A&M advertisement backs Fisher: ‘No panic’ off 5-7 season

• Chris Low, ESPN Senior Citizen WriterAug 23, 2023, 08:58 PM ET

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  • College football reporter
  • Signed up with ESPN.com in 2007
  • Graduate of the University of Tennessee

COLLEGE STATION, Texas– In spite of a disappointing 5-7 season a year ago, Texas A&M athletic director Ross Bjork dismissed any talk Wednesday that coach Jimbo Fisher was on the hot seat going into the 2023 season.

“Construct to last. That’s my mantra,” Bjork informed ESPN. “There’s no panic here. You can’t be a blow-by-the-wind program in how you make decisions and anticipate to win championships in the SEC. Sure, last year was disappointing for everyone, however I take a look at where we’re headed, and so does Jimbo.”

The Aggies lost 6 straight games at one point last season– their very first losing campaign given that 2009– had a hard time on offense and had 24 players get in the transfer portal following the 2022 season, consisting of a handful of freshmen from the No. 1-ranked signing class in 2022.

One of the key relocations Fisher made during the offseason was to bring in previous Arkansas and Louisville head coach Bobby Petrino as Texas A&M’s offending organizer. Fisher is relinquishing playcalling duties to Petrino. The Aggies ranked 101st nationally last season in scoring offense (22.8 points per game).

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“It was what was right for the program, the right time and the best person,” Fisher said of his decision to employ Petrino. “It’s something I had actually considered a year or 2 prior to. I required to be able to invest more time in other locations on our football team.”

Fisher signed a 10-year ensured contract extension just before the 2021 season that will pay him $95 million through 2031. If Texas A&M were to fire Fisher following the 2023 season, he would be owed $77 million.Bjork stated Fisher’s

buyout was” public record, “however that it wasn’t something foremost on his mind as Fisher enters his sixth season in College Station. Fisher is 39-21 general at Texas A&M. The Aggies simply missed out on making the College Football Playoff in 2020 when they completed fifth in the final rankings after playing an all-SEC schedule during the COVID-shortened season.”The expectations are what they are

. It’s the SEC,”Bjork stated.” All of us have those expectations, however what I look at is what we’re doing to develop for the future. We’re hiring at a level we’ve never ever recruited at before. Our fans are stepping up and continuing to buy the program.

“I’m excited about what follows and not stressing over one bad season.”

Texas A&M revealed Wednesday that season tickets are offered out for the 2023 season with fans buying nearly 93,000 tickets, which is a record for Kyle Field given that it was redeveloped in 2015. The season tickets offered consisted of a record variety of nearly 39,000 student passes.Bjork said donations were also up throughout the board. The Aggies moved into their brand-new state-of-the art indoor practice center earlier this month, part of a$120 million project to update and construct brand-new football facilities. Bjork said Texas A&M plans to renovate the locker room and add a player’s lounge after this season.”Clearly, our fans believe, and there’s an energy and confidence with this group that,’Hey, let’s ignore in 2015 and continue, ‘”Bjork said.”The rest of it, anything that might be talked about outside our structure, we’ll leave to everyone else.”Texas A&M opens the season at home on Sept. 2 against New Mexico and after that takes a trip to Miami in Week 2.