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KNOXVILLE -- Phillip Fulmer confirmed Monday that this season will be his last as the University of Tennessee's football coach, hinting that he was asked to step aside from a 17-year tenure highlighted by a national championship.

Fulmer, 58, spoke with a cracking voice and paused several times to regain his composure during a news conference at Neyland Stadium that was jam-packed with family, friends, staff and most of his players.

The outgoing dean of Southeastern Conference coaches implied he was forced out, saying he "accepted the university's decision that this will be my last year as Tennessee's head football coach."

Fulmer will stay through the end of the season, including a potential bowl game if the Volunteers win their last three games, starting Saturday against Wyoming.

Athletic director Mike Hamilton said he hopes for Fulmer to remain at UT in some capacity.

The Vols' 3-6 start, capped by a 27-6 loss Saturday at South Carolina that put them on the verge of their second losing season in four years, simply proved too much for Fulmer to overcome in his 16th full season as head coach.

"This 2008 season has not gone as well as anyone would like. That includes me and our coaches, our players, our administration and our great fans," Fulmer said. "Many fans have been supportive. Some have been angry. All of us are disappointed. ...

"Our Tennessee family is united in its goals but divided in the right path to get there. I love Tennessee too much to let her stay divided."

Fulmer will receive roughly $6 million through 48 monthly payments as a buyout of the final six years of his contract, which was extended after Tennessee rebounded from a 4-3 start last season to reach the SEC Championship Game for the fifth time in 11 years.

Hamilton declined to discuss the details of the decision-making process but said the timing of the announcement was based solely on the desire to "give our fans the opportunity to celebrate his career over the next three weeks."

The recognition will culminate in "Phillip Fulmer Appreciation Day" for the Nov. 29 regular-season finale against Kentucky.

"Our discussions leading to Coach Fulmer's announcement today did not come without great consternation or thought. But it's, in my opinion, the best solution to our current circumstance," Hamilton said.

"It's time to treat Coach Fulmer with the appropriate class and dignity that he deserves."

Fulmer opened by reading from a statement for more than seven minutes. He recounted his history at UT, beginning as a player in 1969 when he made his debut as the Vols "whipped a higher-ranked Auburn team" at Neyland Stadium.

"Tennessee football has been the focus of my professional life ever since," Fulmer said.

The Winchester native has spent 28 years as a coach at Tennessee, starting with 13 as an assistant under Johnny Majors. He owns a career record of 150-51, including back-to-back SEC championships in 1997 and 1998, five division titles and the 1998 national championship.

Fulmer replaced Majors prior to the Hall of Fame Bowl at the end of the 1992 season after filling as interim coach and leading the Vols to a 3-0 start while Majors recovered from heart surgery.

The most prolonged peak of Fulmer's head-coaching career was a 45-5 run from 1995 to 1998 that still stands as the most successful four-year span in program history.

Since then, however, Tennessee has failed to claim another conference title despite winning the SEC East in 2001, 2004 and 2007. After dropping four games only once in Fulmer's first seven full seasons, the Vols have lost four or more in six of the last nine years.

"I'm very proud of all we have accomplished here at UT," Fulmer said. "We've won more than most anyone at any school ever has. We've had some of UT's greatest teams, and we've had many of its greatest players. And we've done it right, by NCAA rules."

Fulmer, who said he's not sure whether he wants to coach again, preferred to focus more on his relationships with his players, who greeted Fulmer with a standing ovation.

"It's what we're about," Fulmer said, finally failing to hold back tears and drawing loud applause in referring to the players' response. "Some people may not understand that as well as others. ...

"It's in the name of Saturday afternoon, but it's not really about Saturday afternoon at all."