Phillip Fulmer talks John Currie, Butch Jones in his Press Conference

If you’ve been paying attention to the Tennessee Athletics program, you probably picked up on the fact that new AD John Currie and Phillip Fulmer weren’t on the greatest of terms at one point. Currie was Mike Hamilton’s right hand man when Fulmer was fired (or stepped down, however you want to phrase it) back in 2008.

It’s long been rumored that Currie played a major role in ousting Fulmer — which is probably why Phillip made this comment in his press conference.

Yesterday, the two sides joined forces officially. Fulmer was hired as an adviser to the University President. He will serve as an ambassador to the school as well.

As you know, Fulmer was in the running for the AD gig — the same one that was awarded to John Currie. That just adds another layer to this relationship, but all does appear well between the two.

Fulmer said in his presser today, “I have absolutely no animosity for not being named athletic director. I simply felt compelled to try for that position because of my love and passion for the university.”

The former Tennessee head coach went on to make a brief statement about Butch Jones, saying what basically every fan believes to be true.

As I wrote yesterday, adding Fulmer in an official role is a smart move. He’s a perfect ambassador for the school as a whole. I’m excited to see just how he’s utilized going forward.