Texas A&M fires coach Jimbo Fisher, a move that will cost the school $75M

Jimbo Fisher, the coach of Texas A&M, was fired on Sunday. The decision would cost the university over $75 million and marked the end of Fisher’s six-year tenure, during which the Aggies gave him an engraved national championship trophy, which he had only missed one year.

Texas A&M athletic director Ross Bjork released a statement saying, “After very careful analysis of all the components related to Texas A&M football, I recommended to President (Mark) Welsh and then Chancellor (John) Sharp that a change in the leadership of the program was necessary in order for Aggie football to reach our full potential and they accepted my decision.” “We are grateful for Coach Fisher’s tenure at Texas A&M and wish him well in his future pursuits.”

Fisher never won more than nine games in a season and finished 45-25 and 27-21 in the Southeastern Conference rather than taking home a championship. With two games remaining, the Aggies are 6-4. They defeated Mississippi State 51-10 on Saturday night in College Station, Texas.

After winning a national title in 2013 at Florida State, Fisher was enticed to leave the school with a large 10-year contract that was completely guaranteed at the end of the 2017 campaign.

After he guided the Aggies to a 9-1 record in the 2020 pandemic season—by far A&M’s finest year under Fisher—that contract was extended back to ten years.

Fisher’s contract states that he will receive the full amount owed, even if he takes a coaching position elsewhere. This is an incredible buyout that exceeds the most sum ever awarded to a head coach who is dismissed.

Following the 2020 season, Auburn dismissed Gus Malzahn and had to pay out approximately $21 million.

Following their win on Saturday night, Fisher was asked if the season had been difficult.

Fisher remarked, “It’s not frustrating, but it’s disappointing sometimes.” We’re three or four plays away from playing for a postseason spot, as I’ve already stated. However, we must move on from it, learn from it, and improve for next year.

When Scott Woodward was the athletic director at Texas A&M, landing Fisher was viewed as a power move. Since Johnny Majors left Pittsburgh for Tennessee in 1977, no coach had quit a school after winning a national title and went straight to another position.

As a member of the Big 12, Texas A&M last won a conference championship in 1998. The school has only one national championship, from 1939.

During Fisher’s inaugural news conference, school administrators made their objectives apparent by engraving a 20-— on a national championship trophy.

Fisher never ever won a division title in the Southeastern Conference, and pressure increased in 2023 after the Aggies finished 5-7 the previous season and missed out on a bowl game for the first time since 2008.

He took over for Kevin Sumlin, who was sacked with one game remaining in 2017 after going 7-5 that season and 51-26 in six seasons. However, Sumlin went 11-2 in his first season after Johnny Manziel won the Heisman Trophy, and Fisher didn’t even come close to matching his level of success, much less leading the team.

At last, Fisher hired former head coach Bobby Petrino to oversee the offense, giving up his role as play-caller. On that side of the ball, there was some development, but it was hampered by injuries, most notably to Conner Weigman, a talented quarterback.

After losing to Miami early in the season, Texas A&M supporters soon started to question whether anything had changed. After suffering three straight losses to Alabama, Tennessee, and Mississippi, the Aggies were guaranteed to finish in the middle of the SEC standings for another season.

There are still games in the regular season for the Aggies against Abilene Christian and LSU.

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