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