Hall of fame football coach Phillip Fulmer is ending his tenure as Tennessee’s athletics director. Sources tell Volquest that the life long Vol is retiring.

The news comes on the day that his lone football coaching hire, Jeremy Pruitt, was relieved of his duties following an internal investigation that started back in November.

Fulmer was hired on December 1, 2017 following the ouster of John Currie. Fulmer’s task was to fix football and after a hasty search Fulmer hired Jeremy Pruitt on December 7, 2017.

The Winchester, Tennessee native arrived on Rocky Top as a player in 1968. He returned in 1980 as the offensive line coach where he stayed on the staff until 2008. After being let go following a head coaching run that saw Fulmer go 152-52-1 in leading Tennessee to the national title in 1998.

Following is departure in 2008, Fulmer returned to his alma mater in 2017 as a special advisor to the University President before becoming the athletic director later that year.

Fulmer will remain in the athletics director role until his replacement is selected.