The mistake that did Phillip Fulmer in as Tennessee football head coach was hiring Dave Clawson to replace David Cutcliffe as his offensive coordinator in 2008. It was the opposite of what he promoted from within, choosing Randy Sanders, after Cutcliffe left in 1999.
Clawson is not a bad coach, but his offense takes years to develop. The Vols had restless fans at the time who didn’t want to wait. And the hire resulted in a horrific 2008 season that got Fulmer and his staff fired. Had he hired Taylor, an understudy to Cutcliffe, he would’ve kept the stability of the resurgent offense from the previous two years.