'Not For Everybody': AD Ross Bjork Reveals Standards of Texas A&M Aggies Coaching Job
The Texas A&M Aggies are knee-deep in the search for their next head coach, after firing Jimbo Fisher on Nov. 12.
And while logic dictates that the search should come to a conclusion before the early signing period, Texas A&M athletic director Ross Bjork and the Aggies are being deliberate in their approach to finding the new leader of the program.
Why? According to Bjork during an appearance on the Aggie Fan Zone radio show on Monday, the job in College Station is not for everyone, and it is critical that the Aggies find a coach that can handle the weight of the position.
“Do you have the chops to deal with this job? (It’s) not for everybody," Bjork said.”
“This is not an 8-4 job. It’s not. Because of the decision we made (on Fisher), but also because of the resources and expectations. Does somebody have the wherewithal to deal with that, the weight of (the job) and the magnitude, and not get fazed and rattled, not panic, and if something doesn’t go right, they fix what they need to fix?"
Ross Bjork, Dan Lanning, Dan Campbell, Mike Elko
Clutch Points
Fisher was intended to be that guy. He was a national champion, a program builder, and a national guy. But, obviously, that didn't work out.
Now, Bjork will have a different approach - one that will continue to be national, but also one that will be more expansive than ever before.
“Part of it is how we’ve done coaching searches here,” Bjork said. “We’ve never done a market-based, competitive landscape, national-type search. … We’ve never really done that. We’ve always focused on one or two folks and then made a hire, and that hasn’t really worked... Let’s get the right person. We’re talking to a lot of people.”
Even if the Aggies find the right guy, however, there is still one thing that will be critical for Bjork and the decision-makers for the program to get right.
The contract.
Fisher's contract was arguably the most lopsided in terms of leverage in the history of college football. Not only is he getting the largest buyout in the history of the sport by more than $50 million, but every dollar of that contract is guaranteed.
In fact, the Aggies will have to pay Fisher $19.2 million of that buyout by Jan. 11 2024, and will then pay him $7.2 million annually through 2031 - regardless of whether or not he finds another job.
“We have to get this contract right," Bjork said. “We can’t do what we did before... We’re not giving bonuses to go to the Liberty Bowl. The CFP, the first round, the quarterfinals, the semifinals, you host, you win the national championship. If you win the national championship, you’ll get paid like a national championship coach. That’s how we’re putting this package together."
So how is that search going?
According to Bjork, no one that the Aggies have spoken or interviewed has said no as of yet... despite reports indicating otherwise.
“No one has said no, because they believe in themselves and they believe in the formula that they have,” Bjork said. “And they believe in Texas A&M, that's it."
