The two happiest days for Texas A&M fans are the day they hire a new football coach and the day they fire the coach. Misery swallows most days in between. December 04, 2017, was a happy day. Championship-winning head coach Jimbo Fisher was hired away from Florida State in a move that reverberated nationwide. With a massive contract secured, Fisher was charged with leading Texas A&M to SEC glory and national relevance. On November 12, 2023, Jimbo Fisher was “fired” on his day off. Fired may be a poor word choice. Fisher was paid the 76 million dollars left on his contract so he could stop coaching the Aggies.
Aggie fans swear November 12 is a happy day. And you’ll probably hear November 26 as a happy day, too. The Aggies reportedly are hiring their former defensive coordinator and current Duke head coach Mike Elko as Jimbo Fisher’s replacement. I have reason to worry, as every Aggie should.
Meritless Rewards
What has Texas A&M learned from years of rewarding coaches that haven’t won anything? 1998 was the last and only time Texas A&M won a conference championship for a currently existing conference. Eighty-five years have passed since they won a national championship. There is no basis for giving any coach over 100 million dollars to coach your team.
It doesn’t take much to get rewarded at Texas A&M. Jimbo Fisher’s Texas A&M accolades include the number one recruiting class two years ago, a 9-1 record in a pandemic-shortened season, and one win against legendary coach Nick Saban. That is mostly it. Yes, the (gifted) seven-overtime game versus LSU was fun. Many individual wins seemed important then, but the big picture remained the same. Meanwhile, several high-profile recruits were kicked out of the program due to off-field behavior. Ugly losses marred early season hopes. Fisher was fired with a worse overall record than his predecessor, Kevin Sumlin.
The program doesn’t appear to hand out contracts based on merit. Moreover, name recognition seems to take precedence over value-added and out-of-the-box thinking. The coaching names of the recent past don’t marry well with the campus culture. The thirst for success is so intense that the parched Aggie faithful pour millions into the program every time a significant victory occurs.
Solutions
Ahh yes. Solutions to the conundrum that is a massive football fanbase complete with limitless private funds, excellent facilities, and traditions dedicated solely to the gridiron. What should the Aggies do? Additionally, what should the Aggies avoid doing?
Money Management
Throwing money around hasn’t worked at solving the problems. There is no reason to believe hiring Mike Elko shatters the 10-win glass ceiling and carries the Aggies to conference relevance. Elko was 9-4 and 7-5 in two seasons with Duke University. It’s more of the same circle of hell for Aggie fans. Do not overpay coaches or players.
Results = Rewards
No more meritless rewards. Make contract extensions result-based rather than based on the threat of rival schools poaching your coach. If the hire marries well with the culture, compensation will be a product of the on-field success. For example, instead of extending Jimbo Fisher to stave off LSU’s interest, A&M could have let Fisher go if he wanted to leave badly enough. That season didn’t end with any accolades (conference championship, playoffs, or otherwise). The program was already paying Fisher well then, so a replacement could have been compensated at a similar rate or lower. They could’ve even tried an in-house hire like the defensive coordinator at the time. I’m certain Elko would’ve moved over a seat for cheaper back then.
Big Boys Bring Big Results
If the team will be defensive-oriented (based on the new hire and the current roster), the offense has to keep the ball on the ground to shorten the game. Recruiting better offensive linemen and retaining pocket quarterback Conner Weigman on campus should be a priority. A&M has a long history of offensive linemen drafted into the NFL. That is a tradition that needs to return.
The big-picture strategy has to change if Texas A&M wants to gain national prominence. Solutions better come quick, fast, and in a hurry Aggieland. Texas is coming.
Photo Credit for featured cover image: Getty Images.
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