Critical Time for Texas A&M, Jimbo Fisher
Now it gets real for Jimbo Fisher.
The first domino fell in a critical offseason for Texas A&M when Fisher fired his “offensive coordinator” days after the season-ending upset of LSU.
Jettisoning ol’ Darrell Dickey needs to be just the start for an offensive makeover at least two years in the making. Not that it all falls on the former co-OC. Dickey, as we all know, was the coordinator in title only. This was Jimbo’s ship.
Always has been.
Jimbo calls the plays. He’s the quarterback whisperer. Any shortcomings with the ball fall on his call sheet.
Empowered and almost defiant, Fisher has told us all season that nothing is wrong with his system. The problems are a product of young players and injuries while admitting, at times, that the coaches need to do a better job coaching.
You think?
Now the issue becomes handing the reins over to a new OC. Truly, handing the reins over.
Some of the current offensive coordinators linked to the job include Andy Kotelnicki (Kansa), Kevin Johns (Duke) and Garrett Riley (TCU). Other potential candidates are Phil Longo (North Carolina) and Alex Golesh (Tennessee).
No doubt Fisher can offer any of those a substantial raise to come to Aggieland. Considering what’s still owed Fisher, another $2-3 million per season for a fresh voice is hardly a dealbreaker.
But what would this OC be coming in to do? Would the proud/stubborn Aggies coach cede his offensive philosophy in an effort to modernize? Will the next OC have a say in the coaching staff? Or would the next OC be that in, again, title only?
But as much as that coaching hire is key, there are other issues this tenuous offseason. Fisher needs to be accountable for botching the QB position for two years now.
To start both 2021 and 2022, Jimbo somehow believed that Haynes King was the right man for the job. While that is somewhat understandable last season, it became clear that Zach Calzada was the better option after King’s injury.
This year, no one could argue that King ever looked better than transfer Max Johnson or freshman Conner Weigman. Yet, it was King who instead won the job out of camp.
That gross mismanagement and failure to evaluate talent at the most critical position falls on Jimbo. Luckily, injuries and ineffectiveness eventually put the ball in Weigman’s hands. There’s no reason to take it away.
Jimbo can recruit. There’s no question there. Outside of some obvious defections, it appears the Aggies won’t suffer a huge talent drain now that the season is done. Adding to the current recruiting class is tantamount, as well as fully embracing the transfer portal to bring in-depth and needed upperclassmen.
In a season that witnessed the first six-game losing streak in a half-century, the Aggies somehow put it together to beat the No. 5 Tigers on Saturday. That, Jimbo said, offered a glimpse of what could be,
“It’s about learning how to win, learning how to stay mature, learning how to focus for the whole time and learning there’s not a secret to this,” he said. “There’s nothing fabulous about this. Just go do your job. Run your route. Fit your block. Make your run. Do the things you’ve got to do and play. There’s no magical formula. There’s no substitute for maturity and age and development.”
He's right. But he’s also the reason that the Aggies were lacking in those areas.
You can find Art Garcia on Twitter @ArtGarcia92.
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