Phillip Fulmer, Tennessee
|  | | Phillip Fulmer and Tennessee won the national title in 1998 after finishing a perfect 13-0. |
The resume
Undefeated National Champion in 1998.
Finished No. 2 in the polls once (1995).
Highest winning percentage (.824) among any active coach.
Reached the 50- and 75-game victory milestones faster than any other coach in SEC history.
Led Tennessee to nine straight bowl games, including six straight on New Year's Day.
Career record: Nine seasons, 84-18-0 (.824).
At what point in the season -- spring football, two-a-days, November -- at what point does it hit you that your team has a legitimate shot at a national championship?
Fulmer: In our case, it's usually after the Florida game. Although in 1999, we lost to Florida and still managed to put ourselves in a position where we were No. 2 in the BCS late in the season, but we got upset by Arkansas.
I guess, traditionally, we find out real quickly what type of team we're going to have. The 1998 team was really unusual because in 1997 we had Peyton (Manning) and a lot of really good players who had great years, but we didn't win it. And not a lot of people thought we'd have much of a chance in 1998 with a new quarterback and new players at many other positions, but we found out real quickly with wins against Syracuse and Florida that we had a very good football team. Then you have to do the rest of it.
Once you realize you can contend for the title, how -- if it all -- does that change things?
| | | Phillip Fulmer and Tennessee won the national title in 1998 after finishing a perfect 13-0. |
Fulmer: I don't think it really changes a whole lot because you have to do it each week. From our standpoint, I'm not trying to be clichéd with it, but we treat each game and focus on each game the same. It's the only way you can continue to improve.
If you go back, in 1995 we finished No. 2. In 1997 we played Nebraska, who won half of the championship, in the Orange Bowl. In 1998, we won it. In '99 we were right in it. And 2000 was a transition year for us. But the one thing we've done throughout the course of this success is to use each and every practice and game to stay the course and improve. It's the only way you can sustain significant success.
If there was a formula for producing a national champion, what would it be?
Fulmer: Talent. Chemistry. Remembering that it's a football team. Also, you've got to have a little bit of good fortune along the way. In 1997, we lost Jamal Lewis to a torn ACL, but were lucky enough to have Travis Henry step up. We didn't miss a beat. And it helps to have the scheduling in your favor, too. That's just off the top of my head.
On the field, is there any one thing you have to have? A leader at quarterback? A running back that can control time of possession? A stud defensive end? What is the one thing that?s a necessity?
Fulmer: Ideally, you'd like to have a couple of those things. But at the very least, you have to have something that makes you dynamic. It might be a precise passer, a durable, elusive running back, a whole mix of things; but you need to have that great single player.
And you hope that as a group you are very talented and have about 3-4 guys that can make a difference. Look at those championship teams with (Chris) Weinke, with (Scott) Frost and (Grant) Wistrom. They were difference makers. On every play you had to account for those people. And a lot of the things those teams did came because of those people.
You could include Peter Warrick in 1998. (Josh) Heupel last year. You need three or four guys that are difference makers and the rest of the bunch needs to be darn good.
What about special teams? How important of a role do they play?
Fulmer: Every time you talk about special teams, you are talking about field position and points. And in a national championship situation, every play makes a difference. It's kind of an unusual thing.
I think back to the 1998 season, when our punter made a game-saving tackle on Peter Warrick after a tremendous punt return. You can go back and point to that as the difference in the game. We sacked them a couple times, put them out of field goal range and they didn't score. So if you were to break it down, I would say it's equal, offense, defense and special teams are each 1/3 of what it takes.
How important is team chemistry? Or is it something that talent and execution can overcome?
Fulmer: You have to be talented. That's a given or you probably don't even get that far. But kids that believe in themselves, and certainly we had that in 1998, those are the kids that are going to find a way to get it done.
You always have one or two leaders. Those are the guys that see that things get done. They make sure there aren't any issues off the field and that the guys don't just come to practice one day and go through the motions. And through the course of the game, those are the guys that step up and motivate others to play at a level higher than they are probably physically capable of. In 1997, we had that leadership from Peyton and Al Wilson. In 1998, Tee Martin and Peerless Price filled the role. It's definitely important.
Our 1999 team was more talented than the '98 team, but the chemistry and cohesiveness didn't fall into play as well -- even though it was a darn good football team.
Strategy wise, do you approach decisions differently during a national championship year, whether it's going for two, going on fourth down, things like that?
Fulmer: You try not to. You try to stay the course and use the things that got you to that point. The players can feel a change in philosophy or a change in emotion if you're not careful. Hopefully, during the course of the season, your younger players develop more and you aren't forced to make any wholesale changes as to how you approach an opponent, the practice schedule, how much contact you have, playing time. You want to maintain a consistent approach.
| |
|
