Report: UTSA's Jeff Traylor Interviews For Texas A&M Aggies Head Coach Opening

Jeff Traylor has turned the UTSA Roadrunners into one of the nation's top Group of Five programs.

Texas A&M is wasting little time finding its next head coach as athletic director Ross Bjork is already conducting interviews.

According to the Austin-American Statesman, UTSA coach Jeff Traylor interviewed for the open position Tuesday via Zoom. Per the report, the interview between Bjork and Traylor lasted 90 minutes, nearly an hour longer than scheduled.

Traylor, 55, is one of several candidates linked to the A&M position since Jimbo Fisher's firing on Sunday. Others include Duke's Mike Elko, Kansas State's Chris Klieman, Kansas' Lance Leipold, and Ole Miss' Lane Kiffin, among others.

While perhaps not the splashiest name on the market, Traylor's background in Texas has made him one of the industry's rising stars. He's turned the Roadrunners into one of the more sound rosters in America that continues to be one of the better Group of Five schools.

Under Traylor, the Roadrunners won two Conference USA titles before making the jump to the American Athletic Conference this offseason. UTSA is currently tied with No. 24 Tulane and SMU for first place with identical 6-0 league records.

UTSA (7-3) faces off against the Green Wave in New Orleans next week in the regular-season finale for what could determine the AAC regular-season winner.

Traylor, who's 37-13 overall at UTSA and 27-3 against conference opponents, also coached under Charlie Strong at Texas and Chad Morris at SMU. He followed Morris to Arkansas as the team's running backs coach before being hired by UTSA following the 2019 season.

UTSA Roadrunners head coach Jeff Traylor before the game between the Tennessee Volunteers and the UTSA Roadrunners at Neyland Stadium / Mandatory Credit: Randy Sartin-USA TODAY Sports

“Me coaching in the state of Texas my entire life and the success we’ve had at Gilmer and here at UTSA,” Traylor said when asking about being linked to the Texas A&M job. “It’s natural. It means we’ve been winning a lot of ball games. It means I’ve had a group of seniors, 21 of them, that are going to play their last home game this Friday night. So, they’ve had four years of success.

"That speculation is always going to come up when you’ve had great players like I have. I’ve been blessed to coach them.”

Perhaps Traylor's best asset is his ability to win on the recruiting trail thanks to his high school connections. Prior to being hired by Strong at Texas in 2015, he spent 15 seasons at Gilmer High School, where he led the Buckeyes to five state championship appearances and three titles. He posted a 175-26 record and was named 4A Texas High School Coach of the Year.

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The Aggies fired Fisher following their 51-10 win over Misssisppi State last Saturday. Bjork, who's closing in on his fifth season, said the decision for a change at the top began after A&M's 38-35 loss to No. 10 Ole Miss in Oxford earlier this month.

"The assessment that I delivered was that we are not reaching our full potential," Bjork said at a news conference of a conversation with Texas A&M's president, Gen. Mark A. Welsh. "We are not in the championship conversation and something was not quite right about our direction and the plan."

Bjork said Sunday that he hopes to have Fisher's replacement before the early transfer portal window opens on Dec. 4, but that could change depending on the candidate. The Aggies (6-4, 4-3 SEC) would like to also have their next coach working on retaining as many recruits as possible before the Early Signing Period begins on Dec. 20.

The Aggies, under interim coach Elijah Robinson, return to Kyle Field for their home finale this Saturday at 11 a.m. against Abilene Christian.