Under the leadership of now-former head coach Jimbo Fisher, the Texas A&M Football program experienced a stark contrast. Despite Fisher’s success in recruiting, which was particularly evident in the nine-win season during the Covid-ravaged 2020 campaign, the team’s performance on the field did not match this success, especially in October and November.
Former AD Ross Bjork’s decision to extend Fisher’s contract until the 2031 season was always a gamble. It was a massive commitment based on a single season of success, and in this instance, may have been too hasty, shouldering most of the blame for not waiting to see Fisher’s long-term performance.
As the seasons wore on, including a 5-7 finish in 2022 after entering the year ranked 6th in the AP Top 25, the national media began to doubt if Fisher was the right choice from a cultural perspective. The accumulation of recruiting talent and the blatant lack of transfer portal utilization reached a breaking point toward the end of the 2023 season.
Losing three out of four key matchups, Texas A&M’s winnable 38-35 road loss to Ole Miss was the rumored loss that sealed Fisher’s fate, as the once big-time hire was let go on Sunday, Nov. 12, just a date after A&M’s 51-10 win over Mississippi State.
Fisher’s massive $75 million buyout is an obvious eye-sore, as the school and alumni are on the hook for the next seven years.
Two weeks later, the exhaustive coaching search came down to Kentucky head coach Mark Stoops and Duke head coach Mike Elko. As we all remember, the negative online reaction regarding the rumored Stoops hire partially eliminated him from consideration.
Knowing that Elko had served under Fisher as the program’s defensive coordinator from 2018-2021, the veteran assistant was always the right choice. During his two-year stint with the Blue Devils, Elko checked off every want/need.
With just three regular-season games left in his first season, the Aggies are 7-2 and 5-1 in the SEC with a chance to earn a spot in the SEC Championship Game and the 12-team College Football Playoff. Elko has already improved the program. He has instilled a culture based on toughness and work ethic while matching Fisher’s recruiting success.
No. 14 Texas A&M will host New Mexico State on Saturday, Nov. 16. The game will air on SEC Network at 6:45 p.m. CT.
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