Coaching Buyouts and Contract Extensions Thread

[CatsbyAZ]

With 'insiders' reporting that Texas A&M will fire Jimbo Fisher as soon as today or tomorrow, I'm pulling @utee94's quote from another thread to jumpstart my points:

Ags are getting desperate with Texas and OU coming into the conference next year, and nothing to show for their 10-year headstart.

Even so, I didn't think they'd pull the trigger on Jimbo.  It's not just his salary, it's all of the assistants (that they JUST extended), and then hiring the new coach and paying any potential buyout there, and then hiring a new staff and paying any potential buyout there.

The total cost isn't a mere $77M, it's going to be over $100M, with the first $30M-$40M to be executed immediately.

I did NOT know:

-Jimbo's contract has $77M left; in his sixth season at College Station I figured his buyout would be whittled below $50M by now
-The name brand assistants were already extended - DC Durkin & OC Petrino

More details:

-Heard on sports radio this morning that Jimbo's "fully guaranteed" contract (faceplant) does not include an Offset, meaning, if hired elsewhere, Texas A&M's buyout isn't offset by whatever new salary Jimbo agrees to elsewhere - a common industry practice
-Buyouts for likely candidates are already under discussion - see below

My thoughts:

-I wish Texas A&M would hold off one more year. Yes, this season is a disappointment, with how much the defense gave up Vs Miami and Ole Miss and especially the 2nd Half collapse Vs an Alabama team they controlled in the 1st Half. It felt like everything was in place for a big year before Oklahoma and Texas join the SEC. But injuries hit certain positions hard and the Aggie staff was outcoached in all of A&M's bigger matchups.

-I wish A&M would wait one more year because with their recent top notch recruiting classes maturing into upperclassmen, I really think next year is worth one last shot to see if a season can finally break right for the current A&M staff. Crazy to say, but A&M might have the most loaded SEC roster going into next season.

-I would also hate to throw away this much cash just to reactively start over, which brings it's own hectic uncertainties. But if any College(s) can afford six-figure overreactions it's A&M (and Texas).


https://twitter.com/Andy_Staples/status/1723701271994028341

[Gigem]

I’m really not onboard with this. Although the money won’t be coming from my pocket ( and it never will) it just seems like a colossal waste. 

I guess that there are just people that have unbelievable amounts of money that they can swing this. It really pisses me off how they just practically wrote a blank check and handed it to him after one pretty good season. You have to wonder if the fire and drive diminishes a little once you figure out you don’t have to hold up your end to still get paid. I just simply refuse to believe it doesn’t, and given the way our team has played the last few years the results speak for themselves.  

[Gigem]

We jumped the shark on this one. Gus was the 2nd highest buyout at $20 MM. ours is a whopping $75 MM, plus whatever we owe staffers and coaches. 

And I still felt like Fisher had his best days in front, not behind. Hard to say either way. 

[utee94]

Hey Gigem, like I said on the other thread, I feel for you and all the other ag fans.  And of course, I can directly sympathize since Texas has done plenty of abrupt hiring and firing of our own in recent years.

I too would be frustrated, especially with the feeling that it was the idiot big money donors that screwed it up to begin with, with an unwise fully guaranteed contract, and now it's the idiot big money donors pulling the trigger perhaps too soon.  

Anyway, we'll see what the future holds.  Jumping on the coaching carousel is often fraught with peril, but it sometimes, eventually works out for the better.

[FearlessF]

https://youtu.be/ahxG3iPeVcU

[Gigem]

Hey Gigem, like I said on the other thread, I feel for you and all the other ag fans.  And of course, I can directly sympathize since Texas has done plenty of abrupt hiring and firing of our own in recent years.

I too would be frustrated, especially with the feeling that it was the idiot big money donors that screwed it up to begin with, with an unwise fully guaranteed contract, and now it's the idiot big money donors pulling the trigger perhaps too soon. 

Anyway, we'll see what the future holds.  Jumping on the coaching carousel is often fraught with peril, but it sometimes, eventually works out for the better.

I don’t know anymore. I just have apathy mostly. And now these artificial conferences just seem so out of place and the sport is losing its identity. 

Yoy start to think about teams that literally have no chance and you wonder if your own team is just cannon fodder for the rest. Arkansas was a proud historic  program and they’ve never won the SEC. 30 plus years and they’ve never won. Ole Miss has not won it in 50-60 years. Never even played in the title game like Ark (0-4). Not even gonna mention perennial losers like SCar, Miss St. How does it get so lopsided?  At least in the NFL almost every team has had their day. 

But sure let’s jump on the carousel again. Whatever. 

[betarhoalphadelta]

I don’t know anymore. I just have apathy mostly. And now these artificial conferences just seem so out of place and the sport is losing its identity.

Yoy start to think about teams that literally have no chance and you wonder if your own team is just cannon fodder for the rest. Arkansas was a proud historic  program and they’ve never won the SEC. 30 plus years and they’ve never won. Ole Miss has not won it in 50-60 years. Never even played in the title game like Ark (0-4). Not even gonna mention perennial losers like SCar, Miss St. How does it get so lopsided?  At least in the NFL almost every team has had their day.

But sure let’s jump on the carousel again. Whatever.

Yep. You're Texas A&M. You're a real football program. But in the new CFB world, you're in the same place as my team, Purdue. 

Welcome. I'm not gonna lie. It sucks. 

[Gigem]

Real program?  Ha, we fooled you ! 

[Temp430]

TAM is currently in the Urban Meyer phase.   TAM must be loaded given Jimbo's buyout.

[OrangeAfroMan]

Durkin and Petrino are great coordinators (not HCs).  If you can't do well with them, what the hell are you doing?!?

[Cincydawg]

TAM is currently in the Urban Meyer phase.  TAM must be loaded given Jimbo's buyout.

They dream big.  UM might take them up on it though I expect he's pretty flush now.  It wouldn't shock me, then he has a health issue in two years.

[FearlessF]

or he tanks like the NFL and forces them to pay the buyout

70 mill wouldn't hurt on your way out

I thought giving Frost 7 mill on the way out was bad

[utee94]

Durkin and Petrino are great coordinators (not HCs).  If you can't do well with them, what the hell are you doing?!?

Durkin's defense has been pretty good.

I'm not sure I agree that Petrino is a great coordinator, but even if he is, it doesn't matter because I don't think Jimbo ever really gave him a chance to do his job.

[MikeDeTiger]

We jumped the shark on this one. Gus was the 2nd highest buyout at $20 MM. ours is a whopping $75 MM, plus whatever we owe staffers and coaches.

And I still felt like Fisher had his best days in front, not behind. Hard to say either way.

Don't feel bad.  Our coach's buyout is at $100 mil and the contract is for 10 years.  

Fortunately for us, he just fielded the worst defense in program history.  Oh, wait....



To all outsiders, it was the same AD--Scott Woodward--who saddled A&M with Jimbo's contract and LSU with Kelly's.  Hopelessly attaching schools to overpaid coaches who can't deliver is his superpower.  A&M can at least buy their way out if they feel like it.  We're stuck.