KNOXVILLE, Tenn. - One coach is already on the way out.

The other recently started calling his own status uncertain publicly during a debilitating five-game losing streak.

Certainly the profession isn't the most stable, but hardly anybody was expecting so much turmoil on both sidelines going into Wyoming's trip to Tennessee today.

Call it the Embattled Bowl.

"It's the hard part of this game, and I don't understand it," UW coach Joe Glenn said. "The what-have-you-done-for-me-lately-type deal. It's totally obvious."

Just how those deals are applied isn't quite as clear and vary from program to program.

Tenuous as it may be, Glenn still has a job and could well keep it with a couple more wins to close out the season despite the struggles and disappointment of his sixth season in Laramie.

Vols legend Phillip Fulmer isn't quite so lucky, having already announced he would step down at the end of the season under pressure from a passionate fan base and athletic department despite winning a national title and nearly 75 percent of his games over his career.

Unlike Glenn, Fulmer has spent nearly his entire professional career with Tennessee after playing there in college - and those considerable ties and his impressive record make it even harder for Glenn to understand the decision to let him go.

"He coached that team to a national championship, and I'll tell you, Tom Osborne, the guy that I probably respect as much if not most in this business as a coach, he almost left Nebraska and he never won less than nine games," Glenn said. "But the fans were on him so hard there for a couple years he actually had an interview at Colorado. That's the way fans can be and people can be.

"I've just spoken about maybe two of the greatest coaches in the business … and for Tennessee to let a guy go that coached them up to a national championship 10 years ago, 150 wins and 51 losses, I don't know in this day and age if you can go out and win nine, 10 games every (year). There's a lot of scholarships out there and everybody's got scholarships. I'm sure Coach Fulmer feels violated, and he well should."

If he does, a $6 million buyout should provide some consolation, but obviously Fulmer's history with the Vols is more important to him than a check.

Tennessee at least is allowing him to finish the season and add to an overwhelming résumé, but the entire program is still coming to terms with what will be an emotional three-game run to try to earn bowl eligibility.

"Anybody that cares about Tennessee and cares about what the product looks like on the field is frustrated," Fulmer said. "I'm with them every day. The players are disappointed that we haven't played well, but certainly I don't feel I've let it show on the practice field or in the meetings. They're disappointed and frustrated but they haven't let it show in a game.

"We're continuing to get effort, I haven't seen a whole bunch of finger-pointing or anything like that. From the offense to the defense or vice versa or anything, they've done what we've asked them to do and what they should do - continue to work and stay positive, play hard and look forward to what the next challenge is."

The Cowboys are facing a similar one, and three more wins would also earn them bowl eligibility and a likely postseason date.

Not to mention another year with Glenn, who seemed more concerned for Fulmer and the industry than himself this week.

"I think it's crazy," Glenn said. "Guy has been there forever, he's a dyed in the wool Tennessee guy. He won 10 games last year, didn't he? It's crazy, that's just totally crazy.

"Just through it all, how can any of those people focus on Wyoming with all that circus going on with the media everywhere and the players with this side for him and this side's not for him. I know how the coaches feel. They feel betrayed by their people. There's going to be a ton of mixed emotions in and around the athletic program, on the team, the staff, I don't see how it can be good. How they play? I don't know."

That's no surprise.

Vol-atility isn't unique to Tennessee.

Contact sports reporter Austin Ward at (307) 266-0634 or austin.ward@trib.com.