Texas A&M AD Explains Decision to Fire Jimbo Fisher With Aggies 'Stuck in Neutral'

Texas A&M AD Ross Bjork spoke on the program’s decision to part ways with Jimbo Fisher.

Texas A&M fired head coach Jimbo Fisher on Sunday during his sixth season with the program. 

Athletic director Ross Bjork addressed the media Sunday evening, offering some further insight into the Aggies’ decision to shake things up at the head coach position and move on from Fisher despite still owing him around $75 million.

Speaking on Texas A&M’s decision to part ways with Fisher, Bjork said that he determined the program was “stuck in neutral.”

“I determined, at this point, and for lots of reasons, our program is stuck in neutral. We should be relevant on the national scene. Something is not working, something is not clicking, and therefore, something had to give in order for Aggie football to reach our full potential,” said Bjork, via Paul Finebaum of ESPN.

"I determined our program is stuck in Neutral. We should be relevant on the national scene. Something is not clicking and therefore, something had to give."

More from Ross Bjork on the reasons for firing Jimbo Fisher and how he told the players the news: pic.twitter.com/JVNtfyXffP

— Paul Finebaum (@finebaum) November 12, 2023

“Based on my experience, the best programs have confidence, the program has an established identity, the program maximizes the talent, the leadership is fully integrated in the university, the athletics program, and its culture. I did not feel like we were meeting those standards of excellence and leadership.”

Bjork said that players had already heard news of Fisher’s firing before he spoke with them. 

Texas A&M is 6–4 on the season and 4–3 in SEC play. The Aggies defeated Mississippi State on Saturday, 51–10, though that victory wasn’t enough to grant Fisher a longer leash. He ends his tenure as Texas A&M’s head coach with a 45–25 record. After a 9–1 high point in 2020, the Aggies were 8–4 in ‘21 and 5–7 last season.

Following the departure of Fisher, defensive line coach and co-defensive coordinator Elijah Robinson was named the program’s interim head coach.