Texas A&M University football coach Jimbo Fisher is set to be fired on Sunday, according to two sources.
Fisher’s contract buyout will cost the university almost $75 million, a record for a football coach.
A source close to the talks says the massive transaction will not use public funds. Many successful college football schools buy out their coaches with donor money. The Texas A&M University System contacted the athletics department, but it did not react immediately. A news conference will announce the verdict later Sunday.
Sources said the A&M System Board of Regents, which hires and fires athletic coaches, debated firing the football coach last week in executive session. TexAgs, an A&M fan website, first reported the decision.
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The 10-year, $75 million contract that drew Jimbo Fisher from Florida State University in 2017 startled the collegiate football community. The contract’s term and annual revenue guarantee seemed appealing.
The board extended the contract for four years in 2021 amid rumors that Fisher would leave A&M for Louisiana State. Fisher received $9 million a year on that contract.
In contrast, UT Austin head coach Steve Sarkisian is guaranteed $34.2 million in pay for six years.
University authorities believed Fisher, who had won a national championship in Florida, deserved the money because they wanted titles. Fisher failed to deliver. Fisher has a 45–25 career despite a great 2020. The Aggies finished 5-7 last season. The team is 6-4 and having another poor season.
Texas A&M defeated Mississippi State 51-10 on Saturday.
The Texas Tribune and Open Campus cover higher education.
Disclosure: Corporate sponsors, members, and foundations provide funding for the nonprofit, apolitical Texas Tribune. The newspaper has received funding from Texas A&M University, the system, and UT Austin. Tribune journalism is unaffected by donors. This list covers all of them.
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