Hayes: In saying nothing definitive about Bobby Petrino’s role, did Jimbo Fisher really say it all?
By Matt Hayes
Published:
NASHVILLE — Jimbo Fisher made this decision in January, willingly lighting a slow fuse burning toward an inevitable, destructive conclusion.
Who calls plays at Texas A&M?
“I’m not going to get into that,” Fisher said right out of the box Monday on Day 1 of SEC Media Days.
This, of course, should come as no surprise. It’s the same refrain from Fisher since he hired coaching mercenary Bobby Petrino to run his offense and call his plays — after a horrific 5-win season in 2022 convinced Fisher to finally give up play-calling.
Or did it?
Because at every opportunity over the past 7 months, and through Texas A&M’s turn in the rotation at SEC Media Days, Fisher just can’t seem to bring himself to let go.
“Bobby was hired for a reason,” Fisher said. “Tremendous guy, tremendous football mind. Hopefully he’ll call the game and have suggestions.”
Two words stand out there: hopefully and suggestions.
Not exactly the verbiage of a guy who has given up play-calling. So I called a source close to Petrino, and asked if Petrino is calling plays.
“Never been a question,” was the response.
Oh boy.
This could get interesting. Quickly.
I don’t know if Fisher and Petrino know this, but in a room full of the biggest egos in college football, Fisher and Petrino stand alone.
If only because there’s no room for anyone else.
Now imagine those 2 men trying to share play-calling duties at Texas A&M, which — God love the good folks in College Station — has done everything Fisher wanted since giving him bags of guaranteed money to leave FSU after the 2017 season. And gotten very little in return.
We’re either in the early stages of Fisher and Petrino filing their egos and working together for the good of the whole — or getting ready to witness spectacular destruction this fall.
At one point, after Fisher left the main stage and worked his way through various stops in the Media Days tour — and after numerous questions about the dynamics of the offense — he finally blurted out, as only Jimbo can do, “We’ll work it through.”
This is the same coach who last weekend failed to show up at the annual Texas High School Coaches Association meeting. He left word with organizers that he had a “family commitment.”
There are more than 17,000 coaches at the annual event, and a Who’s Who of college coaches attend to show support — and to shake hands with coaches of some of the best high school talent in the nation.
Texas coach Steve Sarkisian was there. Heck, former Texas and current North Carolina coach Mack Brown was, too.
What does that have to do with who’s calling plays this fall? Nothing. And everything.
Because if it all goes sideways, and those 2 massive egos can’t find a way to coexist, it will also begin to unravel for Fisher at the organic level with high school recruiting.
FSU cratered so suddenly under Fisher because he missed on numerous quarterback recruits, a trend that left him with a project (James Blackman) — who told me in 2018 that he learned how to play the position by watching YouTube videos — playing the position when Fisher’s starter (Deondre Francois) sustained a season-ending injury in Week 1.
Now Fisher has former 5-star recruit Conner Weigman, who with the right coaching and development, could be a championship-level quarterback. He’s also 1 dysfunctional season of 2 egos battling for control from leading another Aggies team limping through November.
There are 1 of 2 ways this thing goes, and 1 of them puts more pressure on Fisher, who will be owed about $72 million if Texas A&M were to fire him without cause after the season.
“I’m not going to get into that,” Fisher said. “I put the pressure on myself. We’re on the hot seat when we’re 10-0. I don’t feel any different whether we’re 1-3 or 10-0.”
Knowing all of that, Fisher took a chance on a coach who 3 weeks earlier was hired as offensive coordinator by new UNLV coach Barry Odom. Fisher may as well have thrown kerosene on a grease fire.
Of Petrino’s past 5 jobs, 2 ended with him being fired (Arkansas, Louisville), and 2 with him quitting on the team (Atlanta Falcons, Missouri State). The other ended after WKU took a chance on Petrino when he was toxic from the Arkansas firing — and Petrino responded by leaving after 1 season to take another run at the Louisville job.
This is what Petrino has brought to College Station, to the ultra important job of offensive coordinator and play caller. Make no mistake, Petrino is an elite offensive mind and could do big things.
But so was Fisher. That’s what lit this fuse in the 1st place.
Maybe Jimbo will work it through.
Or maybe it’s the beginning of the end.
Matt Hayes is a national college football writer for Saturday Down South. You can hear him daily from 12-3 p.m. on 1010XL in Jacksonville. Follow on Twitter @MattHayesCFB
