Hayes: Dear Jimbo Fisher, it's time to win big. Now
The offseason theater of the absurd is over. It’s time to focus on what’s important at Texas A&M.
It’s time for Jimbo Fisher to start stringing together double-digit win seasons.
It’s easy to point to the first week in October as the most anticipated moment of 2022, where the “narcissist” and “God” — otherwise known as Alabama coach Nick Saban — gets his payback.
But instead of drilling down on Saban’s revenge — and frankly, Saban started this he said/he said recruiting mess, what’s the revenge? — and how it plays out late with Alabama up 3 touchdowns, maybe the story is why we assume Alabama would be up 3 touchdowns in the first place.
You don’t land 4 consecutive top-5 recruiting classes — the last of which, in February, was declared the greatest of all time and the impetus for the offseason shenanigans — and are on the short end of a 3-touchdown deficit in any game.
But here we hare, settling for the notion that Alabama is up here, and Texas A&M is way down here.
“Everybody in this league has players,” Fisher said. “Everybody in this league has good coaches. It’s what you do and how you play.”
That’s where things aren’t necessarily adding up.
The Aggies clearly have the coach. Fisher won a national championship at Florida State, and has a history of strong player development.
The Aggies clearly have the players. There’s no more complaining about what was left from the previous staff, or the buy-in from players. Those 4 straight top-5 recruiting classes are all tied to Fisher.
Guess what that means? Time to win big.
No more 8-win seasons and Gator Bowls — or finding a way to get out of the Gator Bowl.
No more strange losses (Mississippi State in 2018 and 2021, LSU in 2021, Auburn in 2018-19). No more building a culture, or becoming a team that knows how to win close games, or any other overused coaching crutch.
Players win games. When you have elite players and an elite coach, there are no excuses.
When you have all of that, and an administration that’s so completely committed to every aspect of your plan, they give you a $2 million-a-year raise after a disappointing season, there’s only one answer.
A national championship.
“The goal for this team is to compete for a national championship,” Texas A&M guard Layden Robinson said. “Nothing has changed. We know our standard.”
Getting there may have gotten easier at the end of last season, which ended with LSU QB Max Johnson’s late touchdown pass with 20 seconds to play capping a wild comeback — and yet another strange and demoralizing loss for Fisher at A&M.
But 2 days after Fisher signed a record-breaking recruiting class that eventually included 8 5-star players, Fisher got the biggest recruit of all when Johnson left LSU for Texas A&M.
For the first time in 4 years at College Station, Fisher may just have a quarterback who can win a championship. Johnson isn’t the most physically impressive player, but he has a high football IQ and, according to Fisher, is “very coachable.”
Translation: I can scream at him, and he can take it.
Fisher’s hard coaching of quarterbacks is the stuff of legend, television cameras constantly showing him in the ear of his players. One time, he even threatened to bench his Heisman Trophy-winning quarterback.
When I asked Fisher what he likes about Johnson, he immediately said, “he knows where to go with the ball.”
Johnson had a TD/INT ratio of 35/7 during 2 dysfunctional years at LSU, at least half of the last season in Baton Rouge played with the realization that his coach (Ed Orgeron) would not return. What happens when Johnson is surrounded by talent on both sides of the ball?
What happens when the quarterback “who knows where to go with the ball” has a deep and talented receiving corps that can stress defenses from any of three positions (wideout, tight end, running back)?
What happens when he has a coach with a history of developing first-round NFL Draft picks?
“He brings a ton of energy,” Aggies safety Demani Richardson said. “He came in here and did his work. Nothing will be given to him. He’s going to earn everything. Those are the guys you love to play with.”
Johnson made three critical throws on the game-winning drive last year against Texas A&M, deflating a tired defense with each pinpoint completion. But like most things at LSU the past 2 seasons, the negative far outweighed the positive.
So here he is, on a loaded team with a championship coach who hired two former Power 5 head coaches in the offseason (Steve Addazio, DJ Durkin) and was minding his own business until Saban brought him on stage and into the light.
Now instead of talking about his team and its potential, or about making good on that ridiculous, ironclad $95 million guaranteed contract, Fisher walked to the podium at SEC Media Days and the first question he heard was — I swear I’m not making this up — “Do you feel you owe Nick Saban an apology?”
“We’ve been a top 10 program once,” Fisher later said. “Been top 15 a couple of times. Yeah, I think we are a top 10 program.”
Guess what that means?
Time to win big.
Things on TV the last time A&M won a title:
Nothing. Commercial TV was still 2 years away. You could see news about the game, the German invasion of Poland and the Yankees winning the World Series behind the play of Lou Gehrig and a young Joe Dimaggio on those movie newsreels though.
1939
Good year for movies.
Gone with the Wind, Mr. Smith goes to Washington, Stagecoach and The Wizzard of Oz.
For reference, in Hollywood 1939 would be the year the New York Knights signed a 40 year old rookie named Roy Hobbs lol.
lol
Lack of consistent team effort and erratic QB play have plagued the Aggies under Fisher. Will this be the season we see the team show up every week and finish? The Aggie fans are among the most loyal and passionate in the country. They deserve a big year.
It’s the Gus Malzahn story all over again: former QB coach who, for some reason, can’t get consistent QB play.
Hey man, don’t bring Gus into this.
Mr. Hayes please tell me what you really think! A&M is going to be fine and a real player in the SEC.
“The Aggies clearly have the coach. Fisher won a national championship at Florida State”
If you say so. Gene Chizik won one too.
I’m still not convinced Jimbo is all that great.
Ditto. And Jimbo did it in a creampuff conference and bolted once Dabo got Tater rolling.
“Gene Chizik won one too.”
Chizik was an excellent defensive coordinator on several awesome teams. 2004 AU and 2005 TX.
“Chizik was an excellent defensive coordinator on several awesome teams. 2004 AU and 2005 TX.”
Thank you, I know who Gene Chizik is.
If another team hired him as HC, I wouldn’t take it for granted that he’d win another natty just because he won one at Auburn.
And that’s how I feel about Jimbo.
“Thank you, I know who Gene Chizik is.”
DO YOU??? DOOOOOO YOU???????????
DO YOU KNOW WHO SCAM NEWTON IS? He won that title for Chizik.
And for just 200K.
“DO YOU KNOW WHO SCAM NEWTON IS? He won that title for Chizik.’
Awe, still bu tthurt over Cam? Poor baby.
“And for just 200K.’
Great investment on AU’s part.
“And for just 200K.’
Hey little fella,
Not sure if you haven’t heard, but payers can get paid now. The whole “You done paid Cam” is irrelevant.
Cam was into NIL before its time
I agree, I am not a big fan of Jimbo. He won at Florida state because of one player. Every year after was a little was a little worse than the year before with his last year being 5-6. I don’t see Kirby or Nick letting that happen.
A moronic response, typical of a Bama fan. Football has 11 guys on offense and 11 guys on defense. ONE player isn’t going to “win it all” for you. That defense was full of future NFL players. Pull your head out.
one player, one group of players. It does not make a difference. Just like with Ed Orgeron and Gene Chizik. They could coach for the next 30 years and never have the same success as they did that one year that it all came together.
Above, there are plenty of examples in CFB when one player in a key position turned a decent-to-good team into a powerhouse. Winston, Newton, Burrow, are just three of the most recent and high-profile examples. Let’s not be blind.
@cbmckay & @Joe F Burrow’s two receivers at LSU are arguably the best receivers in the NFL. Terrance Marshall, his third option, was a second round pick. 1st round RB. 13 players drafted in 2020 (5 first rounders, excluding Burrow). 7 in 2021. Stingley was a freshman starter on that team. Just drafted 3rd overall.
FSU had 17 players drafted in 2014 and 2015 (9 in first 3 rounds, excluding Jameis). Also, they had another 2015 first rounder named Jalen Ramsey who started as a freshman and was drafted 5th overall.
Can’t disagree with the fact Cam was that 2010 Auburn team. He had talent around him, but not nearly the same amount of NFL talent.
Now who is blind? Both those teams were loaded. FSU and LSU on the other hand, were loaded.
JoeF….I am the biggest FSWho hater, but that team was loaded.
“He won at Florida state because of one player.”
So….DeVante Freeman, Kelvin Benjamin, Jalen Ramsey etc had nothing to do with that?
That FSU team sent over 20 players to the NFL.
Right? Same with that LSU team.
I’m not convinced that Jimbo is elite. He had the one year in 2013. So did Gene have his year. Both with great college QBs. With that said, Auburn gave away the championship game to FSU. Jimbo left Florida St in shambles and they are still trying to recover. While he did not break rules(as known to date), his boosters bought the 2022 recruits. Can a group this talented develop together and play together remains to be seen. I just can’t buy into Jimbo.
“Auburn gave away the championship game to FSU.”
Please don’t remind me (insert sad emoji face here). Busted coverage… ugh.
Gus taking his foot off the gas in the 2cd half and playing not to lose. Malzahn just handed Jimbo the trophy!
Yes, Auburn was a very good team that should have won it that year…agreed.
I get that some people don’t like Jimbo – to each his own. Most of us would agree that recruiting is ~85% of a head coach’s job, and at the very least, Jimbo’s a great recruiter. If you don’t give him that, you’re in denial. So he’s great at 85% of the job, which is a pretty good start.
Jimbo left FSU stocked with elite talent, with an average top-5 recruiting ranking averaged from 2010-2017. With that talent, he won an average of 10.6 games per season. What’s happened since he left? 4 CONSECUTIVE LOSING SEASONS with other coaches, despite all that talent. Does that mean he’s great? Maybe not, but FSU certainly misses him.
Kevin Sumlin had a scattershot recruiting philosophy, chasing recruit rankings rather than filling areas of need. Even chasing the highest star players he could get despite position, Sumlin’s recruiting classes averaged #12. We’d all agree there’s a lot of talent difference between teams averaging a ranking of #5 and #12.
Jimbo’s Aggie teams have improved every year he’s been here in terms of fundamental play, knocking on the playoff door in 2020. The QB injury last year masked the improvement, but the Bama win showed the potential of the team.
This year, we have a few wrinkles to work out, and Matt Hayes is right in the sense that 10-2 is my personal expectation for this year. Will there be a hot seat if he doesn’t get us there? Nahhh. We’re still seeing improvement and we’ll get where we need to be eventually. I think we’ll finally start to see that Aggies start clicking on both sides of the ball this year, particularly late in the year once the young talent gets a bit of playing time. Gig ’em!
He did have solid recruiting but each year after the national championship they got worse with better talent. he started recking up bad losses. how bad do you have to be to have 3 conference losses in the ACC. His last year he had 5 conference losses With exceptional talent.
I’ll grant you that. Frankly, I’m willing to see what happens to our record the years after our first natty. First things first. At the very least, Jimbo’s a massive upgrade over what was here before.
He also lost his starting QB the first game didn’t he?
A 13-1 season after a natty isn’t really getting “worse”. Plenty of years Bama has done the same.
They took a dip in 2016 & 2017. Still won 10 games. His last year he lost his starting QB.
For Bama, those following years might be considered down years, but as an Aggie, I welcome 10 wins a year with open arms lol. Also, I would argue that they did not have more talent after Jameis. In 2013, they had 11 players drafted (went 12-2 in 2012). 2014-2015 they had 17. 2016-2017 they had 6.
Aggies want to win and think ten wins this year should be achievable. Still, we are committed to Jimbo, both emotionally (especially after the one-loss fourth-ranked season in 2020) and financially (with a contract no more ridiculous than the ones given to Mel Tucker and James Franklin, among others). While I am sure some people may be interested in a commentator’s opinion that “it’s time,” the fact is that there is no “or else.” If the Aggies disappoint this year, Jimbo will be back next year in front of 100,000 screaming fans and a 30,000 person student section on their feet for the entire game. That won’t change for many years to come.
Add Smart’s contract to the ridiculous.
Yeah, it is a real shame that any other coach would get a contract that rivals Saban’s. Kirby has earned it!
Saban’s is pretty ridiculous. Then when you look at what he has done for Alabama, and the revenue he has produced, if he was the CEO of a major corporation, he would be making better than $20 million right now.
Any 100% Guaranteed contract in any business or coaching is ridiculous. There are far too many variables involved for a business or university to ever agree to a 100% guaranteed $$$$$ contract.
Well, technically it is not “100% guaranteed”. There are stipulations in the contract requiring performance of duties according to the rules through the term of the contract. You don’t simply get to this level without being the kind of coach that loves the job and is willing to put the effort in. Of course, there are exceptions (Orgeron).
Your opinion is obviously not shared by college ADs nor major league sports except football.
Not ridiculous. That is the market now. He won’t be the highest paid coach for long imo.
So the takeaway is that A&M fans will tolerate not being the best for quite some time?
I would suspect that the takeaway is that it isn’t easy to win in the SEC, particularly in the West with the powerhouse built by the best college coach in the history of the game as well as the insane year the Coach O had with Burrow.
Building a team that can sustain takes time. People love to bag on Jimbo, but he’s building something that will be a consistent winner at the highest level.
The elite teams can usually hang close to the top, even in the SEC. Jimbo had that one season where he only lost 1 game, but the other 3 seasons he’s had 4 or 5 losses. That’s just too many losses per season on average to be a big dog in the SEC.
You are 100% correct. 4-5 losses is not top tier coaching. That’s middle of the pack coaching.
Who ever said Jimbo was good at developing players? Especially quarterbacks.
This is 2022 building a team that can win big takes 1-2 years with transfers. Heck Bama was elite in year 2 under Saban without the new transfer rules. Are you talking about a consistent winner like he had at FSU barely making a bowl game his last year?! The fact is Jimbo doesn’t have the personality needed to build a consistent winner. A good year every now and again sure but he doesn’t run the program like it takes to be good year in and year out.
83-23 with a natty. You have your opinion, but he gives us that, I am happy.
“Dear Jimbo Fisher, it’s time to win big. Now”
Oh good grief.
Kinda what I was thinking.
To be the highest paid coach you need to win big. Not 8-4
“To be the highest paid coach you need to win big. Not 8-4”
Yep, you’re correct. My comment was about these yearly “Dear so and so.” They did one for Bo Nix last year.
He’s not the highest paid coach. Didn’t y’all just pay Brian Kelly, who didn’t win an important game his entire tenure at Notre Dame, $9.5 million?
He went 9-1 in 2020, finished #4, and won an Orange Bowl. That is my definition of winning big, especially at a program like A&M.
Brian Kelly is 2-4 against the SEC all-time.
I’ve seen 3-4.
4 losses to quality SEC programs (UGA and Bama). Outscored 116-64.
2 wins against quality SEC program (LSU in 2014 and 2017) in the Music City Bowl and Citrus Bowl. Win against Vandy (which in all honesty brings him back down to 2-4)
The last for classes are ranked as follows. 1, 8, 6, 4 in the nation according to the 247 composite. The average of those is 4.75 but that is not the same as 4 top 5 classes in a row.
^^^This. Anyone that pays attention knows there can be a pretty big drop off between “top 3” and “4 to 8”. Go count “top-150” players in the top 3, then count how many top-150 in 4th to 8th ranked classes. Usually twice as many “elite” players when you finish top 3.
I’m not buying that logic. You are saying 4-8 classes have no chance. Just not true
Dabo can vouch for that.
Oregon went to two national championship games with not top ten talent.
@RonMexico The Pac 12 had two ranked teams in 2010. The SECW had 5.
2015 the Pac-12 North had 1 ranked team: Oregon. The SECW had 4.
I don’t think your comparison holds any water.
“I don’t think your comparison holds any water.”
Ma’am, I was talking about college recruiting rankings.
Typical Ron. Try and insult someone when he’s wrong or confused.
Just to clarify for your pea sized brain, they went to the national title game without top 10 talent BECAUSE they played in an easier conference. I am sure you are more an A to B guy. Shouldn’t assume you can go A to B to C.
Baylor says “Hello!”. Or whatever they say in Waco.
Jimbo does have a lot to prove. Winning a NC while playing an ACC or B1G schedule is one thing, winning one while in today’s SEC and with a four-team playoff is another.
That 2022 recruiting class could be a blessing, or it could be a curse. With that No.1 class comes the highest expectations.
I think anyone in the business would be happy to have the #1 class and the expectations.
AggieRide, No doubt.
But after that one No.1 class, the media’s going to pump up the expectations. You’re going to hear about it every time they play and in almost every article that gets posted for the next 4-years.
I watched it happen to both Richt and Smart. Kirby signed one No.1 class and Georgia was supposed too immediately beat Alabama. Never mind the fact that Saban had strung together 4-5 No.1 classes. Fail to do that – even when you come within one blown coverage of beating a team with many more blue-chip players and the coverage will start to question the HC.
It starts this season and will ramp up over the next two.
It’s Win soon or else time. It’s not logical or right, but that won’t matter.
Based on recruiting and resources, Jimbo should make a hard NC run within the next two or three seasons. I also think he has about two or three seasons before his seat legitimately becomes hot. He’s in the “prove it” phase of his tenure.
Then again, Jimbo and the Aggies could have a 1 loss season (again) and everybody can stop talking this nonsense.
And we could see the start of another World War this year…just like the last time A&M won it all lol.
1939
China isn’t starting anything, they are taking over our country anyway buying up land, etc. They aren’t about to nuke it, etc.
“And we could see the start of another World War this year”
Stop it.
“China isn’t starting anything, they are taking over our country anyway buying up land, etc. ”
Sad, but true.
He’s had 1 one-loss season and three seasons where he’s lost 4 or 5 games so pardon us if we’re taking the average and determining that he’s not that great.
Inherited Sumlin’s mess. We are being patient. I am content with the 1 good year. Has to perform, but to say he’s not a top 8 cfb coach is misguided in my opinion.
AggieRider, the focus should not just be on losses. A one loss season can still be one in which there is no serious NC run. With the time to build the program and culture, and the talent he’s assembled, one loss seasons should be what happens in between championship runs. If Jimbo hasn’t made a true, serious NC run by 2024, including a conference championship, the Jimbo experiment will probably be over. It’s not nonsense to think Jimbo is in a period where he needs to start winning championships.
Why does he have 2 or 3 more seasons? If you have four top 5 classes your roster is packed. How can he be more loaded next year.
Veteran 2019 class (#5) with s important pieces on the roster still. The 2020 class (#6) has 2 years in the system. 2021 (#8) class has a year. Add the incoming 2022 class (#1), and I think we have more talented kids that have had time to develop and physically mature.
The 2020 9-1 year had the 2017, 2018, and 2019 kids playing. ’17 was the 17th rated class. ’18 was the 13th. 19′ was 5th.
Anything else I can add to help with you out?
The reason I said 2 or 3 is because A&M more than likely is not going to make a run in 2022, so that leaves 2023 and 2024. Which would also be when the historic 2022 class has had time to matriculate through the roster and depth charts. When this 2022 class is sophomores and juniors is when Jimbo should have a team in position to make the playoffs. If he hasn’t by the end of 2024, then Jimbo’s time at A&M will likely be up. Just my opinion.
Things overheard in the Theater Lines at the opening to Gone with the Wind and The Wizzard of Oz:
“Man, How about that Blitzkreig…the Germans look scary”
“You know, I hear that the trains run on time in Italy now since Mussolini has taken charge”
“Texas A&M are the NCAA Champions…I saw it on a newsreel at that new Jimmy Stewart movie where he plays an honest Senator.”
Keep chirping/thanks for pointing out our obvious lack of championships since the great depression. Going from a perennial under-coached team, to relevance, recruiting championship caliber players, to winning championships (which we only recently started by getting a coach that has actually won a championship) is a process. Haters pile on Jimbo now, please. We aren’t going to fire a coach who doesn’t win a championship in 4 years. Ask Texas how that is going. We are now relevant. We are now recruiting championship caliber players. Haters pile on NIL, please. He isn’t going anywhere. All he has to do is win one more game per year, every year and we’ll be just fine. So keep chirping and hating. We’re used to it.
Yup. Building….
from experience I can tell you the references to AM’s last natty won’t stop until they win another.
Haha. You’re probably right. I guess that’s a sign that we’re headed in the right direction. No one points out the last time Vandy’s won a title.
A&M will probably lose to Alabama, Arkansas, and LSU…9-3. At least better than 8-4!
Unfortunately, I wouldn’t put scUM in the automatic win column for them either, although I hope they pound them.
Agree that SC should definitely be an improved team this year. They have a great shot at pulling out a win in the swamp. Say what you want about Rattler’s personality, there’s a reason he was on the Heisman watch list leading into last year. Their offense will be much improved.
He’s talking about Miami. We’ll find out pretty quickly how improved Cristobal has made them. Not really buying it. It’s at Kyle Field too. If it was on the road or neutral site, might be a little more cause for concern.
Dude, Miami has no shot at Kyle. It’s gonna be a good night for a game, for sure, though.
There are trends and there is returning to norm.
The Aggies are trending up, as evident by their recruiting classes and high expectations by national media.
LSU is not trending up or down, they’re returning to their norm which is one of the better SEC West programs from what was a relatively rough stretch. There’s a reason all 3 of their most recent HCs have a natty.
Norms will move year by year but there is variance about it for any year.
Taking one season as example ignores the norm and focuses on one data point, which tells you nothing.
It’s silly to judge someone’s success off their roof or floor, watch the trends vs the norm.
Valid points
The trend is that Jimbo loses about 4 games a year.
Aggy is not really much better winning percentage under Jimmy than under Stumblin.
Look, a hog fan from east Texas who can’t spell. There’s a shock (said no one).
Calling the hogs, or calling his wife in for supper?
He definitely can’t afford to go 8-4 again. If that happens people will start chirping about him and wondering, is he the right coach to help them win an SEC Title.
Aggies likely to go 8-4. Maybe 9-3 this year. Typical season for good A and M teams. I’d take many SEC coaches over Jimbo.
Jimbo is going to leave AM without ever filling in the year on that trophy AM AD gave him when he signed on at aggy.
I’ve always wondered, like why does Jimbo feel the pressure to win the Natty at the ATM? He already has the contract and the trophy they gave him, why would he care if they win it all or not. He already won it all by signing with with the dumbest wealthy people on the planet. I guess Daddy never told them to make em take you to dinner before giving it all away.
Arky wins 1 game in 10 years and doesn’t know how to act. #1 class. Who would you take instead of him outside Smart and Saban?
Pittman? One winning season at Arky.
Kiffin? One winning season at Ole Miss.
Beamer? Leach? Heupel? Nope.
Napier? Kelly? Haven’t coached in SEC yet.
He really has high expectations for Johnson. I think he can be good but not a playmaker qb that will get the team over the hump to a NC. UGA was the outlier to win a NC recently without a stud qb.
You talked to him about these expectations? What is he supposed to say to the press? “This kid is average, we are just hoping he can manage a game.”
I was talking about the writer not Jimbo. Of course Jimbo is going to put the best spin on it.
I hope TAMU goes 11-1 and sneaks into the playoff. Why? So Bama can kick the ever living sh!t out of them for a second time in one season. I foresee a 59-0 beatdown, similar to the Kevin Sumlin game, on 10/8. Hopefully, Saban doesn’t take his foot off the peddle and we see another 77-0 loss by the Aggies.
I guess you are still butthurt about losing multiple games last year? Get used to it. It’s becoming a trend.
You’re a UGA fan who has only had a small taste of success whereas Bama has been feasting for 15+ years now.
It was a down year by Bama standards, sure, but we still had that incredible comeback against Auburn and destroyed UGA in the SEC champ game when we were at full strength.
It’s disappointing losing the championship, but then I remember the other six Bama has won and the fact that they are again the favorite to win it all in 2022. Bama fans have it the best of any fanbase in the nation.
You know what else is a trend? UGA losing to a team
From the west every year…
You know what isn’t a trend? UGA winning a NC… 40 plus years…
Aren’t you supposed to insult his wife?
Count me in the “I’ll believe it when I see it” crowd of Aggie fans. The last time we were really good was in 2012 with JFF and crew. Otherwise, meh. He’s a great recruiter, but I don’t see Jimbo having the right game-time coaching abilities to take us to the level we are willing to pay for. And all I have to do is point at what’s going on at Baylor and say “see what I mean?”