Jimbo Fisher Excited For Aggies 'Good Football Team' In 2023

Jimbo Fisher is expecting better overall production from Texas A&M in 2023 after a woeful 5-7 finish.

Most fans that head to Q&A sessions with head coaches have questions at the ready. One particular fan of Texas A&M had a request instead for Aggies coach Jimbo Fisher Monday night at Coach’s Night at the Bayou City Event Center. 

“Please beat Nick Saban and Lane Kiffin’s ass,” the man said in a packed room filled to the brim with Aggies. 

"I’m with you on that," Fisher chuckled in response. "We should have had them both a year ago, and we will. … I’m sleeping well right now, I promise you.”

The request pinned to Fisher wasn't a thought that took time to produce. It was a callback to 2021 when the now-sixth-year Aggies coach told a similar room covered in fans that bleed Maroon and White that he would "beat Nick Saban's ass" after a 9-1 season. 

He didn't beat the doors off the handle, but the Aggies prevailed at Kyle Field in a 41-38 victory over the top-ranked Crimson Tide four months later. They then fell apart down the stretch that included a loss at the hands of Ole Miss. And last season? Fans try to find other areas of life to fill their minds when thinking about a 5-7 finish that saw only two wins in SEC play. 

“I never experienced (anything like) last year, either," a lamenting Fisher said. "That ain’t ever happened to me, either. All right? I don’t like it either, no more than you did, trust me, and probably a lot worse. I was a lot grumpier.”

Fisher's not wrong about the 'grumpier' part. The last time he suffered a sub-.500 season came back during his final year at Florida State in 2017. Before the year concluded, Fisher had already agreed to terms with A&M to replace Kevin Sumlin with an annual salary set at $7.5 million. 

Hard to be crotchety when one is given a pay raise. The Seminoles finished 7-6, meaning their .500 record stayed intact for another year. Last season under Mike Norvell, Florida State picked up its first 10-win season since Fisher's departure. 

Unlike 2017, offers aren't coming in for Fisher, at least not one worth more than his new $9 million annual salary that could pry him away from College Station. If Fisher is indeed headed elsewhere in 2024, it's because of a pink slip, not a pay raise. 

It's why selling himself back to the fan base after the program's worst season since 2008 is a must at this point entering the summer. 

“It’s been a very successful spring … and we’re gonna get there,” Fisher said. “I can sit here and make promises, and it’s easy as a coach to sit here in the offseason and say that. Here’s what I’m going to say: We’re going to play hard, and if we do that, we’re talented enough to do what we have to do to be where we have to be." 

Spring has passed, but the Aggies' roster is still seeing turnover. Fisher announced during his 45-minute monologue that A&M recently signed former Boston College running back David Bailey. After the annual Maroon and White game, the Aggies also signed Eagles defensive back Josh DeBerry and Jackson State linebacker J.D. Davis. 

Another turnover in the works is the offensive play-calling. For the first time since being hired by LSU as an offensive coordinator in the early 2000s, Fisher won't be calling plays. That title belongs to former Louisville and Arkansas coach Bobby Petrino. 

Then again, Fisher was keen to let fans and boosters know he still had a voice in the execution of the offense. 

"People don’t realize what we do and how we do it, whether who calls plays or whatever," Fisher said. "We all meet 24 hours a day, and when I call plays, you still ask everybody in your office what goes on.”

It's too soon to tell if A&M will contend for an SEC division title, let alone a spot in Atlanta or the College Football Playoff, but there's a sense of optimism among players and the staff. The Aggies return 19 total starters — 10 on offense and nine on defense — along with a veteran sense on both sides of the line. 

The Aggies open the season against New Mexico before taking a road trip down to Coral Gables for a rematch against Miami. That's the first real test. Next up comes Auburn at home under new head coach Hugh Freeze on Sept. 23 before a trip over to AT&T Stadium for the annual showdown against Arkansas. 

After all that comes to Saban and the Tide, a game circled on most Aggies' calendars after back-to-back must-see outings. At that point, A&M should have a clear indication of where it ranks among conference opponents. 

"We will have a good football team," Fisher said. "Beat the hell outta everybody.”

Maybe, but how often have people heard that notion at a sales meeting? 

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