could not stop Nebraska's rushing attack, giving up more than 400 yards on the ground in a 42–17 loss. As a senior, Manning won numerous awards. He was a consensus first-team All-American and won the Maxwell Award, the Davey O'Brien Award, the Johnny Unitas Award, and the Best College Football Player ESPY Award, among others. However, he did not win the Heisman Trophy, finishing runner-up to Charles Woodson, a CB from Michigan, and the only defensive player ever to win the Heisman Trophy.
The 1995 Tennessee Volunteers football team represented the University of Tennessee as a member of the Eastern Division of the Southeastern Conference (SEC) during the 1995 NCAA Division I-A football season. Led by third-year head coach Phillip Fulmer, the Vols compiled an overall record of 11–1, with a mark of 7–1 in conference play, and finished second in the SEC Eastern Division. Tennessee concluded their season with a victory in the Florida Citrus Bowl over Ohio State.
The 1996 Tennessee Volunteers football team represented the University of Tennessee in the 1996 NCAA Division I-A football season. The offense scored 437 points and the defense allowed only 185 points. Quarterback Peyton Manning was in his junior year and head coach Phillip Fulmer was in his fifth year. This was the first season that Tennessee had ever lost to the cross-state University of Memphis Tigers.
The 1999 Tennessee Volunteers football team represented the University of Tennessee in the 1999 NCAA Division I-A football season. The Volunteers offense scored 369 points while the defense allowed 194 points. Phillip Fulmer was the head coach and led the team to a 9-3 record. After securing an undefeated national championship in the previous season, Tennessee lost to SEC East arch-rival Florida, and saw Arkansas get revenge for their loss in Knoxville in 1998, beating the Vols by the exact same score of 28-24. Tennessee also lost to Nebraska in the Fiesta Bowl.
The 1993 Tennessee Volunteers football team represented the University of Tennessee in the 1993 NCAA Division I-A football season. The Volunteers offense scored 484 points while the defense allowed 175 points. Phillip Fulmer was the head coach and led the club to an appearance in the Florida Citrus Bowl.
The 1987 Tennessee Volunteers football team represented the University of Tennessee in the 1987 NCAA Division I-A football season. Playing as a member of the Southeastern Conference (SEC), the team was led by head coach Johnny Majors, in his 11th year, and played their home games at Neyland Stadium in Knoxville, Tennessee. They finished the season with a record of ten wins, two losses and one tie and with a victory over Indiana in the Peach Bowl. The Volunteers offense scored 293 points while the defense allowed 249 points.
The 1989 Tennessee Volunteers football team represented the University of Tennessee in the 1989 NCAA Division I-A football season. Playing as a member of the Southeastern Conference (SEC), the team was led by head coach Johnny Majors, in his 13th year, and played their home games at Neyland Stadium in Knoxville, Tennessee. They finished the season with a record of eleven wins and one loss, as SEC co-champion, and with a victory over Arkansas in the Cotton Bowl Classic. The Volunteers offense scored 346 points while the defense allowed 217 points.
The 1990 Tennessee Volunteers football team represented the University of Tennessee in the 1990 NCAA Division I-A football season. Playing as a member of the Southeastern Conference (SEC), the team was led by head coach Johnny Majors, in his 14th year, and played their home games at Neyland Stadium in Knoxville, Tennessee. They finished the season with a record of nine wins, two losses, and two ties. Although the Volunteers finished second in standings, Florida was ruled ineligible on NCAA probation, and Tennessee was awarded the SEC Championship and the conference's Sugar Bowl bid, which they used to defeat Virginia. The Volunteers offense scored 465 points while the defense allowed 220 points.
The 1991 Tennessee Volunteers football team represented the University of Tennessee in the 1991 NCAA Division I-A football season. Playing as a member of the Southeastern Conference (SEC), the team was led by head coach Johnny Majors, in his 15th year, and played their home games at Neyland Stadium in Knoxville, Tennessee. They finished the season with a record of nine wins and three losses and with a loss against Penn State in the Fiesta Bowl. The Volunteers offense scored 352 points while the defense allowed 263 points.
The 1992 Tennessee Volunteers football team represented the University of Tennessee in the 1992 NCAA Division I-A football season. The Volunteers were a member of the Southeastern Conference (SEC), in the Eastern Division and played their home games at Neyland Stadium in Knoxville, Tennessee. They finished the season with a record of nine wins and three and with a victory over Boston College in the Hall of Fame Bowl. The Volunteers offense scored 347 points while the defense allowed 196 points.
The 1986 Tennessee Volunteers football team represented the University of Tennessee in the 1986 NCAA Division I-A football season. Playing as a member of the Southeastern Conference (SEC), the team was led by head coach Johnny Majors, in his tenth year, and played their home games at Neyland Stadium in Knoxville, Tennessee. They finished the season with a record of seven wins and five losses and with a victory over Minnesota in the Liberty Bowl. The Volunteers offense scored 293 points while the defense allowed 249 points.
The 1999 Arkansas Razorbacks football team represented the University of Arkansas during the 1999 NCAA Division I-A football season.
The 2001 Tennessee Volunteers football team represented the University of Tennessee in the 2001 NCAA Division I-A football season. The team was coached by Phillip Fulmer. The Vols played their home games in Neyland Stadium and competed in the Eastern Division of the Southeastern Conference (SEC). The Vols finished the season 10–2, 7–1 in SEC play and won the Florida Citrus Bowl, 45–17, over Michigan. Tennessee had National Championship aspirations late in the season. A loss in the SEC Championship to LSU ended any chance of a National Championship for the Volunteers.
The 2000 Mississippi State Bulldogs football team represented Mississippi State University as a member of the Western Division of the Southern Conference (SEC) during the 2000 NCAA Division I-A football season. Led by tenth-year head coach Jackie Sherrill, the Bulldogs compiled an overall record of 8–4 with a mark of 4–4 in conference play, tying for third place in the SEC's Western Division. Mississippi State was invited to the Independence Bowl, where Bulldogs defeated Texas A&M in overtime. The team played home games at Scott Field in Starkville, Mississippi.
The 2018 Tennessee Volunteers football team represented the University of Tennessee in the 2018 NCAA Division I FBS football season. The Volunteers played their home games at Neyland Stadium in Knoxville, Tennessee and competed in the Eastern Division of the Southeastern Conference (SEC). They were led by first-year head coach Jeremy Pruitt. They finished the season 5–7, 2–6 in SEC play to finish in last place in the Eastern Division.
