Despite a record-shattering buyout, the former national champion craves a return to the sidelines. Could a struggling program reunite with its winningest coach to reclaim lost glory?
When you get the itch to do something you love, you have to scratch it.
Former Texas A&M and Florida State head coach Jimbo Fisher has made his feelings known that he wants to return to coaching, for the right situation.
In a story by David Ubben of the New York Times via The Athletic, Fisher would like his job title to be football coach again.
“The relationship with players. The competition. I miss the competition. I miss recruiting. If I can recruit without money, I can recruit with money. I promise you that,” Fisher said.
Fisher will receive $7 million per year from Texas A&M for the next six years just to play golf, drink beer on his back porch, or whatever he wants to do. What he wants to do is wear a whistle around his neck again and draw up X’s and O’s.
“I miss the game planning. That was never work to me. That was fun. It was a grind, but it was fun,” said Fisher.
From 2010 to 2016, Fisher led the Seminoles to nine or more wins. Three years after taking the helm of one college football’s most successful programs, Fisher and his undefeated 2013 team (14-0) hoisted the BCS National Championship trophy.
During his tenure with the Seminoles, Fisher posted an 83-23 record, a .783 winning percentage, the highest in school history. But after a 5-6 season in 2017, the powers that be decided that Fisher was expendable and fired him. Less than stellar academic progress and a season-ending injury to starting quarterback Deondre Francois were the catalysts for ending the winningest coaching tenure in Florida State football history.
Three ACC titles, four Top 10 finishes, and five bowl victories, and a national title apparently were not good enough to save his job. Fisher was replaced by former Memphis coach Mike Norvell, who won 70 percent of his games with the Tigers.
Fisher moved on to Texas A&M, where there was a significant drop-off in wins on the field, going 45-25 (.643 winning percentage), despite receiving a fully-guaranteed $75 million contract. Later, he was given an extension that was worth north of $90 million.
However, after going 19-15 in his final three seasons in College Station, Texas A&M paid Fisher a record $77.5 million NOT to coach the Aggies. It appears that money cannot buy happiness, not even money that would have to be transported in a Brink’s truck.
Under Norvell, the Seminoles have gone 38-34. Over the past two seasons, Norvell’s teams have won just seven games, including three in conference play. For whatever reason, Florida State gave Norvell another season on the sidelines.
Patience has worn thin with the fan base. They are ready for a coaching change. The comments on social media have been mixed.
Florida State has a brutal 2026 football schedule, including two games against SMU and Alabama before the calendar switches to October. Is Norvell a lame duck coach?
For an encore, could Fisher be the man to bring back the glory to Florida State football? Seminoles fans everywhere want to know.
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