After two years under head football coach Jimbo Fisher, the Texas A&M Aggies are inching closer to becoming one of the nation's elite programs. The Aggies nearly beat the Clemson Tigers at home early in his first season, but dropped three of their four road games to finish with a 9-4 record. Entering year two, the Aggies were poised to compete for an SEC West title and berth in the SEC Championship Game for the first time ever, but stumbled against its biggest opponents, including the national championship winner LSU Tigers.
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Back in April 2019, Texas A&M Athletic Director Scott Woodward left the university to take the same position with SEC rival LSU. When fans in College Station heard that news, some thought Fisher's future might be uncertain in College Station. Don't worry, the then-53-year-old coach put all those rumors to rest in a hurry.
In an interview with TexAgs' Billy Liucci, Fisher opened up about the development of the program since he arrived, shifting attitudes to meet the excellence that his coaching staff demands day after day, and he even touched on a few of the position battles that Aggies fans could expect for the 2019 college football season.
Most importantly, Fisher reaffirmed his commitment to College Station saying, "This place fits my personality."
"I love the people, I love the direction we're going, I love the commitment they have to excellence here in all phases for kids personally, academically, athletically, and then of course the Aggie network and the Aggie ring after ball. I think this place is a very unique place and I plan on being here a long time."
— Jimbo Fisher, h/t TexAgs
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The longtime Florida State Seminoles head coach took over the Texas A&M football program from Kevin Sumlin and immediately made an impact. In his first year, Texas A&M finished 15th in the NCAA in total offense (471.6 yards per game), third in rushing defense (95.2 yards per game), and ranked third in time of possession, holding the ball for over 34 minutes a game.
Fisher's ability to recruit NFL-caliber players each year in the ACC has immediately translated to the SEC, as the national championship-winning coach at FSU signed the nation's No. 4 recruiting class in 2019, according to 247Sports.
With Kellen Mond back at quarterback and a favorable schedule, with Ole Miss and LSU both visiting Kyle Field, Texas A&M is set up for a potential berth in a New Year's Six bowl game next season. If they survive the daunting SEC West, including road games against Auburn and Alabama, they'll likely be in the conversation for the College Football Playoff.
Scott Woodward might be gone, and while Fisher wished him nothing but the best, Jimbo isn't planning to take it easy on the man who brought him to Texas.
"I wish him well, all but one game, every year," Fisher laughed.
The Texas A&M football team hosts the defending champs during the final week of the 2020 regular season. We'll see if these two powerhouses can out-do the show they put on back in 2018.
This article was originally published April 25, 2019.
