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According to multiple reports, Jimbo Fisher will be fired as head coach of the Texas A&M Aggies as early as today. And despite beating Mississippi State 52-10 on Saturday, the school and it’s very well-heeled boosters decided to move in a new direction.
If you want resources, there’s not a better job in America. A&M consistently puts more than 100,000 people in Kyle Field each week, and has some of the most loyal and wealthiest donors in all of college athletics. In terms of total budget, Texas A&M had the seventh-largest revenue in the NCAA at $193 million last year.
Mike Elko, Head Coach, Duke
The Blue Devils head man went 9-4 in his first season, and is now 6-4 this year despite a beat up roster. The defensive coordinator at A&M from 2018-21, Elko knows the school and had some excellent defenses while the offense struggled under Fisher early in his tenure.
Mike Norvell, Head Coach, Florida State
Could the Aggies get another coach to leave Tallahassee? Norvell seems to have turned it around for the Seminoles in his fourth season. FSU is 10-0 this year, and he comes with plenty of experience after four years at Memphis previous to his current tenure.
Dan Lanning, Head Coach, Oregon
The Ducks seem to be just a Pac-12 title away from the College Football Playoff, and Oregon is one of the best teams in the country on both sides of the ball. Lanning is going to be a hot coaching candidate somewhere, but would come with plenty of experience in the SEC thanks to four seasons at Georgia, three of them as a defensive coordinator.
Mark Stoops, Head Coach, Kentucky
No one has done more with less over the last decade in the SEC, but would Aggie fans be interested in a coach that’s just 72-63 in 11 seasons in Lexington? Stoops brings plenty of defensive pedigree, but will his system work with the dollars and institutional support he’d get in College Station?
Lance Leipold, Head Coach, Kansas
He’s going to be one of the hottest names in this carousel season, but the man that won huge at Wisconsin-Whitewater, Buffalo, and now has Kansas (KANSAS!) in back-to-back bowl games has zero experience in the SEC. Would Aggie boosters take a chance on someone simply with a winning pedigree, but that hasn’t been under the pressure of the most extreme conference in college football?
Chris Klieman, Head Coach, Kansas State
Klieman won the Big 12 Championship last year, and despite injuries stands at 7-3 so far this season. After winning four FCS national championships in five seasons at North Dakota State, it’s another impressive resume. But it’s also without SEC experience as well.
Dabo Swinney, Head Coach, Clemson
If Dabo’s ever going to jump, this might be the job if he doesn’t think he’ll be Nick Saban’s replacement at Alabama. Swinney is already one of the highest-paid people in the sport, but sometimes a culture simply needs a refresh after 16 seasons in South Carolina. Two national championships makes him an instant fit, and having to fight for resources at “little ol’ Clemson” is no longer a thing when everything you’ll ever need is at your fingertips in College Station.