Jimbo Fisher’s Buyout At Texas A&M Pays About $1.7 Million Per Win

Perhaps the best illustration of the escalating price tags in recent years as it pertains to the hiring and firing of football coaches at programs at or near the top of the pyramid, is that Jimbo Fisher’s buyout is $2.5 million more than what he initially signed on for at Texas A&M six years ago.

Fisher left Florida State in December 2017 to accept a 10-year, $75-million deal to lead the Aggies.

The coach’s $77.5-million buyout is the result of a four-year extension that was announced prior to the 2021 season, three seasons into a tenure that had one strong showing to that point, and that was virus-abbreviated 2020 when the Aggies went 9-1 and finished No. 4 in the AP poll.

The extension, fully guaranteed and which ran through 2031, paid him more than $9 million annually effective 2022 and at the time placed Fisher second to Alabama’s Nick Saban ($10.6 million) as the highest-paid coaches in college football. It was a deal that was valued at $95 million.

Since the extension was signed, Texas A&M went 19-15 under Fisher, including a 5-7 showing a year ago that included a home loss to Appalachian State. It was the Aggies’ first sub-.500 campaign since 2009, Mike Sherman’s second season in College Station. Even that team went 6-6 in the regular season before losing its bowl game.

Most damning is the Aggies’ record away from Kyle Field. The most recent road victory was October 16, 2021 at Missouri, a streak of two-plus years and nine games. Fisher’s teams went 10-13 in his last 23 SEC matchups and were 10-14 against ranked foes overall on his watch.

Fisher’s final mark at A&M was 45-25, or $1.724 million per win and roughly $1.1 million per game.

Athletic director Adam Bjork stated during his press conference Sunday evening that his department and the 12^th Man Foundation, Texas A&M’s donor organization, will pay for the buyout. According to its annual report for fiscal 2021-22, the foundation reported $288 million assets with a net gain of $239 million.

The previous three coaches fired at Texas A&M combined to collect roughly $20 million in buyouts. What Kevin Sumlin, the aforementioned Sherman and Dennis Franchione walked away with seems like a mere pittance today, though headline-grabbing at the time.

Sumlin, who preceded Fisher and was in his first season coaching the Aggies when the school joined the SEC in 2012, had a $10-million buyout that was paid in full within 60 days of his termination. Hence, his deal to take over at Arizona less than two months later did not reduce the amount. Sumlin compiled a 51-26 mark, including 25-23 in the SEC. He went 11-2 in his first season.

Sherman (25-25/15-18 Big 12) was due $5.8 million after being dismissed at the end of the 2011 season. Franchione’s buyout was $4.4 million, a figure would have been north of $8 million if not for a violation of his contract. He went 32-28, including 19-21 in the Big 12 during his tenure at A&M.