Is there a more polarizing figure in college football than Texas A&M head coach Jimbo Fisher? Fans of the sport seem to fall into two camps with him, with very little in between. Although, one of those camps seems to be growing larger than the other one.

On one side, there are those who believe that Fisher is still among the best coaches in the sport. These people will point to Fisher's outstanding recruiting classes on a yearly basis, as well as his long run of success at Florida State. He is one of only five active head coaches with a national championship under his belt, so the argument is there.

On the other hand, there are those who believe that Fisher is one of the most overrated coaches in the country. The biggest argument from this camp is that Fisher's teams continue to put up mediocre records despite the abundance of talent. This year is only giving that camp more ammo, as A&M has limped to a 3-4 record despite starting the season ranked sixth.

Jimbo Fisher has always been a divisive coach, but especially so this season. He isn't a bad coach by any means, but this season is proving that he is indeed overrated. Let's go over a few reasons why.

3. A great recruiter does not equal a great coach

For all of the criticisms Jimbo Fisher faces, no one can deny that he is a fantastic recruiter. Since 2010, when he first took the reins at Florida State, Fisher has pulled in a top-10 recruiting class every year except for two.

One of those years was 2018, Fisher's first at Texas A&M. Because Fisher joined the Aggies late in the recruiting cycle, it makes sense why that class finished a bit lower. The other year was 2013, when Fisher and the Seminoles won the national championship, so that one also gets a pass.

However, it's important to remember that recruiting prowess does not always translate to in-game coaching. Despite all the talent on the Aggies' roster, they have only managed a 37-18 record with Fisher at the helm. That's a worse record than former head coach Kevin Sumlin had in the same amount of games, and at nearly double the cost.

The counterpoint to this argument is the 2013 FSU team, which steamrolled opponents on its way to a national title. However, that team is one of the most stacked in college football history, with nearly every starter making the NFL. Jameis Winston won the Heisman after an amazing season, and future NFL stars such as Jalen Ramsey and Devonta Freeman also made a huge impact.

If a coach needs that much talent to win, they aren't a great coach. Fisher hasn't shown much to challenge that notion, especially at Texas A&M.

2. Jimbo Fisher has struggled to maintain a winning culture

A winning culture is one of the most important components of success in any sport. It's why Alabama, Clemson and Ohio State have dominated college football for so long. Nick Saban, Dabo Swinney and Ryan Day have shown they can build and maintain that culture, but Fisher has not.

Winning a national title should have only strengthened a winning culture, but it did the opposite. In 2019, Bleacher Report published an article detailing FSU's downward spiral in Jimbo Fisher's final years. One of the key's in that collapse was a lack of accountability, mostly stemming from Fisher himself.

“Look, entitlement only gets that way if you allow it,” a former Florida State assistant coach told Bleacher Report. “You want to know why some kids thought they could do whatever they wanted? It was allowed.”

Another related part of the collapse was the sharp decline in academics. In the NCAA's 2019 Academic Progress Rate, which encompasses the 2017-18 school year, FSU finished with the worst score among Power Five schools. The Seminoles just barely passed the threshold for the NCAA to impose punishments on a program.

RECOMMENDED (Article Continues Below)
Texas A&M football head coach Mike Elko, Houston Cougars Sam Brown

Shane Shoemaker ·

cG9zdDoyMzYxODYz-thumbnail

Spencer See ·

Nebraska football Matt Rhule with former Cornhuskers AD Trev Alberts after move to Texas A&M

Jay Postrado ·

Now, some of those same locker room issues are popping up at Texas A&M. The Aggies recently suspended three players for a “locker room incident” during Saturday's loss to South Carolina. If this is a sign of things to come, Aggies fans might want to prepare for a rough ride.

1. His contract is the only thing keeping him at Texas A&M

If Jimbo Fisher's contract wasn't so huge, would he still be at Texas A&M? It's an interesting question to ponder for sure, but the answer is likely no.

When comparing Fisher's tenure to Sumlin's, they are nearly identical at this point. The main difference is that Fisher's paycheck is nearly twice as large. If the Aggies fired Sumlin for underperforming, they likely would do the same for Fisher if his buyout wasn't so high.

Fisher's contract likely buys him a few more years at least, but his seat is getting hotter. If the Aggies can't turn it around soon, this will be one of the most regrettable eras in college football history.