Why did Jimbo Fisher leave Florida State? All you need to know
Jimbo Fisher is currently the head football coach at Texas A&M, where he's in a bit of a hot-seat situation since a 48-33 loss against Miami in Week 2. Fisher has been with the Aggies since 2018, leading them to a winning record every year except for 2022, when they went 5-7. They are currently 4-1 and have recovered from Week 2 troubles.
This isn't Jimbo Fisher's first gig as a head coach, with that honor going to Florida State. He first arrived at Tallahassee to be the Seminoles offensive coordinator in 2007, a position in which he was until 2009. For the 2010 season, Fisher was promoted to his first HC role, a job he held until 2017.
The highlight of his time with the Seminoles and his coaching career so far was the 2013 season. That year, an FSU side led by Jameis Winston made it all the way to the national title game and won it.
The Seminoles started the year as the No. 11 in the country, but after a Week 6 victory over No. 3 Clemson, they jumped to No. 5 and entered the championship discussion. At the Rose Bowl, they defeated Auburn 34-31.
For his efforts, Fisher won the Rawlings Football College Coach of the Year award and the AFCA Regional Coach of the Year in that season. The Seminoles made an appearance at the first College Football Playoff edition in 2014 but lost in the Rose Bowl semifinal to Oregon.
Fisher also led FSU to three consecutive ACC titles between 2012 and 2014 and four ACC Atlantic Division titles in 2010, 2012, 2013 and 2014.
Jimbo Fisher left Florida State after a 2017 season plagued with issues and lackluster performances, which boil down to his inability to recruit a replacement for Jameis Winston and mismanagement of the academic side of things.
What led to Jimbo Fisher leaving FSU?
Officially, Jimbo Fisher left for a bigger contract offer at Texas A&M. At the time, it was reported that he received a $7.5 million a year offer from the Aggies for 10 years. At Florida State, he was earning close to $5.7 million per year.
However, other issues probably contributed to Fisher wanting to leave the program. The 2017 season ended with a 5-6 record, his first losing year as a college head coach. The season opened with a loss to Alabama, where starting quarterback Deondre Francois suffered a season-ending injury.
That opened Pandora's Box and started showing all the recruiting mishaps Fisher had incurred, especially the lack of a replacement for Winston. There was also a scandal about the team having the worst Academic Progress Rate of all Power Five sides, which meant they were on the verge of an automatic postseason ban.