Amid Doubt, Aggies Ready For Rebound Season In College Station
Texas A&M head coach Jimbo Fisher isn't worried about the pressure he'll face as he enters his sixth season in College Station.
He knows pressure comes in multiple forms — ones stronger than winning a division title or securing a spot in the College Football Playoff. Fisher also understands that last season's 5-7 record won't cut in with boosters and the fan base.
It also won't cut it internally among the players at suit up to take Kyle Field by storm on Saturdays this fall.
“I don’t worry about what people think, I know what we can do and how we can have it and what we try to go to,” Fisher said earlier this month. “Every coach is … you’re on a daily basis, it’s what you do for me lately. Every coach in the country is like that.
“You slip up one time, and it is what it is, and that’s part of the business you like.”
The No. 23 Aggies aren't known for "slipping up" much since joining the SEC in 2012. Sure, they haven't claimed a conference title — let alone a division one — but the program consistently finds itself in the mix of middle-tier teams.
So of course fans were at their end last fall after A&M dropped six consecutive games against conference opponents to finish below .500 for the first time since 2008. The offense stalled, ranking 93rd national in total yards and 101st in scoring. The run defense was atrocious just a year removed from domination under now-Duke coach Mike Elko.
When Fisher signed on to coach the Aggies after a decade stay with Florida State, fans welcomed him with open arms. Last season, those same folks would have gladly helped the former national champion pack his bags, drive him to the airport and put him on a one-way flight to Timbuktu if it stopped the constant struggles presented on Saturdays.
"We got woke up last season," offensive lineman Layden Robinson said earlier this month. "The people here who experienced that know how that feels. It was a wake-up call."
Fans can doubt Fisher and the Aggies if they see fit, but he's not going anywhere. A&M ahtletic director Ross Bjork made it clear that Fisher wasn't coaching for his job this season and there's still belief that he's the right man to bring the school back to prominence in a new era of college football.
That may be the way Fisher wants it. When there's doubt, there's nowhere to go but up. Fisher has vowed to the fans and staff that the Aggies will be better this season, and he's backed it up with more than words.
A&M hired former Louisville and Arkansas coach Bobby Petrino as its new offensive coordinator. His duties will drastically differ from former OC Darrell Dickey, who offered input on concepts to Fisher, but watched the latter make the final decision.
Spring practice brought skepticism to whether Fisher, who's called plays since his time as LSU's offensive coordinator in the early 2000s, would release the reins and give Petrino full control. Not all of last season's mishaps fell on the play-calling, but the decision to hire Petrino at this stage in his career made it clear that change was coming to the personnel.
"I love him. He's a very smart guy," quarterback Conner Weigman said of Petrino's offensive approach. "He gives us every little detail we need to know about a play. That's what it takes to be a quarterback. You got to know what's going on.
"Having that input come from him has been huge."
Despite last season's struggles, voters haven't lost faith in A&M's upside after another productive offseason. The Aggies were voted to finish third in the SEC West behind perennial programs Alabama and LSU, both of whom have won national titles in the past five years.
On offense, Petrino and Fisher will have a cast of talent that should provide better results if the unit can stay healthy. Ten full-time offensive starters are slated to return, and depth is more seasoned after seeing extensive reps in some capacity last fall. Both Weigman and former LSU starter Max Johnson took the field last season and impressed, combining for 11 touchdowns against zero interceptions.
"We haven't announced anything yet, but we're very pleased with both guys," Fisher said last week of the quarterback competition. "Both guys had really good moments on the day. Made big plays, made consistent plays, executed third down, made plays in the red zone...I was very pleased."
Fisher, who's 39-21 entering Year 6 with the program, understands why there are doubts as the new season approaches. He also can't let it control his decision-making on Saturdays. With a revamped feel internally, the Aggies could put together a season to remember in College Station.
Maybe being the down and out is a mantra Fisher thrives on?
"Every team out there is the same way," said Fisher. "People (doubting) you is what makes it fun — that’s what competition is all about.”
The Aggies open the season on Sept. 2 at Kyle Field against New Mexico.
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