On the heels of Alabama hiring a new athletic director (Greg Byrne) before it even moved on from its current one (Bill Battle), an SEC rival has reportedly closed in on a top candidate for its AD job.
According to ESPN's Chris Low, Tennessee is kicking the proverbial tires with former Volunteers coach Phillip Fulmer as the school's next athletic director. Dan Wolken of USA Today added that Fulmer is a "candidate" for the job.
Fulmer coached the Vols from 1992 to 2008, going 151-52 and winning a national championship. However, he does not have extensive athletic administrative experience.
Athletic director Dave Hart announced he was stepping down in August, effective June 30. Since then, the Vols have not been able to come up with a replacement while Alabama found a replacement for Battle with relative swiftness.
Adding another layer of intrigue is the way in which Fulmer left Tennessee. His final press conference in 2008 was tension-filled, as it was clear the decision to part ways was not Fulmer's. Bringing him back now -- should he be interested in the job -- would be quite a development in the decades-long relationship between the two sides.
