Texas A&M made the first shocking head coaching change of the season on Monday when the program announced the firing of Jimbo Fisher. Although they owe their former lead man almost $77 million through 2031, the Aggies had seen enough after his 45-25 record over six years.
Former Texas A&M quarterback Johnny Manziel wasted little time to throw his opinion into the mix, providing an optimistic look for the program.
Johnny Manziel Offers To Help Texas A&M After Jimbo Fisher Firing
Manziel took to X (Twitter) to offer his take on the decision, saying:
I have faith in the @TAMU leadership to put somebody in place to get us to where we need to be. The pieces for success are in the building. However I can help in any capacity I would love nothing more 👍🏼
— Johnny Manziel (@JManziel2) November 13, 2023
It was a nice gesture for Manziel to be a more present figure for the program, and overall, his message was well-intended. It was certainly a more positive message than he said about Fisher’s playcalling in October 2022. After Texas A&M lost to Alabama 24-20, Manziel said Fisher’s decision to throw a quick out from the two-yard line with two seconds left was “one of the worst calls I’ve ever seen in my life.”
Fisher had earned his fair share of criticism over six years. Despite finishing with a top-10 recruiting class from 2019 through 2022, including the top overall class in 2022, the roster lacked playmakers. Only three players coached by Fisher were drafted in the first two rounds of the NFL draft since 2018, and some of his best players (De’Von Achane and DeMarvin Leal) were better in the NFL than in college.
The Aggies’ next head coach will need to think carefully about how to manage the program. Fisher didn’t play too heavily into the recent stars of the program, including Myles Garrett, Mike Evans, and Manziel. Maybe that’s because each was gone before Fisher arrived, and he failed to find his own future NFL Hall of Famer.
The transfer portal will see a slew of Fisher’s promising recruits move elsewhere, and the Aggies’ 2025 class has already seen a shift over the last weekend. The next staff doesn’t need Manziel to be present to succeed but needs to develop talent more effectively. The rest is for show, as we’ve seen Colorado’s bright lights fade after a hot start.
Texas A&M’s deep pockets got the best of the program last time they wanted to fill the position. While it’ll be tempting to look into Urban Meyer and the hottest veteran coaches, they must consider all options and find the right culture fit. Someone who can be a long-term fit and adjust to upcoming conference realignments and future schematic trends.
Being realistic about the program’s stature would be helpful, too. The Aggies haven’t been overly relevant since the Southwest Conference folded, winning 10 or more games once since 1998. The recruiting hotbed has made them a sleeping giant, but they’ve been in hibernation for far too long for the program to expect immediate contention for a national title.