University of Tennessee Athletics
Phillip Fulmer Honored by Tennessee Sports Writers Association
February 07, 2005 | Football
Feb. 7, 2005
NASHVILLE - The Tennessee Sports Writers Association (TSWA) has named DeAngelo Williams of the University of Memphis as the College Football Player of the Year and Tennessee's Philip Fulmer as the College Coach of the Year for 2004.
Tennessee head coach Philip Fulmer and his Volunteers team proved many of the so-called experts wrong who predicted UT would finish third in the Eastern Division of the Southeastern Conference. The Vols went 7-1 in league play and advanced to the SEC Championship game for the fourth time in eight seasons.
Fulmer led his team to a 10-3 overall record which included a 38-7 victory over Texas A&M in the Cotton Bowl. The Cotton Bowl appearance was the 13 consecutive bowl appearance the Volunteers have made under Fulmer. Coach Fulmer has averaged over 10 wins per season and has led Tennessee to a 123-31 record. His winning percentage of .799 is the best of any active coach with at least 10 years as head coach.
Williams was a key factor in the Tigers finishing with an 8-4 record and a bid to the GMAC Bowl. It was the first time ever in school history that the Tigers had advanced to a bowl game in back-to-back years. Williams has rewritten the rushing section of the Tiger record books, and has received numerous honors this season.
Williams is a two-time Conference USA Offensive Player of the Year and received recognition as a C-USA Player of the Week twice this season. He ended the season as a finalist for the Maxwell Award, the Doak Walker Award, the Hossman Trophy and the John Wooden Cup. He also was named an all-American by Pro Football Weekly (third-team), the Associated Press (first-team), CollegeSportsReport.com (second-team), and was tabbed as a member of the Conference USA All-Decade Team. Prior to the start of the season, CBSSportsline named Williams No. 45 among the 50 most relevant people in college football. Williams finished his junior campaign with 1,948 rushing yards on 313 attempts, both of which led C-USA and are school records. He also led the nation in rushing touchdowns with 22. Nationally, he was also second in scoring (138 points), all-purpose yards (2,230 yards), and rushing yards (1,948).
