- Dec 15, 2002
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This is going to be an interesting process this time around, and it's going to be way different than any we've seen before. There's not a big group on one side or the other that is forcing their own guy in like we've had before, and it's all being run from the AD and Pres office since they are the CEO and COO of A&M.
A football hire is more than just winning football games. The football team is the face of the entire school. The school can attract better students more easily when the football team is having success. The school gets more donations when things are going good. For all the talk about "The House that Johnny Built", I'd go even a step further...he rebuilt the entire campus with one season and reset our expectations for football, both monetarily and results.
Here's how I think this is going to go, assuming that money isn't any sort of hindrance (it's not). A&M can pay buyouts for current coaches, new coaches, and fishslap their guy with a load of cash and not even feel a crunch in the bottom line.
There's zero chance you are getting Nick Saban, but you call him anyway and just ask him how much it would take to get him to A&M. He's getting something like $11mm this year with a signing bonus and is signed thru 2025 @ $6mm/year or so. Just test the market with your foot and see what a coaching legend is going to make, and if he gives you a number in earnest like he's serious, then you go fill out the contract before he changes his mind. Zero chance that happens.
Then you call Jimbo Fisher and ask him the same thing. He turned down $6.8mm/year with LSU last year, so it's going to be close to $9mm/year for him, plus he's got to buyout all his current coaches at FSU to get out of his contract. Looking at a commitment of $100mm with his coaches he would want to hire. However, you can't miss with Jimbo Fisher. If he gives you a number in earnest like he's serious, then you go fill out the contract before he changes his mind. 50/50 shot that happens, because FSU will try to match whatever you offer if they can sell of enough furniture to make the vig.
If it's a no, then the next call is to Chris Peterson. He's right around $5mm/year thru 2023 currently, and his coaches are going to cost $5mm/year. He's a talent evaluator and will rip ass at A&M. That's my guy and who I'd expect to be the next coach at A&M if I were laying odds.
At this point, if you are sitting at three "no" answers, you call Bob Stoops and his total vacancy of a top lip and offer him whatever he wants to bring all his friends to Aggieland. It will cost you some cash, but that's ok because the one thing we have is cash. Stoops is as much of a sure thing as Fisher, he knows how to win, and he knows how to cheat. That's got "Aggie" written all over it.
One of those is going to be a "yes" and any of them will be a champion at A&M.
A football hire is more than just winning football games. The football team is the face of the entire school. The school can attract better students more easily when the football team is having success. The school gets more donations when things are going good. For all the talk about "The House that Johnny Built", I'd go even a step further...he rebuilt the entire campus with one season and reset our expectations for football, both monetarily and results.
Here's how I think this is going to go, assuming that money isn't any sort of hindrance (it's not). A&M can pay buyouts for current coaches, new coaches, and fishslap their guy with a load of cash and not even feel a crunch in the bottom line.
There's zero chance you are getting Nick Saban, but you call him anyway and just ask him how much it would take to get him to A&M. He's getting something like $11mm this year with a signing bonus and is signed thru 2025 @ $6mm/year or so. Just test the market with your foot and see what a coaching legend is going to make, and if he gives you a number in earnest like he's serious, then you go fill out the contract before he changes his mind. Zero chance that happens.
Then you call Jimbo Fisher and ask him the same thing. He turned down $6.8mm/year with LSU last year, so it's going to be close to $9mm/year for him, plus he's got to buyout all his current coaches at FSU to get out of his contract. Looking at a commitment of $100mm with his coaches he would want to hire. However, you can't miss with Jimbo Fisher. If he gives you a number in earnest like he's serious, then you go fill out the contract before he changes his mind. 50/50 shot that happens, because FSU will try to match whatever you offer if they can sell of enough furniture to make the vig.
If it's a no, then the next call is to Chris Peterson. He's right around $5mm/year thru 2023 currently, and his coaches are going to cost $5mm/year. He's a talent evaluator and will rip ass at A&M. That's my guy and who I'd expect to be the next coach at A&M if I were laying odds.
At this point, if you are sitting at three "no" answers, you call Bob Stoops and his total vacancy of a top lip and offer him whatever he wants to bring all his friends to Aggieland. It will cost you some cash, but that's ok because the one thing we have is cash. Stoops is as much of a sure thing as Fisher, he knows how to win, and he knows how to cheat. That's got "Aggie" written all over it.
One of those is going to be a "yes" and any of them will be a champion at A&M.
