What we know about Tennessee athletic director search
They spent a decade working together in the University of Tennessee football program, helping the Vols win two SEC championships and a national title.
Phillip Fulmer was the head coach of the team and David Blackburn was an integral part of his staff.
They now appear to be competing to be the next athletic director at Tennessee.
Over the last few days, Fulmer’s name has gained momentum in UT’s search to replace Dave Hart, who announced on Aug. 18 he was retiring as AD. Hart’s retirement goes into effect on June 30.
Blackburn, the athletic director at Chattanooga, was the potential candidate that surfaced in the immediate aftermath of Hart’s announcement.
But Fulmer, 66, threw his hat into the ring publicly last week by saying he wanted to be considered for the position.
"I have really enjoyed getting involved with Dr. Joe DiPietro on the President's Council and doing some things with him," Fulmer told the Tennessean while in Nashville for the American Football Coaches Association convention. "They've got a process (in hiring an athletics director) in place and I'm just anxious to see what that process brings."
UT didn’t want to hire an athletic director until hiring a new chancellor to lead the search. Beverly Davenport was confirmed by UT’s board of trustees as the new chancellor in December. She is scheduled to begin work at UT on Feb. 15.
Davenport attended the Tennessee women’s basketball game against Notre Dame on Monday night and was introduced at halftime on the court in conjunction with a Martin Luther King Jr. Day ceremony honoring historical firsts at UT. Davenport is the first female chancellor in UT history.
Repeated attempts by the News Sentinel to speak with administrators, athletic officials or trustees regarding the progress of the AD search have been denied.
As the months have passed since Hart’s announcement, fans began setting social media afire with their frustrations and pleas for Blackburn to be hired.
Blackburn, a 1990 UT graduate and native of Loudon, began his administrative career at UT in 1993 working with Fulmer and the football program. In his 10-year association with Fulmer, Blackburn held titles of assistant director of compliance, director of football operations and assistant athletic director for football operations.
Blackburn was steadily promoted through the UT athletic administration ranks, eventually given the role of senior associate athletic director for administration in 2008. He was hired at Chattanooga in 2013.
Last month, Blackburn was a guest speaker at a Fellowship of Christian Athletes breakfast in Knoxville. He was asked by WVLT if he was interested in returning to UT as the new AD.
“Absolutely and I’ve never lied about that,” Blackburn said at the time. “I spent 28 years on Lake Loudoun Blvd. That’s my home. Some of those were underclass, Coach (Bob) Woodruff and Coach (George) Cafego hired me as a manager after I transferred from Tech. But I’m in Chattanooga, that’s where my heart is right now. That’s where it has to be. But it’s a beautiful thing actually. Once you stop coveting something it becomes beautiful.”
Fulmer, a native of Winchester, Tenn., has spent more than 30 years at UT as a player, assistant coach and head coach. He was 152-52-1 in 16 full seasons (1993-2008, plus part of 1992 as interim coach), leading the Vols to their first national title in 31 years in 1998.
Fulmer was fired in 2008 after finishing 5-7 and fifth in the SEC East and replaced by Lane Kiffin.
Although Fulmer, who has a close relationship with UT quarterback great Peyton Manning, possesses the experience and knowledge from his more than 45 years as a college player and coach, he has never worked in athletic administration.
In 2009, Fulmer joined BPV Capital Management with a lead role in business development. BPV announced last summer it was shutting down BPV Capital Management. Michael West, CEO and senior partner in BPV, told the News Sentinel in July that Fulmer has been working in “business development.”
Fulmer was a consultant and special assistant to athletic director Richard Sander at East Tennessee State University for the last three years as the Bucs resurrected their football program in 2015.
Is Fulmer’s background enough for him to rise to the top of UT’s AD search? Will Blackburn return to lead the department? Will an outside candidate suddenly emerge?
Only time will tell. But Fulmer realizes the impact a new AD could make.
"To me this is a very important time in our history to, not just creep back to the top, but jump back to the top," Fulmer told the Tennessean. "And I think we have a chance to do that."