KINGSPORT, Tenn. – The Big Orange Caravan made its fifth and final stop in Kingsport on Thursday night, the most attended stop of the event’s 2018 tour.

Director of Athletics Phillip Fulmer, head football coach Jeremy Pruitt, head men’s basketball coach Rick Barnes and head women’s basketball coach Holly Warlick were all in attendance, signing autographs and posing for pictures with fans in addition to taking part in a Q&A session with “Voice of the Vols” Bob Kesling.

Also in attendance was former Tennessee quarterback Heath Shuler, letterman from 1991-1993. Shuler joined Kesling on stage and offered up his thoughts on the recent hires of his former head coach as the new director of athletics.

“These are exciting times when you think about the rich tradition at Tennessee,” Shuler said. “When Phillip Fulmer was announced as the new athletic director at Tennessee, I had the same exact feeling that I did when we won the national championship.

“It’s a sense of peace and leadership put back into the program that we’ve needed.”

Shuler also applauded new head football coach Jeremy Pruitt, whom he has been able to spend some time with in recent weeks.

“You have a lot of excitement when you look at his work ethic, the players he’s coached, how he’s recruited, and really the coaching staff that he’s put around him,” Shuler said. “I couldn’t be more excited about the future of this program and the path that we’re on.”

The Sullivan and Washington County Alumni Chapters awarded two scholarships at the event to rising UT freshmen Kennedi Hambrick (Washington County’s recipient) and Grant Wilmoth (Sullivan County’s recipient).

“I’m very thankful because this will help with paying tuition and everything else that I need,” Hambrick said. “It’s great to be a Vol and to be able to go to UT and support the school”

Added Wilmoth: “Receiving this scholarship means a lot. It’s such an honor to be able to represent the UTK Alumni Association, and the scholarship is very helpful in paying for college.”