Texas A&M was ranked as one of the top teams in the country before the 2022 season began, but they have officially dropped out of the AP Top 25 following their latest loss. If the Aggies continue to fall short of expectations, Jimbo Fisher may find himself looking for a new job.
Paul Finebaum told ESPN colleague Matt Barrie on Sunday that Fisher’s massive buyout does not necessarily give the coach job security. Fisher would be owed more than $90 million if fired without cause. Finebaum said he spoke with some high-ranking Texas A&M officials at a dinner last week and was led to believe the buyout is not a major issue.
“They’ve got a lot of issues. The buyout is about $90 million,” Finebaum said. “I spoke at a dinner a week ago in Dallas the night before the Arkansas game, and these are the top A&M people including the president … these guys don’t fool around. You know Texas. A $90 million buyout? That doesn’t faze these guys.
“They’re embarrassed right now. They’ve lost to Mississippi State for the second year in a row. There’s no telling what the score’s gonna be like Saturday night in Tuscaloosa.”
Texas A&M was dominated by Mississippi State on Saturday in a 42-24 game that never felt close. The Aggies have fallen to 3-2 on the season, with their previous loss coming at home against Appalachian State.
Fisher secured the No. 1 recruiting class in the country this past year, so one line of thinking is that he needs a year or two for that to play out. Texas A&M boosters could save a lot of money if they are patient with the 56-year-old coach, but it sounds like the results need to be a lot better the rest of the way.
Fisher seems to think Texas A&M has a problem that is easily fixable. Unfortunately for him, he has to try to make that fix on the road against No. 1-ranked Alabama.
