With Texas A&M expected to part ways with head football coach Kevin Sumlin at the end of the season, school administrators are reportedly planning to kick the tires on at least one big-name replacement.
According to Dan Wolken of USA Today, Texas A&M has discussed a plan to gauge the interest level of Jimbo Fisher in leaving Florida State to join the Aggies. While Fisher has shot down rumors that he could leave FSU the past two years, a source told Wolken that his relationship with Texas A&M athletic director Scott Woodward and the horrible season the Seminoles are having could be factors this offseason.
Woodward was an administrator at LSU in 2000 when Fisher worked there as the offensive coordinator under Nick Saban. The two are said to have remained friendly.
Of course, Fisher would be leaving a lot on the table if he decided to move on from Florida State. He is currently signed through 2024 at an average annual salary of $5.5 million, and leaving FSU for any school would basically be a lateral move. Fisher’s family also lives in Florida with his ex-wife Candi, and the couple’s youngest son Ethan has a rare blood disorder called Fanconi anemia. Fisher has said in the past that remaining close to his family is important.
However, as Wolken notes, Fisher recently ruffled some feathers at FSU when he made remarks about how committed Clemson is to growing its football program with its new $55 million training facility.
“I think their rise has come from their commitment to football,” he said. “They’ve been committed but their administration has done a tremendous job of spending and doing and building. Not just building, but all the things behind the scenes.”
Fisher has been aggressively pursued by another top program in recent years, but he chose to stick with the Seminoles. It would be a shock if he doesn’t do the same this winter.
