Originally being from a state somewhat North of TN, I have several opinions.

1) As others have said, Pat Summit deserves the sky. You are witnessing possibly the greatest coach of all time in any sport, any gender, anywhere. She deserves if not a salary that would make her the highest paid coach, a retirement check somewhere in the mid to high 8 digits. Yes, I can count. Hope UT can too.
2) Bruce Pearl is going to be one of the greats. He needs a salary that will keep him from even looking else where.
3) Too many UT fans don’t appreciate how good of a coach Coach Fulmer is. Every year with sub-par talent, Coach Fulmer always puts UT into contention to win. I’ve seen UT beat more talented teams almost every year since I moved here in 2000. Coach Fulmer always has UT in bowl games. And once in a while, has UT in position to will a National championship. (Why UT doesn’t win more National Championships is a discussion for another time.) As for the anti-Coach Fulmer crowd, Coach Fulmer is doing a good job. If he is fired or contract not renewed, who in their right mind would want to come to UT to coach? It would become extremely expensive just to get a competent coach in here, not to mention how much it would cost to get a good coach with a proven track record to coach here.

Something else the Coaches need to remember too. TN is one of the cheapest places to live in the country. The 2.8 million Coach Fulmer gets here would be equal to nearly ten times that amount in California. I just hope all the coaches look at what their money can buy here compared to else where in the country when other places start to try to offer them more money.

Im so fed up with the greed that is eating away at EVERYTHING. These people already make more money then they can spend, and now they are taking money away from depts that actually help people to pay them. Imagine the heros they could have been had they stepped up and admitted that it was ridiculous and donated their raises to the depts that are needing it. If the school had the extra money I would have no problems with this, but some of the classrooms are absolutely nasty and look like they haven't been touched in 20 years and they are closing things that are important for the public.....

I think the university should pay the high profile coaches whatever it takes to keep them here. Football and basketball are huge revenue sports and not only bring money to the university, but to our city as well. Millions more than what their salaries are. Not only that, but revenue from network TV has to be HUGE! Most football games are televised and many basketball games are now televised thanks to Coach Pearl which also puts our university in front of the nation. Coach Summitt should make more also. She is a world-wide personality and brings much attention to our university. I say - good for them. We will continue to go to games, purchase souvenirs, cokes, popcorn, hot dogs...no matter what the cost.

NO! People are going hungry and living on a tight budget. Can anyone have a clear conscious with that kind of earnings? Get real! That is unjust. That is more money than "all" my relatives could earn in a lifetime !
A couple of surrounding counties do not even have money to run buses because of high gasoline prices. BUT,the athletic dept.is getting huge benefits for the "Sports Program" through our wheel tax money. Dah! Something wrong with these pictures. Love the Vols, but put the funds where they can benefit the brains instead of the games!!

I'm not a Vols fan but I think Pat Summit deserves to make more than either of these two coaches. Even though women's sports generally bring in less revenue and fan support than men's, this doesn't seem to be the case in Knoxville. She's brought in 2 Nat. Championship in a row to zero from the men. Also, giving out such generous raises when the rest of the university is hurting for funding is callous on the part of the sports department regardless of the fact that their funding is separate from the rest of the university.

I am shocked at these ridiculous amounts for salaries!!! How can UT justify this after cutting the audiology department entirely? They have told the agriculture department to forget about raises and are cutting plenty of other jobs. Do they have no sense of propriety or common sense? Most of us are having to make really hard choices regarding gas, food and other bills right now and to see these obscene numbers going into 2 men's pockets makes me sick. Is sports really where our money needs to be going right now?

Not at all!
I am a student at UT, and they are cutting classes, programs, and entire f@#$ng departments, but can afford to give the sports programs more and more. ITS A SCHOOL, NOT AN ATHLETIC CLUB!!!! Knoxville has got to stop supporting this, stop supporting the machine! If citizens stop "bleeding orange" for football and truly support the institution, students will stop suffering.

In my opinion, Bruce Pearl deserves a raise. But on the other hand, Fulmer doesn't deserve one. The reason being, is because in the past few seasons Fulmer hasn't shown me much as a football coach. But what urkes me is that Coach Summitt has won 8 CHAMPIONSHIPS and she is the lowest paid coach between Pearl and Fulmer. But in conclusion, GO VOLS!!!!!!!!!!

Pearl's...... YES
Fulmer's........NO

No one should get paid this kind of salary. The president of the United States salary is nothing compaired to this. This is the most stupid decision ever made at ut. When you have stupid people in charge this is what you get..

I also agree with the first person. Fulmer needs to get a new job and MOVE ON!!!!!!!

I agree with most of what everyone else is saying on here. It is like a "slap in the face" to the fans--that are suffering through higher prices on everything--to them paying higher fees so these coaches can make such incredible amounts of money. I, also, can see giving the raise MORE to Bruce Pearl than Fullmer. Also: I agree with someone else's idea that U.T. should get a new Athletics Director.
And, what about Pat Summitt: why does she NOT get a pay raise? Seems to me that she's done more for U.T. than Fullmer has...

It is obvious that UT is not in the business to educate. I would think when UT was founded that was the the reason to educate not to have a sports school. Think it has gone just a bubble or two off center. The raises the coaches are getting are probably from the programs they want to cut that can help the children. That's right I don't bleed orange or any other color when priorities are put on a sports programs other than EDUCATION....................

This is absolutely the most riduculous thing I have ever heard....I don't care if it is funded by WATE TV it is wrong to accept money like this.

Both coaches are like the major oil executives...take the money and run and tough stuff for anyone or anything else.

I will never watch them play football or basketball..I will change the channel immediately.

Get real and think about the overall university and not just the sports..

Coach Pearl has earned a raise, since 1998 Fulmer has done nothing.
With the condition of the economy and the sacrifices being made by the average fan to live, it seems all Hamilton has done as Athletic
Director is raise prices. Far as I am concerned, we need a new Athletic
Director, I don't see much he has done either.

I agree with the first one. It's greedy and shameful. Hardworking people can't feed their families the way they should and others are losing their homes. I know it's not the coaches fault, but they will be charging the fans more at the concessions to pay them. So it comes directly from those who are feeling the pain. How much money do they really need? They should donate it to the scholorship fund to make up for the rise in tuition. They should feel ashamed.

Remember Phil is Hamilton's boy!!

No person on earth is worthy of either obscene amount of money. Sports celebs and coaches have only shown greed and selfishness as their "role model". A living wage is all any honest person should expect for doing the job they were hired to do. Ask any G.I. who protects this country with the expectaion of making the ultimate sacrifice how many digits their paycheck reflects. SHAMEFUL!!!!!!!!

Not when the state cannot even give their employees a 1% raise and when the economy is in such bad shape. It is like they are rubbing it in peoples faces.

I think Coach Pearl should get a raise and be paid closer to what Fulmer is getting. Fulmer makes enough when you count everything altho I wouldn't lose him if it took a raise to keep him happy. He has done a great job overall through the years.