Campus Life

Texas A&M Names Jimbo Fisher Head Football Coach

December 4, 2017

Jimbo Fisher was introduced as head Texas A&M football coach Monday at Kyle Field.
Jimbo Fisher is introduced as Texas A&M football head coach Monday at Kyle Field.
By Texas A&M University Athletics

Jimbo Fisher, who led Florida State University to a national championship in 2013, has been named head football coach at Texas A&M University, Aggie Director of Athletics Scott Woodward announced Monday.  Fisher agreed to a ten-year contract worth $75 million. No state-appropriated funds will be used to pay the coach’s salary.

Fisher took over the FSU football program in 2010, following the retirement of coaching legend Bobby Bowden. Fisher averaged more than 10 wins per season during his tenure and compiled an overall record of 83-23 with a .783 winning percentage, fourth-best among active head coaches (minimum five years).  His winning percentage is the best in Atlantic Coast Conference (ACC) history. His ACC record was 48-16 with three ACC championships and four Atlantic Division titles.

The 2013 Rawlings College Football Coach of the Year, Fisher has twice been a finalist for the Eddie Robinson Coach of the Year Award (2013, 2014) and was a finalist for the Paul “Bear” Bryant Coach of the Year Award in 2014.  Fisher led the Seminoles to victories in five of seven bowl game appearances, including three wins in traditional New Year’s Day bowl games.

Texas A&M University President Michael K. Young welcomes Texas A&M football coach Jimbo Fisher to Aggieland during a press conference Monday.
Texas A&M University President Michael K. Young welcomes Texas A&M football coach Jimbo Fisher to Aggieland during a press conference Monday.

Under Fisher’s leadership, 83 FSU football student-athletes graduated while his program produced 12 consensus All-America honorees and his recruiting classes ranked in the Top 10 in each of the past seven years. Fisher had 42 FSU players drafted into the NFL, including 19 first-or second-round selections. Three of his quarterbacks at FSU have been selected in the first round of the NFL Draft.

As a head coach, Fisher is 9-2 against SEC teams after coaching 13 seasons in the SEC as an assistant with stops at Auburn (six years) and LSU (seven years).

Fisher has been active in the community through his foundation, Kidz1stFund.  The non-profit was founded in 2011 to raise awareness and funds to find a cure for Fanconi anemia, a rare blood disorder that affects thousands, including Fisher’s youngest son, Ethan.

Fisher grew up in West Virginia and played quarterback at Salem College in West Virginia, earning All-America honors before playing his final season of eligibility at Samford College (now Samford University) in Birmingham, Ala.

He began his coaching career at Samford in 1988-89 coaching quarterbacks and was promoted to offensive coordinator in 1991.  Fisher coached quarterbacks at Auburn from 1993-98 before becoming the offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach at Cincinnati in 1999.  He joined head coach Nick Saban’s staff at LSU in 2000 as the quarterbacks coach and offensive coordinator, helping the Tigers win the 2003 national championship as well as two SEC titles. He joined Bobby Bowden’s staff at Florida State in 2007 as the offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach, serving three seasons in that role (2007-09).

Fisher has two sons, Trey and Ethan.

A full transcript of Fisher’s introductory press conference can be viewed on 12thman.com.

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This story originally appeared on 12thman.com.

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