UT board now saying Brohm has accepted.

[StateStreet123]

I can tell you this...you can thank Phil Fulmer that you still have your coach today. And honestly, I'm happy for you guys, cause it sucks to lose a coach after one year. I'm speaking from experience.

Vol Fan, can you elaborate please? I have been on VolNation but sorting through that board is quite time consuming. Do you believe Fulmer nixed the Brohm deal? Also, do you believe Brohm had accepted and then Fulmer nixed it? Or is it something else completely?

I believe Currie did call Brohm, and Brohm just listened to what was said before politely declining as he wasn't serious about leaving. Not a knock on TN at all, just where Brohm's mind is at right now. Also note, that is purely my conjecture as I have NO IDEA what happend.

 

[nat100]

Vol Fan, can you elaborate please? I have been on VolNation but sorting through that board is quite time consuming. Do you believe Fulmer nixed the Brohm deal? Also, do you believe Brohm had accepted and then Fulmer nixed it? Or is it something else completely?

I believe Currie did call Brohm, and Brohm just listened to what was said before politely declining as he wasn't serious about leaving. Not a knock on TN at all, just where Brohm's mind is at right now. Also note, that is purely my conjecture as I have NO IDEA what happend.

Story on other sites is that Fulmer was calling coaches and telling them not to take the job.

 

[Vol Forward]

Vol Fan, can you elaborate please? I have been on VolNation but sorting through that board is quite time consuming. Do you believe Fulmer nixed the Brohm deal? Also, do you believe Brohm had accepted and then Fulmer nixed it? Or is it something else completely?

I believe Currie did call Brohm, and Brohm just listened to what was said before politely declining as he wasn't serious about leaving. Not a knock on TN at all, just where Brohm's mind is at right now. Also note, that is purely my conjecture as I have NO IDEA what happend.

Volnation is a pit of stupidity, so I cant imagine why you've had no luck there
Ok, so, without trolling anyone, here's what we;ve heard from multiple directions...

To set the stage, Currie and the Haslams were on one side of this power struggle, and the rest of the boosters, with Phil Fulmer, on the other. Currie is the guy who actually FIRED Fulmer a decade ago, he was working in the AD at the time, and he was the hatchet man.

With that said, Currie and Haslam really f'd up going after Schiano. It wasn't what the boosters wanted, and once that happened, all hell broke loose in the AD and in the boosters' ranks. At that point, Phil got President DiPietro on his side, and they actively were scuttling the deals Currie tried to work after that. It was clear that they wanted a change in power, and Fulmer led the charge.

Word is, Brohm was going to take the deal, cause it was a very hefty raise. Fulmer got DiPietro to negate the deal, and then the real battle to get Currie removed and get Fulmer installed went full steam. Currie was on the west coast with Leach, and Leach wanted the job. They called Currie at that time and told him Fulmer was taking over, to come back to Knoxville.

Currie was fired this morning after a 10 minute meeting. So that's the story I have. And obviously, with no paper trail or confirmation on Brohm, my word is just junk. But I firmly believe it. Also, the radio guy who went on ESPN and reported the deal was done? He gets his info straight from Haslam. That's why he went forward with that story. Fulmer and his crowd shut it down at the last instant.

 

[StateStreet123]

Story on other sites is that Fulmer was calling coaches and telling them not to take the job.

Thanks, Nat. IF IF IF that is true....just wow that Fulmer had the bravado to do that. But even more unbelievable is that the TN faithful would then HIRE HIM AS AD instead of castigating him from all things TN and tearing down his street sign!

Finally, IF IF IF Brohm had an offer I do not believe it took a phone call from Fulmer to persuade him not to take it. Again, I doubt it ever got that far. Thoughts on this newly-rumored absurdity anyone?

 

[Vol Forward]

Thanks, Nat. IF IF IF that is true....just wow that Fulmer had the bravado to do that. But even more unbelievable is that the TN faithful would then HIRE HIM AS AD instead of castigating him from all things TN and tearing down his street sign!

Finally, IF IF IF Brohm had an offer I do not believe it took a phone call from Fulmer to persuade him not to take it. Again, I doubt it ever got that far. Thoughts on this newly-rumored absurdity anyone?

No, Fulmer didn't call him.
And EVERYBODY wants Phil to take over the football program. We've had enough of beancounters running the football program. Honestly, there's not a facet of our AD that hasn't failed the last decade. Time for a change.

 

[StateStreet123]

No, Fulmer didn't call him.
And EVERYBODY wants Phil to take over the football program. We've had enough of beancounters running the football program. Honestly, there's not a facet of our AD that hasn't failed the last decade. Time for a change.

Appreciate it, Vol. Quite a tale on your explanation (longer post just above this). The truth is out there....but I don't think I know it, not even for a second. If I took the rumor you posted as true for hypothetical (as absurd a situation to ever consider true!), there is still one thing that I cannot reconcile.

"At that point, Phil got President DiPietro on his side, and they actively were scuttling the deals Currie tried to work after that. It was clear that they wanted a change in power, and Fulmer led the charge."

It is pretty simple if I am DiPietro. I am the boss. And I have the support of all boosters (except Haslam) and the Board on my side. If, after the Schiano deal, I don't want Currie acting as my AD, I fire him! I don't just keep scuttling the deals that MY EMPLOYEE Currie is working on. That would be ridiculous. Again, if the Schiano deal was the final straw - which it obviously was - I fire him. No more trooping of coaches through Knoxville and through the media. That would be ridiculous to let him continue trying to hire coaches and me just scuttling each one. Why would any boss do that?

Side note: I think Hyams was played. And very sloppy journalism on his part. Bernie Miklasz of Missouri was as well a few years ago. Just not sure by who or why.

 

[Vol Forward]

It is pretty simple if I am DiPietro. I am the boss. And I have the support of all boosters (except Haslam) and the Board on my side. If, after the Schiano deal, I don't want Currie acting as my AD, I fire him! I don't just keep scuttling the deals that MY EMPLOYEE Currie is working on. That would be ridiculous. Again, if the Schiano deal was the final straw - which it obviously was - I fire him. No more trooping of coaches through Knoxville and through the media. That would be ridiculous to let him continue trying to hire coaches and me just scuttling each one. Why would any boss do that?

A 5 million dollar buyout for Currie, that's why. They waited and rigged this. They are going to fire him with cause, and get out of the 5 million dollar parachute. Its why he wasn't fired directly after the Schiano deal.

 

[TheBoris]

A 5 million dollar buyout for Currie, that's why. They waited and rigged this. They are going to fire him with cause, and get out of the 5 million dollar parachute. Its why he wasn't fired directly after the Schiano deal.

Day Five of my prophecy: UT will hire Lane Kiffin.

 

[Vol Forward]

Day Five of my prophecy: UT will hire Lane Kiffin.

No, he's not even an option. Fulmer despises Kiffin.

 

[Purdue85]

No, he's not even an option. Fulmer despises Kiffin.

Dudes . . . can you spell "Tee"?

As in, "You Tee"?

As in, "Tee Martin"?

Book it.

 

[Bob Sienicki]

A 5 million dollar buyout for Currie, that's why. They waited and rigged this. They are going to fire him with cause, and get out of the 5 million dollar parachute. Its why he wasn't fired directly after the Schiano deal.

That still doesn't pass muster. They could have fired Currie after the Schiano backlash by claiming he did not do due diligence regarding Schiano and could have claimed his actions caused UT irreparable harm - which, of course, it did.

I'm not saying you're wrong, but if what you say is true, then Currie likely has grounds to sue UT and Fulmer. If a university president at a major state university - like DiPietro - were to engage in that kind of petty backstabbing, especially in collusion with a former state employee who has some sort of vendetta against a current state employee, one would have to wonder how much vetting the board did in hiring DiPietro to begin with. I just cannot believe someone that high in a state university administration would stoop to such publicly embarrassing and childish antics - especially by putting his own university at risk for wrongful termination and defamation lawsuits.

Sorry, just can't buy it.

 

[Steve91562]

A 5 million dollar buyout for Currie, that's why. They waited and rigged this. They are going to fire him with cause, and get out of the 5 million dollar parachute. Its why he wasn't fired directly after the Schiano deal.

Just a visitor, but it seems that this week long fiasco has done more then $5 million worth of damage to the university's reputation. Find it hard to believe that a University President, who got her degree at Michigan, would play such a charade.

 

[Steve91562]

…. At that point, Phil got President DiPietro on his side, and they actively were scuttling the deals Currie tried to work after that. It was clear that they wanted a change in power, and Fulmer led the charge.

If this is how it went down, then that's one big FUBAR. Possibly illegal too. Certainly violates the colleges own administrative rules, as well as those of the rating agencies.

 

[Vol Forward]

I hear you guys, but you don't follow UT. This has been boiling for a really long time. There was nothing illegal about it. Just a power struggle and the other side won. Haslam has been bullying people at UT for over a decade, and using his brother, the governor of the state, to quietly let people know that whoever stood against them might find their business suffering in the state. Haslam thinks he knows football better than everyone else. Convinced of his own superiority, you only have to look at the Browns to understand how awful his influence can be on a football program.

Yes, Fulmer and DiPietro really did do this. It will come out completely in the future. Its been a crazy week.

 

[boiler1987]

I hear you guys, but you don't follow UT. This has been boiling for a really long time. There was nothing illegal about it. Just a power struggle and the other side won. Haslam has been bullying people at UT for over a decade, and using his brother, the governor of the state, to quietly let people know that whoever stood against them might find their business suffering in the state. Haslam thinks he knows football better than everyone else. Convinced of his own superiority, you only have to look at the Browns to understand how awful his influence can be on a football program.

Yes, Fulmer and DiPietro really did do this. It will come out completely in the future. Its been a crazy week.

Brohm never met in person with any UT folks though. How would we have accepted an offer when he was out recruiting all day?

 

[RossMackey]

Side note: I think Hyams was played. And very sloppy journalism on his part. Bernie Miklasz of Missouri was as well a few years ago. Just not sure by who or why.

This statement cries out for correction! I realize Milklasz is forever enshrined in Purdue lore as “the asshat at The STL Post-Dispatch who got it wrong” but what NOBODY among my Purdue brethren remembers is that Painter (and or his agent) had negotiated and had ready to go a bona-fife offer for Matt to take over at Missouri .

THAT was what triggered the last minute panic that caused Moron Burke and the rest of the skinflint powers that be to cave in, and give Matt what he needed to keep Purdue basketball competitive...:

What Miklasz “got wrong” was the depth of Painter’s loyalty to Purdue . He was effusive in apologizing for reporting too soon on what indeed was a done deal....

With Brohm and UT, there is zero evidence things got any further than a gesture to gauge whether or not CJB would be interested.
Could Fulmer have greased the skids to make it happen? MAYBE

 

[RossMackey]

Brohm never met in person with any UT folks though. How would we have accepted an offer when he was out recruiting all day?

Bingo — for all of this supposed Inner-sanctum palace intrigue at UT, the loop getting all this to CJB was never closed!!

 

[32zone]

Vol Fan, can you elaborate please? I have been on VolNation but sorting through that board is quite time consuming. Do you believe Fulmer nixed the Brohm deal? Also, do you believe Brohm had accepted and then Fulmer nixed it? Or is it something else completely?

I believe Currie did call Brohm, and Brohm just listened to what was said before politely declining as he wasn't serious about leaving. Not a knock on TN at all, just where Brohm's mind is at right now. Also note, that is purely my conjecture as I have NO IDEA what happend.

Volnation is a pit of stupidity, so I cant imagine why you've had no luck there
Ok, so, without trolling anyone, here's what we;ve heard from multiple directions...

To set the stage, Currie and the Haslams were on one side of this power struggle, and the rest of the boosters, with Phil Fulmer, on the other. Currie is the guy who actually FIRED Fulmer a decade ago, he was working in the AD at the time, and he was the hatchet man.

With that said, Currie and Haslam really f'd up going after Schiano. It wasn't what the boosters wanted, and once that happened, all hell broke loose in the AD and in the boosters' ranks. At that point, Phil got President DiPietro on his side, and they actively were scuttling the deals Currie tried to work after that. It was clear that they wanted a change in power, and Fulmer led the charge.

Word is, Brohm was going to take the deal, cause it was a very hefty raise. Fulmer got DiPietro to negate the deal, and then the real battle to get Currie removed and get Fulmer installed went full steam. Currie was on the west coast with Leach, and Leach wanted the job. They called Currie at that time and told him Fulmer was taking over, to come back to Knoxville.

Currie was fired this morning after a 10 minute meeting. So that's the story I have. And obviously, with no paper trail or confirmation on Brohm, my word is just junk. But I firmly believe it. Also, the radio guy who went on ESPN and reported the deal was done? He gets his info straight from Haslam. That's why he went forward with that story. Fulmer and his crowd shut it down at the last instant.

So UT offered Brohm without a face to face meeting? Nobody does that. Volquest says no offer was ever made. That they only had discussions but it went no further. And why would Brohm and Holt be visiting a kid to come to Purdue the day after he supposedly had agreed to be the UT coach? Your source seems to that geriatric Jimmy Hyams.

 

[Steve91562]

… This has been boiling for a really long time. There was nothing illegal about it ….

From a civil liability perspective, if what you say is true, then breach of contract is at issue, tortious interference with a business relationship is another cause of action, and that would carry a claim of punitive damages. Tennessee was already warned last week by a rating agency to let the Athletic Director do his job w/o interfering. I would be stunned if there wasn't some university rules protecting the AD from this type of interference from within the university. Violations of such rules can also be boot strapped to a form a breach of contract. Not to mention federal hostile work environment. And more. I mean, you just can't go out and torpedo someone's career. A lot there, if what you say is true.

Not so sure about criminal law because that's outside my field of expertise.

Fascinating stuff though. Don't think Hollywood could've written a better script.

 

[Purdue85]

So UT offered Brohm without a face to face meeting? Nobody does that. Volquest says no offer was ever made. That they only had discussions but it went no further. And why would Brohm and Holt be visiting a kid to come to Purdue the day after he supposedly had agreed to be the UT coach? Your source seems to that geriatric Jimmy Hyams.

This.

This is the only imaginable scenario that get Brohm anywhere close to the UT job.

A phone call was placed to Brohm to gauge interest. Brohm, being the gentleman he is, took the call. Did UT talk money? Probably. Did Brohm express an interest in that income level? Possibly. Did Brohm leave the door open? Again, being the gentleman he is, and not wanting to burn any bridges, most likely did.

It's highly likely Brohm's action of not slamming the door in UT's face likely led them to believe they had their man.

As it stands now, nothing seems further from the truth.

All we have in the public record is an unbelievable amount of irresponsible reporting.