'Whatever It Takes To Win': Could Jimbo Fisher Give Up Play-Calling For Texas A&M?
COLLEGE STATION -- Texas A&M Aggies coach Jimbo Fisher has always taken pride in calling the offensive plays. At LSU in the early 2000s, he called the shots for Nick Saban’s roster. He did the same in the late 2000s and early 2010s while under the late Bobby Bowden at Florida State.
Since arriving in College Station, Fisher has had the final say on the offense. Will that be the case moving forward in 2022? If it helps the No. 24 Aggies win, he’s not opposed to the idea.
“You always evaluate those things,” Fisher said Monday at his weekly press conference. “We evaluate everything we do.”
The Aggies (1-1) are coming off a 17-14 upset loss to Appalachian State at home. Fans booed Texas A&M as it headed back to the locker room, primarily taking shots at quarterback Haynes King and Fisher’s play-calling.
Fisher said the Aggies would “explore all options” when it comes to quarterback, meaning LSU transfer Max Johnson might be taking over as the team’s starter against No. 12 Miami. He also said that co-offensive coordinators Darrell Dickey and James Coley could contribute to the play-calling for a more balanced approach.
“It’s a conglomerate of play-calling, too. We’re getting information from everybody and thoughts,” Fisher said. “It’s a collective group decision based off of our offensive staff.”
Entering Week 3, A&M is currently ranked 13th in total offense (341.5 yards per game), 12th in rushing (99.5 yards per game), and 14th in scoring (22.5 points per game) among all SEC schools. Junior running back Devon Achane finished with a conference-high 7.0 yards per attempt last season.
Through two games, Achane has averaged 3.9 yards per run off 28 carries. His longest run of the season came in against the Mountaineers in the second quarter when he broke free for a 26-yard touchdown.
This isn’t a one-year struggle, either. Last season, the Aggies were one of four teams to average less than 400 yards of offense per outing. Despite strong defensive play, even that couldn’t stop A&M from underachieving en route to a disappointing 8-4 finish.
Coley and Dickey both have play-calling experience in their careers. Coley, who switched from tight ends coach to receivers coach this offseason, served as offensive coordinator at Miami and Georgia before joining Fisher’s staff in 2020.
Dickey, who’s held the de facto title of offensive coordinator since 2018, also called plays for Utah State (2007-08), New Mexico (2009-10), Texas State (2011), and Memphis (2011-2017). Before that, Dickey spent nine seasons as North Texas’ head coach in the early 2000s.
With both coaches having experience making decisions, would that be enough for Fisher to relinquish the playbook? It worked for Georgia’s Kirby Smart and Saban at Alabama in recent years. Both were willing to give up the final say on the offense.
Both have won national titles since. Saban, who is known for turning his coordinators into future head coaches, won three titles when hiring Ole Miss’ Lane Kiffin, New York Giants' Brian Daboll, and Texas’ Steve Sarkisian all serve as his offensive coordinator.
Perhaps Fisher will follow the Saban method before the start of conference play in two weeks. He isn’t taking anything off the table as the Hurricanes (2-0) prepare for their matchup at Kyle Field.
“I’m always up for whatever it takes to win. … My ego would not (get in the way),” Fisher said. “Winning takes (precedence) over everything — I promise you that.”
Kickoff Saturday is set for 8 p.m.
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