Texas A&M shocked the college football world on Sunday by firing their head coach Jimbo Fisher. The move will result in a record contract buyout for a public school.
According to reports, Fisher will receive $76 million after leaving the Aggies. This includes a $19.2 million package in the next month and $7.2 million in annual payments through 2031.
Texas A&M announced that assistant head coach and run game coordinator Elijah Robinson will serve as Aggies’ interim head coach for the remainder of the 2023 season.
The Aggies have had a losing record (5-7) last season and went 6-4 in 2023. According to Texas A&M athletic director Ross Bjork, the university believed it needed to do something in order for their football program to reach its full potential. He also hinted that the decision about Fisher’s fate was largely decided following a 35-38 loss to Ole Miss in early November.
“The assessment that I delivered was that we are not reaching our full potential,” Bjork said while speaking at a news conference. “We are not in the championship conversation, and something was not quite right about our direction and the plan.”
Fisher was hired by Texas A&M in 2018 after a successful run with Florida State University. He went 45–25 with the Aggies, winning three bowls. He has a 128–48 record as a college head coach.
Texas A&M’s head coaching vacancy now becomes one of the most attractive jobs in college football. The university has a talented roster and financial backing that allows it to lure top players through NIL deals. Some of the early-mentioned candidates include Duke head coach and Aggies’ former defensive coordinator Mike Elko, Ole Miss head coach Lane Kiffin, and Florida State head coach Mike Norwell.
