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 Mike Hamilton

UT Athletics Director Mike Hamilton is Friday's Football Chat Guest

UTsports.com hosts a live one-hour chat with a member of the Tennessee athletics family every home football Friday from 1-2 p.m. Eastern time. This Friday's guest is UT athletics director Mike Hamilton.

This week has been an emotional one for the Vols since Monday's announcement that Phillip Fulmer is stepping down after 17 years as head coach. Hamilton said UT has begun a national coaching search to find a replacement.

"Coach Fulmer has been, and will continue to be, a great representative of the university and the athletics department," Hamilton said Monday. "He has dedicated a majority of his life to our program and brought home two SEC championships and a national championship. He has secured his place as the second winningest coach in Tennessee history behind Gen. Neyland. I personally appreciate everything he has done for Tennessee."

In honor of Fulmer's contributions to the university, Hamilton announced that Fulmer's last home game versus Kentucky on Nov. 29 will be "Phillip Fulmer Appreciation Day."

Hamilton took on the role of Tennessee men's athletics director in 2003 and has been on the UT staff since 1992. The 45-year-old grew up in Brevard, N.C., graduated from Clemson University with a bachelor's of science in accounting and a master's in business administration, and then served as assistant director of the Deacon Club at Wake Forest University before joining the Vols as assistant AD in development.

Big Orange fans from around the world are encouraged to log on to UTsports.com and submit questions, which may be submitted in advance of Friday's live session or through the duration of the chat. Due to time constraints, it may not be possible to answer all questions. All submissions require the accompaniment of the submitter's name, city and state.

Rob Hardin: Good afternoon everyone. We are Mike Hamilton's office in Stokely Athletics Center. We will begin the chat in a few minutes.
Rob Hardin: Mike is now in the office and we are about to get started.
Will Shirley (Ft. Worth, TX): When do you wish to have a coach named by and what type of coach are you looking for?
Mike Hamilton: While we won't put an exact time table on it, we want to move as quickly and efficiently as the process will allow. It is more important to get the right type of coach than have it done by a particular date. That being said, time is obviously important. We want a coach who has great leadership ability. A coach who understands the tradition of Tennessee football, is a good evaluator of talent, will compile a great staff, has high integrity and understands the salesmanship involved with being the head coach at the University of Tennessee. This involves not only being the face of Tennessee football statewide and nationally but also selling our many assets to potential recruits.
Ed (Spring Hill): Timing is everything...The timing for this was terrible. Mr. Hamilton, I hope you can keep our recruits.
Mike Hamilton: The timing of a decision of this nature is never easy. In the best-case scenario, you would always prefer to wait until the end of the season. In this case, a final decision on the direction was made after the South Carolina game. I believe the anger in our fan base was directed more at results than individuals. As a result, I feel now that this change has been announced it will allow our thousands of fans the chance to show their appreciation to Coach Fulmer over the next month. In addition, once a decision has been made, I feel it is in the best interest of the coaches involved to know the direction. We have an institutional obligation to proceed to the next step once the decision has been made. We can now move forward with a search without any secrecy that a search is occurring. In regards to the recruits, I have had the good fortune to talk to a number of the recruits and many of the recruits have contacted me and remain firm in their commitment to the University of Tennessee.
Clint (Henderson): Will you be putting together a search firm to hire our next coach at UT?
Mike Hamilton: We have engaged Neinas Sports Services of Boulder, Colo., to be our search firm. Chuck Neinas is the former head of the College Football Association and former Big 12 commissioner. He has been included in a number of searches, including several in our league and is well -respected in football circles nationally.
Kevin: For the last 33 years, UT has had only 2 coaches. How do you plan to match that? Do you think that it is important to have consistency in the head coaching position?
Mike Hamilton: I do think it is important to have consistency in the head coaching position. We have been blessed to have only two coaches in 33 years. That is a rarity in college athletics today. That being said, we will obviously try to hire someone who will remain at Tennessee for a long time.
Stewart (Oliver Springs): Now that we are in a search for a new coach, has there been any talk of what is going to happen to the rest of the staff? Are we going to "keep some, lose some," or are we going to "clean house"?
Mike Hamilton: All of our assistant coaches and coordinators are under contract with the University of Tennessee. The next head coach will make any decision on their retention. I have nothing but good things to say about the men on the staff, and I hope the new coach will at least give consideration to their efforts.
Bart (Maryville): When did you decide that there had to be a change?
Mike Hamilton: The decision was ultimately a long and studious process and after talking to numerous individuals the final decision was made after the South Carolina game.
Dan (Warner Robins, GA): What role will Coach Fulmer have after the season's end?
Mike Hamilton: While Coach Fulmer has expressed an interest in continuing to coach somewhere else, it is my hope that he will remain at the University of Tennessee in some capacity. Those details have yet to be decided.
Terry (Wedgefield, S.C.): Since the Vols have not competed well with SEC rivals, will your search effort lean toward a HC that will have a consistent winning record with the ability to motivate and attract quality recruits?
Mike Hamilton: While it would stand to reason that current head coaches would make up the primary pool of candidates, we would not rule out hiring a coordinator if it were the right fit.
Logan (Bristol, TN): Has the new coaching search begun? If so, how is it going?
Mike Hamilton: Yes. The search has begun. Potential candidates are being contacted. There is a great deal of interest in the University of Tennessee.
Ben (Franklin, TN).: Will Phil run through the "T" solo?
Mike Hamilton: Obviously, we want to honor Coach Fulmer in an appropriate manner. While the details of that are still in discussion, certainly him or him and his family going through the "T" together would be appropriate. He will have a large say in how we handle anything of this nature.
Richmond: How can we e-mail Coach Fulmer to show our support of him?
Mike Hamilton: All of our department staff and coaches are listed on the directory at UTsports.com. It can be found at: http://www.utsports.com/inside-ut/staff.html. Coach Fulmer's e-mail address is listed there.
Sam ( Brea, California): Mr. Hamilton, Do you think we have leveraged our most influential alumni--like Peyton Manning--enough in recruiting top athletes to our University?
Mike Hamilton: While Peyton and some other high profile alums are not allowed to talk directly to recruits, we try to feature their success in many venues and publications to highlight their contributions to the University of Tennessee. We utilize the successes of many of our alumni in the recruiting process.
Stan (Birmingham): Will money be a hindrance in getting the right coach for Tennessee? I would think the new TV contract would give us all the money we need to get the right man.
Mike Hamilton: Our contractual package with the new head coach will be market competitive based on their level of experience and success and our peers. Our new television contract is certainly helpful as we enter decisions of this nature.
john - balitmore: When looking at a possible coach....do you believe it is necessary that he has SEC ties/background in order to "understand Tennessee Tradition"?
Mike Hamilton: I think any coach we hire has to have an understanding of Tennessee Tradition. While that does not necessarily mean he has to have experience in the Southeastern Conference, it will without a doubt be helpful.
Paul (Chattanooga): Is Mike Hamilton the one one that made this decision alone, or, was it from the University above Mr. Hamilton just using him to do the dirty work?
Mike Hamilton: While I am the athletic director and have ultimate accountability for this decision, I do not have the ability make this decision alone. It is an institutional decision. The president and key stakeholders are always involved in decisions of institutional nature.
Adam Hubbard, Asheville NC: Mike, What do you anticipate being the toughest part of the coaching search ahead?
Mike Hamilton: The toughest part will be maintaining confidentiality for our university and the coaches involved. Most coaches do not want to put their own positions in jeopardy due to a lack of confidentiality.
Jimmy (Mobile, Ala.): How are our current players holding up?
Mike Hamilton: This has been a tough week for them emotionally. However, our guys are resilient, and while still sad, their focus is returning to the football field and classroom.
Rob Hardin: Thanks for the questions. We have had more than 250 of them and unfortunately cannot answer all of them. We have time for a couple more.
Robert (New York): How is the economy affecting things in the athletic department?
Mike Hamilton: Obviously, the economy has had an adverse effect on our country and we are no stranger to those effects. We went through a process three weeks ago where we eliminated $2.5 million from our budget this fiscal year. We may have to go back and make further adjustments later.
Rob Hardin: Now, just some closing thoughts from Mr. Hamilton.
Mike Hamilton: I appreciate the opportunity to spend the past hour answering your questions today. The passion and fervor of Tennessee fans never ceases to amaze me. Thank you for your compassion during the past week. See you at the arena tonight and at Neyland Stadium Saturday. Happy Homecoming!
Rob Hardin: Thanks again for all your questions. Sorry that Mr. Hamilton could not answer all of them. See you in a few weeks.

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