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Jimbo Fisher spent the 2024 season outside of college football. Texas A&M fired the coach after 10 games in the 2023 season and he has remained unemployed since then.
According to the latest reports, however, that may not last much longer. Per John Brice of FootballScoop, Fisher is interested in the West Virginia opening. The Mountaineers decided to move on from Neal Brown after his team finished 6-6 in 2024.
Fisher is a native of Clarksburg, West Virginia, and attended Salem University in the state, making him an obvious choice. The former Florida State and Texas A&M head coach also recently expressed a desire to return to coaching.
When Fisher was fired at Texas A&M, he received a fully guaranteed $75 million buyout with no offset. This means the coach is free to take his next job while still collecting his buyout money. Fisher has compiled a 128-48 overall record through 14 seasons as a head coach.
While Fisher would reportedly be interested in the job, Brice listed a couple of the school’s other options as well. Rich Rodriguez is listed as an option after impressing over the last 3 seasons at Jacksonville State. Rodriguez was the HC at West Virginia from 2001-07 and racked up a 60-26 record.
Western Kentucky head coach Tyson Helton and UNLV’s Barry Odom were floated as other names that interested the Mountaineers.
Firing Brown shows that the Mountaineers are not content with simply making a bowl. Brown led the Mountaineers to a bowl game in 4 of his 6 seasons but only exceeded 6 wins 1 time. Now, the school will look for a coach who can reach that next level.
Bryce Lazenby covers college football for Saturday Down South. A Nashville native, his previous stops include FanSided, Dimers, and The Leaf-Chronicle.
