The Battalion: December 5, 2017

TUESDAY, DECEMBER 5 | SERVING TEXAS A&M SINCE 1893 | © 2017 STUDENT MEDIA

PAGE 4 A&M ADMIN SECURE HEAD COACH PAGE 5 FISHER SIGNS HISTORIC DEAL

REELED IN Aggies name Jimbo Fisher as 29th head coach in program’s history

By Angel Franco @angelmadison_

T

he Jimbo Fisher era at Texas A&M has officially begun.

As Fisher approached the podium for the first time to speak since he resigned from Florida State last Friday, he greeted those in attendance with an resonating “Howdy.”

Almost two years to the month after accepting his role as athletic director, Scott Woodward said what initially brought him to College Station were the chances to achieve an infinite amount of success in every program at A&M. Woodward said bringing Fisher to A&M is just another confirmation that Aggieland has what it takes to attract high profile coaches who have had previous success.

“Today, I stand before you with proof

that Texas A&M is an opportunity for greatness as we welcome one of the nation’s top football coaches to our Aggie family,” Woodward said.

Woodward said there has never been a better time for A&M to take the next step in regards to its future.

“He is the right coach, at the right time for Texas A&M,” Woodward said. “I am confident that greatness is right around the corner.”

Fisher said he was excited and thankful to be in College Station due to his longstanding admiration for the university and its traditions.

“It’s truly a great honor and privilege to be standing here in front of you in Aggieland today, it really is,” Fisher said. “I’ve always admired Texas A&M from afar and appreciated what it had.”

A&M prides itself in being one of the friendliest campuses and universities in the world, and according to Fisher, A&M is second to none. Fisher said the reception he has had in Aggieland has made him and

his family feel right at home.

“In the short amount of time that I’ve been here …The people here are incredible,” Fisher said. “I don’t know if I’ve been around a nicer group of people who are professional and make you feel more welcome. It feels like I’ve been here for two years already.”

Fisher said the key for the overall success of a program lies with the strong relationship and cohesion of the administration and its head coach.

Fisher said Woodward provides that unity at A&M, which was one of the major reasons he decided to take the job.

“You can have the greatest coaches in the world, but if your administration doesn’t see things the way you see things and allow you to do things that way, nothing can be achieved. There’s a oneness to everything you do FISHER ON PG. 3

Texas A&M head coach Jimbo Fisher accepts a pair of boots given to him following his official introduction Monday in Kyle Field’s Hall of Champions.

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The Battalion | 12.5.17

Jimbo Fisher’s top five wins during his tenure at Florida State

By Heath Clary @Heath_Clary

1

Jimbo Fisher led The Seminoles to 83 victories over eight seasons, including a national championship and three ACC titles. Here’s a look at Fisher’s top wins as a head coach:

Florida State 34, Auburn 31 - 2014 Considering Jimbo Fisher is one of only four current coaches with a national championship to his name, it is no surprise the Seminoles’ last-second win over Auburn in the 2014 BCS Championship tops this list. Auburn took a late lead on a 37-yard touchdown run by Tre Mason. Then Jameis Winston found Kelvin Benjamin in the end zone with 13 seconds left, propelling Fisher to his first title as a head coach. Fisher coached a great game, as he led his team to a come-from-behind win. A gutsy fake punt call in the second quarter was crucial to keep the Seminoles in the game and set the stage for the fourth-quarter comeback.

2

Florida State 31, Notre Dame 27 - 2014 Winston engineered one of his trademark second-half comebacks in this game, as the Seminoles took down the No. 5 Fighting Irish in thrilling fashion. Winston was at his best when it mattered, throwing for 273 yards and two touchdowns. The win marked Florida State’s 23rd victory in a row, a streak that would not be broken until the CFB Playoff at the end of that year.

3

Florida State 31, Northern Illinois 10 - 2013 Fisher’s team outplayed a pesky Northern Illinois squad in the 2013 Orange Bowl to win his first BCS bowl game as a head coach. The Huskies, playing the role of Cinderella that year, threw every trick they had at the ‘Noles, including a fake punt and an onside kick, but in the end Florida State was too overpowering. The Seminoles racked up over 500 yards of total offense and ended the season on a high note after starting the season with national title aspirations.

4

Florida State 51, Clemson 14 - 2013 The No. 3 Tigers were expected to be the Seminoles’ biggest test in the 2013 national championship season, but FSU thoroughly dominated from start to finish. Winston threw for 444 yards and four touchdowns as the ‘Noles scored at least 10 points in every quarter of the drubbing. The Seminoles defense stifled Clemson’s Heisman hopeful Tajh Boyd all night, forcing four turnovers en route to a victory.

5

Florida State 33, Michigan 32 - 2016 Three regular season losses kept FSU out of the CFB Playoff last year, but Fisher rallied the troops to finish the season strong with a tight win over Michigan in the Orange Bowl. Dalvin Cook exploded for over 200 all-purpose yards and a touchdown in his last collegiate game as the ‘Noles held off a late Michigan comeback attempt. The postseason victory broke Fisher’s two game bowl losing streak and ended up being the last big win of Jimbo’s garnet and gold career.

TOP: Stephen Dowell — ORLANDO SENTINEL; BOTTOM: FSVIEW

Jimbo Fisher was 83 - 23 in eight years as FSU’s head coach, including a national title in 2014.

FISHER CONTINUED to be successful,” Fisher said. “I knew [Woodward] had the same visions I did.”

A&M is known for its traditions and spirit, but Fisher said as much as he heard about it from other people, there was nothing like experiencing it for himself.

Last night, Fisher was at the women’s basketball game exploring the traditions A&M offers — even “sawing ‘em off” with animal science senior Rachael Fargerson.

“Being here, I don’t have to tell y’all that, there’s no doubt, it is everything I envisioned and more,” Fisher said. “The amount of pride that I see in people at this school — they told me when I got here that it was going to be different — you hear that everywhere, I feel

it though. Your actions [traditions and culture] speak so loud I can’t hear what everyone else is saying.”

Fisher was introduced to A&M as the head coach of the football program in the Kyle Field’s Hall of Champions by A&M System Chancellor John Sharp, Board of Regents Chairman Charles W. Schwartz, University President Michael K. Young and Woodward.

A&M lured Fisher to Aggieland with a historic contract. The $7.5 million a year deal that spans 10 years is fully guaranteed. It is the single most largest contract in college football history in terms of total value. In addition, Fisher will become the third-highest paid coach in college football on a yearly basis.

Young said he is always hesitant when he utilizes money from the university and its respective departments, regardless

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of the person.

“Anytime I spend money on behalf of this university, there’s a lot of nervousness,” Young said. “That’s certainly true of a coach, it’s true when I hire an administrator, a professor, give scholarship money. None of this is state money, none of this is tuition money but nevertheless still a responsibility, to ensure that we’re spending it in a place that brings the kind of excellences that the institution deserves.”

Fisher, who won a national title with Florida State, said he knows what is expected of him and what he needs to do during his 10-year tenure at A&M. “I understand that I come in here with great expectations,” Fisher said. “I say this diligently, your expectations will never be greater than mine. I promise you that.”

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The Battalion | 12.5.17

End of semester checklist

By Megan Rodriguez @MeganLRodriguez

As the end of the semester quickly approaches, campus experts say there are many items students must address before the end of the year. From academic advising to protecting bicycles during the break, students should prioritize these important responsibilities in addition to their academic workload.

ADVISING Academic Advisor Kristy Kulhanek, Department of Communication Registration: “If students wait until open registration it can be more challenging, but it is also not impossible. Pre-registration is just a privilege that the university gives students, so with holds on your account, that is your privilege being taken away from you, but you can register during open registration. The biggest benefit of open registration is once students start dropping courses, you can snag a seat in some of those courses that are harder to get into, and typically restrictions are taken off of some of those courses during open registration.”

Transfer credits: “It’s always a good idea to transfer credits as you go and just to make sure you constantly know how many hours you have and where those credits are counting in your degree evaluation.”

PLAN FOR DORM MOVE OUT Associate Director for Residence Education Christine Thoorsell, Residence Life and Housing Caring for valuables: “We encourage students to secure their valuables or take them home with them, just as a safety precaution. We also encourage students to remove valuables, specifically electronics, from the floor because occasionally when we have extremely low temperatures we have had pipes burst, which could cause flooding in the room.”

Take home pet fish: “Everything in the dorms need to be unplugged, so if students have aquariums or fish in bowls, we really encourage them to make fish sitting arrangements for their fish. Our buildings get very cold during the winter break and the temperatures will be too low for the fish to survive.”

SCHOLARSHIPS AND FINANCIAL AID Assistant Vice President Delisa Falks, Scholarships and Financial Aid Office FAFSA, TAFSA, Scholarships: “The financial aid application opened Oct.1. It is the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA).

There priority date for completion is March 15, 2018. We highly encourage students to complete their application now, so if we request additional information from them that they will have time to get it submitted early enough so that when we have awarding next spring we will have everything in place. The Texas Application for State Aid (TAFSA) is also available for those students who cannot complete the FAFSA, due to being a foreign student or non-citizen. Our University Scholarship Application is open right now as well, which is our scholarship application for continuing undergraduate, graduate and professional students. This application closes on Feb. 1, 2018.”

Texas A&M Athletic Director Scott Woodward and new A&M head football coach Jimbo Fisher have had a professional relationship since the two worked together at LSU from 2000 - 2004.

Cassie Stricker - THE BATTALION

Woodward, Young create perfect storm to bring in Fisher Prior relationships, history essential in A&M’s hire of new head coach

By Angel Franco @angelmadison_ Scott Woodward used to sit through Jimbo Fisher’s team meetings while Fisher served as the offensive coordinator at LSU under Nick Saban. Over a decade later, Woodward, Texas A&M’s athletic director, welcomed Fisher on stage as Texas A&M’s new head football coach.

Texas A&M University President Michael K. Young and Woodward also had previously worked alongside one another at the University of Washington in the same roles they now hold at A&M. During his tenure at UW, Woodward was responsible for the hiring of Chris Peterson from Boise State, which at the time was considered an astounding feat.

Woodward’s relationships with both Fisher and Young before his time at A&M created the perfect storm for ensuring Fisher would become A&M’s 29th head football coach.

Nearly two years ago, when Young was looking for someone to replace former A&M Athletic Director Eric Hyman, he said Wood-

ward was the right person for the job.

“Scott and I worked real closely together at the University of Washington,” Young said at the time of Woodward’s hiring. “He was part of my senior cabinet as he will be here as well. And in that context I learned a number of things. One is the absolute integrity and reliability of this man, to know that I knew what was going on that I needed to know, in terms of athletics.”

At the time of his hiring, Woodward promised A&M he would do everything possible for its 20 athletic teams to compete at the highest level, both on and off the field.

That can be seen across campus in Woodward’s 23 months in College Station with a coSEC championship title in men’s basketball in 2016, national championship in indoor track and both baseball and softball teams reaching their respective World Series in 2017.

“When I took the job I thought we’d shoot for excellence from day one,” Woodward said. “This is what we thought it was about.

It was my goal always. It’s an endorsement of Texas A&M that we could get a quality coach who I think is one of the best in the business in Jimbo Fisher.”

All of these accomplishments led up to the possibility of bringing Fisher to A&M, despite

his stability at Florida State. Fisher said if it were not for his relationship with Woodward, he would not have considered taking the job in Aggieland.

“He had the vision to tell me the things he wanted and I had the relationship and I knew him,” Fisher said. “The trust and the same vision we shared back at LSU, 17 years ago, with a lot of the same situations to overcome.”

Monday, as A&M put the final touches to Fisher’s $7.5 million dollar contract that spans over a 10 year period, Woodward said his respect for Fisher has strengthened over time.

“I first met Jimbo in 2000 and quickly became an admirer, not just of his coaching acumen but more importantly of his infectious approach to the young men in his charge,” Woodward said. “In the ensuing years as I’ve watched from afar, he ascended to the highest levels of the game and won a national championship but remained true to who he is — a football coach and a father.”

With other universities across the country making headlines for the challenges they face while looking for their respective head coach, Young said having Woodward handle the coaching search was something he was delighted with.

“There are examples right now in the pub-

lic sphere of ways that one might not want to do this, and there are ways to do it,” Fisher said. “I am so pleased to have Scott here and have the support of the board and the chancellor to do this the right way, and I think they did. Once we kind of figured out what the right thing to do was, I think they did exceptionally well.”

Woodward said he was thankful to have the opportunity to bring Fisher to A&M and he also made clear they are putting the pieces in place to compete for championships as soon as possible, but they aren’t going to rush it.

“I think I was very lucky in landing a guy of Jimbo’s character and pedigree,” Woodward said. “He expects championships and he expects to get it done in a hurry. There are a lot of factors that weigh into this. Our goals are our goals and it’s always what we do and how we do to strive and get there.”

Young said while there were a fair amount candidates, Woodward and Young went after their top target.

“We talked about a lot of people, I don’t know if he actually wrote them down or not but we certainly talked about a lot of people,” Young said. “There is no No. 2 at Texas A&M, we don’t ever go to No. 2. We start at No. 1 and we always get No. 1.”

COACHING CAROUSEL TIMELINE NOV. 25

Sumlin officially relieved of duties as A&M head coach.

AD Scott Woodward makes decision to fire Kevin Sumlin following A&M’s 45-21 loss at LSU.

NOV. 26

NOV. 30

Texas A&M Board of Regents meet to discuss “new head coach.”

Jimbo Fisher resigns as head coach at Florida State.

DEC. 1

DEC. 3

Fisher flies to College Station to accept coaching job.

Board of Regents approve Fisher’s contract; Fisher introduced as A&M’s new head coach.

DEC. 4

JIMBO The Battalion | 12.5.17

5

Cassie Stricker — THE BATTALION

Together, Texas A&M University System Chancellor John Sharp, Board of Regents Chairman Charles W. Schwartz, Texas A&M University President Michael K. Young and Athletic Director Scott Woodward worked together to sign the Aggies’ new head football coach, Jimbo Fisher, to a record contract.

Aggies lure Fisher away from FSU with historic, lucrative deal Fisher signs richest collective contract in college football history with A&M

By Alex Miller @AlexMill20 As Charles W. Schwartz, Chairman of the Texas A&M University System Board of Regents, officially approved Jimbo Fisher’s contract Monday morning, the Aggies agreed to a deal never before seen in college athletics.

Fisher’s fully-guaranteed contract of $7.5 million per year over 10 seasons is the largest collective contract in college football history, a hefty price that comes with poaching such a prominent coach.

“What would it cost to move any of these coaches from their position to another position,” Schwarz said. “The answer is pretty clear and I think our Board concluded after thorough discussion that it was going to take premium over existing contracts to move a coach of Coach Fisher’s quality.”

Nervousness was something President Michael K. Young said he felt throughout

the entire process, as he does with any hire.

Young also made clear he wanted to ensure this financial commitment was one that would allow A&M to excel in football.

“None of this is state money, none of this is tuition money, but nonetheless, still a real responsibility to ensure that we’re spending it in a place that really brings the kind of excellence to this institution that the institution deserves,” Young said.

Schwartz said A&M’s ability to pay Fisher’s entire contract without the assistance of state funds is a testament to the investments made by outside donors to the university’s sports programs.

“Our athletic department at Texas A&M University is one of the very small number of departments that are self-sustaining,” Schwartz said. “Not only does it pay for the cost of our football program, it pays for the cost of all our athletic programs and no state money goes to that.”

Despite being longtime friends, A&M Athletic Direcor Scott Woodward said he had sleepless nights while trying to bring in Fisher, who was his top target in the selection process.

“It’s always difficult to get a quality coach who’s at a very stable place is a heavy lift.,” Woodward said. “It takes so much and to have such strong backing from a president, a chancellor and a Board of Regents who just want excellence, and when you have that going for you, you’re at an advantage.”

Fisher said A&M’s historic offer was more about the athletic administration’s responsibility to players fielding success on the gridiron rather than giving him a lucrative deal.

“It’s about the commitment to excellence and the student athletes and having the chance to achieve something great,” Fisher said. “At the end of the day, that’s what it’s about. It’s not about that offer, it’s about the offer which they’re committing to these student athletes to be developed and I want to be a part of that.”

Regents first discussed Fisher’s contract in a special executive meeting last Thursday that lasted over two and a half hours as members of the board vetted its terms and conditions.

“We went through every jot and tickle on the contract and we discussed thoroughly all the provisions of the contract, the ramifications and the market in college athletics,”

Schwartz said.

Before coming to a consensus on Fisher’s deal, Schwartz said the Board analyzed data from contracts of nine other prominent coaches, including Alabama’s Nick Saban.

“It’s not necessarily an apples to apples comparison when you look at the fully-guaranteed basis,” Schwartz said. “But we reached a conclusion that this was in line with what other coaches of national prominence.”

This is not the first time A&M has broke the bank to hire a new head football coach. According to an article in The New York Times published on January 20, 1982, Jackie Sherrill signed a six-year deal with A&M worth $1.7 million, which made him the nation’s highest paid university employee at the time.

Young laughed when asked if a college coach would ever be paid $100 million, but Schwartz added the cost of top-tier coaches has shot up exceptionally.

“The fact is that it’s a lot of money and the fact is that coaches’ salaries in the United States have gone up in real terms,” Schwartz said. “By that, I mean it has far exceeded inflation.”

Stephen Dowell — THE ORLANDO SENTINEL

Jimbo Fisher said is the first coach in 40 years to leave a program where he previously won a national championship.

Time to win and win big C. Morgan Engel — THE BATTALION

Texas A&M Athletic Director Scott Woodward said his top and only candidate to fill the Aggies’ coaching vacancy was Jimbo Fisher, whom Woodward eventually was able to hire.

Woodward wows naysayers with hire Aggies prove to the nation they are a premier coaching destination Alex Miller

A

@AlexMill20

s Jimbo Fisher walked the stage as Texas A&M’s new head football coach inside Kyle Field’s Hall of Champions Monday morning, it confirmed one thing — the Aggies were capable of securing a top-tier coach.

A&M, in some regards, was taking a chance by letting Kevin Sumlin — who led the Aggies to their most consistent stretch of successful football in two decades — go and looking for someone who decision makers believed could take A&M to the pinnacle of college football.

Many outsiders strongly doubted such a thing could occur in Aggieland, yet Athletic Director Scott Woodward was adamant that he and his staff could hire a coach who might be able to bring home a championship of any sort for the first time since 1998.

And as promised, Woodward delivered.

For the first time since Johnny Majors left Pitt for Tennessee in 1976, a coach with a national title to his name left directly for another college program.

Sure, Fisher has yet to even hold a practice as head coach of the Aggies, but the pedigree speaks for itself – Fisher’s fortune at Florida State makes A&M formidable in the

foreseeable future.

At Florida State, Fisher was 83-23, leading the Seminoles to the 2013 National Championship. His teams claimed three ACC crowns and had six 10-plus win seasons in eight years — that is half of the amount of double-digit win seasons A&M has in its history.

What was even more remarkable is that the Aggies got their top choice coach with somewhat ease.

A&M President Michael Young made that clear, too. A&M was not in the business of consulting a pool of candidates. The Aggies had their No. 1 choice, and that was it. And in the end, they got the only man they wanted and pursued.

Hiring Fisher will cost A&M quite a bit of money, and there were definitely extenuating circumstances in Tallahassee that made things less difficult. But still, little fighting had to be done to ensure Fisher would ultimately land at Easterwood Airport as the Aggies new leader, even if Woodward said he was uneasy about the situation until the wheels took off from Tallahassee.

Truth of the matter is that A&M did not have to fight for Fisher because Aggieland is a top-tier destination. The maroon and white are in a league of their own as the lone Texas team in the Southeastern Conference with state-of-the-art facilities and are centered around one of the richest recruiting bases in the nation.

Yes, A&M has had endless resources at its disposal for years, yet have been unable to produce desired results. But it is clear the Aggies are committed to one thing — winning.

Although the Aggies finished the season 7-5, Sumlin left the team in remarkable shape.

Given Christian Kirk declares for the NFL Draft, A&M should return eight starters on offense, including its entire offensive line. On defense, the Aggies should bring back the same number, which does not include seasoned veterans Donovan Wilson and Nick Harvey returning to the mix from injury in the secondary.

The good news for A&M, too, is the majority of its commits seem to still be on board with a coaching change, a class which features a handful of instant-impact players.

Fisher’s arrival may only enhance recruiting as well, and could potentially expand the Aggies’ footprint throughout the southeast into areas Fisher pulled players from in the past eight years.

Fisher was clear that no one has greater expectations for the program than himself. Now the remaining task is simple and the only thing desired by Aggies everywhere — win a championship.

And that is the only thing on Fisher’s mind.

Alex Miller is a journalism sophomore and assistant sports editor for The Battalion.

Pressure to produce titles is on at Texas A&M Angel Franco

S

@angelmadison_

cott Woodward inadvertently put the pressure on Jimbo Fisher to win before anyone knew the Aggies would manage to pull their new head coach away from Florida State.

In May, when Woodward, Texas A&M’s athletic director, appeared on the Paul Finebaum Show, he set the precedence for not only former A&M head coach Kevin Sumlin to win, but for the coach who would follow Sumlin if he didn’t live up to those expectations.

Woodward said when A&M fired Sumlin the Aggies would look for a coach that would win championships — in Woodward’s eyes Fisher is that guy.

The pressure only increased when the details of Fisher’s contract were released. The $75 million dollar fully guaranteed mega-contract was not only eye-popping, but a weight that was instantly placed on Fisher’s shoulders even before he could walk down the maroon carpet at Easterwood Airport.

A&M’s poaching of Fisher from the Seminoles is another reason for the immense expectations Fisher now faces.

Across the nation, fans, coaches and some media members were baffled by Fisher’s decision to leave a storied program like Florida State, which has always been consistent. The sentiment of betrayal from fans in Tallahassee also contributes to the pressure.

On Sunday, it was announced A&M accepted an invitation to the Belk Bowl. Texas A&M President Michael K. Young began his speech at Monday’s introduction of Fisher saying he looks forward to accepting the Sugar Bowl invitation next season.

The answer is simple — win. If Fisher can win in his first year at Texas A&M, all of this will be forgotten.

However, Fisher has his work cut out for him.

Two of the four teams he’s set to face to start next season are in the College Football Playoffs. Fisher faced both No. 1 Clemson and No. 4 Alabama this season at FSU — and lost to them.

In a press conference with the local beat media, Fisher said in order to compete with those teams to start the season he has to put the pieces in place to succeed. Fisher made clear he hopes to accomplish that during the offseason.

The good thing for Fisher though, is that he’s proven his ability to coach at a high level.

It’s only a matter of time before Fisher can prove whether or not he can provide the results the majority of Aggies want.

Angel Franco is a telecommunication media studies junior and sports editor for The Battalion.

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