Texas A&M prepared to pursue Jimbo Fisher

Harry · November 14, 2017

Texas A&M is expected to inquire about the interest level of Florida State coach Jimbo Fisher once its separation from current coach Kevin Sumlin is official at the end of the season, according to two people familiar with the situation.

Those people spoke to USA TODAY Sports on the condition of anonymity because Texas A&M has not made an announcement on Sumlin’s future and due to the sensitivity of the matter.

Though Fisher has never given serious consideration to leaving Florida State previously, rebuffing interest from LSU the last two years, one person close to Fisher pointed to his longstanding relationship with Texas A&M athletics director Scott Woodward and the current disappointing season at Florida State as reasons why Texas A&M’s pursuit might be more realistic.

Woodward arrived as an administrator at LSU in 2000, the same year Fisher was hired there as offensive coordinator under Nick Saban. They have remained in touch and friendly over the years, according to a person familiar with Fisher’s thinking.

Pursuing Fisher would make sense for Texas A&M, which has shown a willingness to spend big money to reach the elite level of college football. Beyond Fisher, who won a national title in 2013, there are few, if any, candidates for the job who would be a guaranteed upgrade over Sumlin.

Read more: https://www.usatoday.com/story/sports/ncaaf/2017/11/14/texas-am-prepared-pursue-jimbo-fisher-kevin-sumlin/862150001/

TheColonyEagle · November 14, 2017

This is more the level of what A&M will go after. National Championship level coaches. It's why I think the Chad Morris to A&M talk is foolish.

UNTLifer · November 14, 2017

Fisher would be foolish to leave FSU for A&M.

Mean_Green09 · November 14, 2017

6 minutes ago, TheColonyEagle said:

This is more the level of what A&M will go after. National Championship level coaches. It's why I think the Chad Morris to A&M talk is foolish.

Sure every program wants to go for these type of coaches, not many land them. So they may want Jimbo, but its more likely they end up with a guy like Morris.

golfingomez · November 14, 2017

whoa

Harry · November 14, 2017

This is going to be a crazy year with so many high profile jobs opening up. Makes me nervous as hell.

I had forgot that Fisher won a national championship in 2013. There aren't many out there with that type of hardware. In fact there are only 4 active now that Stoops retired: Alabama's Nick Saban, Clemson's Dabo Swinney, Florida State's Jimbo Fisher and Ohio State's Urban Meyer.

I will say this, I'm thinking Kevin Sumlin will land on his feet.

VideoEagle · November 14, 2017

5 minutes ago, Mean_Green09 said:

Sure every program wants to go for these type of coaches, not many land them. So they may want Jimbo, but its more likely they end up with a guy like Morris.

Yes, but A&M has deeper pockets than FSU. Plus there is the relationship between Woodward and Fisher. In job prestige it's a lateral move. Yes, those in Texas think it's a step up and those in Florida a step down but both schools are willing to commit large resources to their programs. Interestingly, both schools are the number two schools in their respective states, although both would tell you they are actually #1 in their states. Still in a battle of checkbooks, A&M with SEC backing has a leg up.

It comes down to how secure does Fisher feel at FSU? He gets a certain raise plus three and likely four years no matter what he does at A&M. If he stays, he almost certainly gets a raise but how quickly does he have to repeat as National Champion?

TheColonyEagle · November 14, 2017

18 minutes ago, Mean_Green09 said:

Sure every program wants to go for these type of coaches, not many land them. So they may want Jimbo, but its more likely they end up with a guy like Morris.

Man, I don't know.

Despite how anyone feels about them, A&M is an A-List program in funding, facilities, support, etc.

Even in the article, Fisher made a comment about facilities that didn't sit right with FSU folks. I think there's some feathers ruffling there.

untjim1995 · November 14, 2017

I suspect that this is Fisher's agent's way of getting him an extension or raise in a year that has been terrible for Florida State. I think A&M's next coach isn't going to be Morris, either. I still think Les Miles is a very real possibility...

Withers940 · November 14, 2017

Dont they have to fire Sumlin first?

Mean_Green09 · November 14, 2017

4 minutes ago, VideoEagle said:

Yes, but A&M has deeper pockets than FSU. Plus there is the relationship between Woodward and Fisher. In job prestige it's a lateral move. Yes, those in Texas think it's a step up and those in Florida a step down but both schools are willing to commit large resources to their programs. Interestingly, both schools are the number two schools in their respective states, although both would tell you they are actually #1 in their states. Still in a battle of checkbooks, A&M with SEC backing has a leg up.

It comes down to how secure does Fisher feel at FSU? He gets a certain raise plus three and likely four years no matter what he does at A&M. If he stays, he almost certainly gets a raise but how quickly does he have to repeat as National Champion?

Where is his path easiest to a National Title?

Ben Gooding · November 14, 2017

10 minutes ago, untjim1995 said:

I suspect that this is Fisher's agent's way of getting him an extension or raise in a year that has been terrible for Florida State. I think A&M's next coach isn't going to be Morris, either. I still think Les Miles is a very real possibility...

My gawd man. Do you even football, bro?

PlummMeanGreen · November 14, 2017

When down the road we find ourselves looking for another HFC (and it does happen, you know); anyway, we have set a respectable HFC's salary plateau that would entice someone like a Kevin Sumlin (who I agree with Harry inasmuch as >>>>> I don't think Sumlin's HFC'ing days are done, either.

GMG!

BTG_Fan1 · November 14, 2017

If FSU really wanted Jimbo gone, wouldn't they be more than willing to take a lower buyout if it meant he left for sure?

Mean Green 93-98 · November 14, 2017

Great recruiter. Otherwise pretty meh coach.

Mike Jackson · November 14, 2017

This would be a bad move for Jimbo. Texas A&M has yet to show it can compete in the SEC without a transformative player like Johnny Manziel. For national prominence recent accomplishments are all that matter to recruits. If most of the hardware you can show recruits is not from this decade you are a little behind the 8 ball recruiting against teams that have newer hardware. Also I don’t even think they have winning head to head records with the better programs in the SEC West. Move my family and lose the advantage of being a consistent top dog in your division to take on Saban in the regular season every year, no thank you. Texas A&M should try to steal Saban. Instantly takes you out of UT’s shadow. Removes the biggest obstacle between your program and national prominence. For Saban wonderful way to cement your legacy as the greatest college football coach ever. Take 3 different SEC programs to the national Championship on being a SEC newbie. Who could challenge that resume?

Mean Green 93-98 · November 14, 2017

3 minutes ago, Prettylittleeagle said:

81-23 record?

2 national titles?

Sounds meh to me.

2 national titles? Are you counting when he was OC at LSU?

Anyway, if you look at his recruiting classes there is no way FSU should ever finish outside of the top 5. He certainly is not having success close to what Bobby Bowden had there during his heyday. And if you follow FSU's current trajectory since the one national title he has won there, it's clearly on the decline. If A&M does come after him, I'm not sure FSU will put up that much of a fight.

GreenN'walinsVet · November 14, 2017

1 hour ago, Mike Jackson said:

This would be a bad move for Jimbo. Texas A&M has yet to show it can compete in the SEC without a transformative player like Johnny Manziel. For national prominence recent accomplishments are all that matter to recruits. If most of the hardware you can show recruits is not from this decade you are a little behind the 8 ball recruiting against teams that have newer hardware. Also I don’t even think they have winning head to head records with the better programs in the SEC West. Move my family and lose the advantage of being a consistent top dog in your division to take on Saban in the regular season every year, no thank you. Texas A&M should try to steal Saban. Instantly takes you out of UT’s shadow. Removes the biggest obstacle between your program and national prominence. For Saban wonderful way to cement your legacy as the greatest college football coach ever. Take 3 different SEC programs to the national Championship on being a SEC newbie. Who could challenge that resume?

Show me what FSU has done without Jamis. With the rise of Clemson, now Miami, even Virginia Tech, and the ACC schedule agreement with Notre Dame, Its not much different than the SEC.

Mike Jackson · November 15, 2017

FSU is a better program than A&M and it isn’t even close. But since you want to go there 3 national titles since 1993. Probably a couple more without Miami beating them (A&M hasn’t been regularly discussed in the national Championship chase for 2 decades). FSU is 12th in all time wining percentage and A&M is 26th. Texas A&M. A&M last national title came in the 1930s. A&M is has been UT’s pesky little brother for most of the last 30 years with no title game appearances and rarely finish the season ranked in the top 10. They had 2 good years in the sun with Johnny Manziel otherwise their best moments were as spoilers for KSU and Texas when they were in the Big 12. Yet you want to make a comparison? Your comment demonstrates the distorted view A&M has of itself that I would want to avoid in my next stop as a head football coach if I were Seth or Jimbo. I would rather worry about a resurgent Miami in my division than Alabama, Auburn, and LSU (if they get their act together). In the ACC I don’t play any of the teams every year you mentioned excepted Clemson. FSU should dominate the rest of the teams in the Atlantic division.

Edited November 15, 2017 by Mike Jackson

North Texas Shep · November 15, 2017

Aggies are annoying and college station is the armpit of Texas. No one established wants to go there, money or not. A coach looking to move from a small conference or a loser in a big conference is all they can get.

NM Green · November 15, 2017

I think aggieland is awesome. When my sister was there I loved going to bonfires yell practices and thanksgiving day games against bevo. It’s a cool experience once indoctrinated or semi-indoctrinated as I was by blood.

GMG

untjim1995 · November 15, 2017

13 hours ago, Ben Gooding said:

My gawd man. Do you even football, bro?

You embody everything I think about Florida...jorts, hanging chads, humidity, and Ben Gooding

Mike Jackson · November 15, 2017

4 hours ago, NM Green said:

I think aggieland is awesome. When my sister was there I loved going to bonfires yell practices and thanksgiving day games against bevo. It’s a cool experience once indoctrinated or semi-indoctrinated as I was by blood.

GMG

Great college atmosphere at A&M no doubt but they need more patience when it comes to building their program into a national powerhouse. These huge buyouts are not good for FBS as a whole. Hard to justify not paying P5 students athletes when you are paying millions to coaches no longer coaching them. The individual colleges and conferences are too cut throat and it detrimental to the game as a whole. It could be fixed with some simple mandates. But NCAA is toothless when it comes to decisions that would impact the bottom line. That is why we have conferences that don’t make sense for the athletes trying to get a quality education.