Will Jimbo Fisher Coach Again After He Received a $76 Million Dollar Buyout?

By James B. Ewers Jr. Ed.D.

I have never actually written the words, “$76 million dollar buyout” so pardon me if I am a bit shaky and unstable. It made me wonder just for a moment what would I do with a $76 million buyout?

College football is thriving today. According to some, it is the most watched collegiate sport. NCAA officials have done a superb job of marketing college football.

At one point years ago, you could only watch college football on Saturdays. Now college football games are televised almost every day of the week during the season. It appears all the networks and cable companies have contracts to televise college football.

This is coupled with the NIL (name image and likeness) agreements that have made some student-athletes very rich. For example, if you like Wendy’s like most people, you will see last year’s Heisman Trophy Winner, Caleb Williams in its commercials.

College student-athletes once upon a time did not enjoy this type of financial success while in college. Now, we see them featured with quite a few consumer products.

However winning football games is still the goal. As Al Davis, the late owner of the Raiders would say, “Just win baby”. If you can win then you can stay employed. If not, you have a short tenure and you have got to go.

I am not sure when the term buyout and college football became brethren but right now its on the college football landscape. In fact, the term, buyout is as hot as fish grease. I would opine almost every coach in Division I, at least, has some type of buyout agreement attached to their contract.

Some years ago, University of Texas football coach Charlie Strong was fired, and his buyout was $10.4 million dollars. I thought at the time that was a pretty hefty sum of money. I still do. The University of Texas also had a buyout agreement with Mack Brown ($2.75 million dollars). He is now the football coach at the University of North Carolina.

Now the buyout business has reached a new high. If there is a glass ceiling, it has been shattered into small pieces.

John James “Jimbo” Fisher Jr. until last week was the football coach at Texas A&M University in College Station. He won his last game, against Mississippi State University 51-10 and the team is now bowl eligible.

Unfortunately for Jimbo Fisher becoming bowl eligible is not the standard at Texas A&M University. When Coach Fisher was signed six years ago, he was expected to win championships. At minimum, he was expected to get into the College Football Playoffs. I believe some thought he would surely win an SEC (Southeastern Conference) championship.

Coach Fisher did neither. I believe we can agree that the expectations for him were high. While at Florida State University, he won a national championship and his teams always performed well.

Some could make the argument that the ACC (Atlantic Coast Conference) is a weaker conference however Clemson University also a member of the ACC won two national championships.

Well, college football is ending soon. Texas A&M University will probably accept a bowl invitation. However, they will not be going to a major bowl game.

Coach Fisher according to reports met with the team presumably to wish them well. What happens now to Jimbo Fisher? Will he take a year off and maybe become a football commentator on television?

A compelling question will be whether he will want to coach again? After all, he has accomplished much as a football coach and has been a major force in college circles for a long time. Only he can answer that question. We will see.

Texas A&M University will hire a new football coach. The football world will be looking to see what his salary will be, his buyout, too.