FanHouse Philip Fulmer

Football -- and athletics in general -- is a cutthroat business, particularly for coaches. Take Phil Fulmer and Tommy Tuberville, for instance, who both proved, with recent resignations from high quality SEC teams, that resting on your laurels for even a few years can land you in the unemployment line.

Nick Saban, head coach of No. 1 Alabama, is probably a good ways from worrying about job security. But that's not stopping him from being a little upset about the nature of his colleague's departure.

We [Al.com] just got done talking with Alabama coach Nick Saban, some about the Florida game, but most about the fact that Tommy Tuberville is out at Auburn. And seriously, he was shaken. He was frustrated for his profession and maybe a little angry.

"I really question some of the judgment," Saban said, "relative to how it is for our game that people who have those kind of relationships and have done that kind of job and affected so many people in a positive way -- and have had a reasonable amount of success relative to their circumstances -- would not be given more respect and consideration than what these guys have been. So I guess we're 5-7 away from the same thing."

REALLY. REALLY? Nick Saban, the guy who left the Miami Dolphins in the lurch in order to come back and coach against a huge conference rival for the team that made him the big name that he is ... this guy is concerned that people are a little too quick with the trigger on getting rid of coaches?

Ever since Lane Kiffin vacated the head coaching position with the Oakland Raiders, he has been mentioned in almost every possible rumor riddled coaching search, particularly for the Tennessee Volunteers and Clemson Tigers. Both schools have plenty of talent, a ton of recruiting cache and plenty of tradition.

And, if sources from the Knoxville Sun-Sentinel (via MDS at CFT) are to be believed, Kiffin has agreed in principle on a deal to head to Knox County and will be the next head coach for the Volunteers.

Barring any unforeseen snags, Kiffin will be announced in the coming days.

Kiffin will replace Phillip Fulmer who was forced to step down Nov. 3. Fulmer's last game as head coach will be Saturday against Kentucky at Neyland Stadium.

Three things, in particular, to note here. First of all, Tennessee has, as recently as Wednesday, denied that Kiffin was being offered the job.

Secondly, this could be a pretty huge coup for the Volunteers if, as I believe, Kiffin turns out to be a great head coaching candidate in the college setting. He's young, enthusiastic and learned from Pete Carroll, who's done a decent job at USC. Bringing me to the final point: cutting the cord on Fulmer in the middle of the season, while certainly a tough thing to do, really gave Tennessee a jump start on finding a high end replacement, if the reports are true.

Tennessee Volunteer football has had a few very distinguishable faces over the years. Peyton Manning, Tee Martin (kidding) and Phil Fulmer. And, like all college programs, regardless of the talent level of a particular player, it is the coach that always remains in the spotlight and as the face of the program, long after certain athletes graduate.

But it appears, based on what ESPN is reporting, that Fulmer will no longer be the face of Tennessee, having agreed to step down as head coach of the Volunteers following a miserable 2008 showing.

An announcement is being planned for later Monday at Neyland Stadium. The Vols (3-6, 1-5 SEC) have lost four straight games and are in danger of suffering their second losing season in the last four years.

Fulmer, who's won 150 games at his alma mater and is the dean of SEC coaches, met with Tennessee officials Monday morning, and they reached a mutual agreement that it would be best for all parties if Fulmer was not back next season.

It's an unsurprising shock, really, because this rumor has been floating out there for some time, and the Vols aren't even popular in Knoxville this year (that's the unsurprising part). Well, that and the fact that FanHouse mentioned this several times in recent weeks.