A&M fires Sumlin, eyes FSU’s Fisher
Remember when Chip Kelly spurning Florida for UCLA was big news?
It’s a footnote now as the silly season, also known as the coaching carousel, went berserk Sunday.
Kevin Sumlin was fired at Texas A&M, which quickly moved on Florida State head man Jimbo Fisher. The Aggies reportedly have an offer out to Fisher, one of the nation’s premier coaches who won a national championship in 2013 and produced six double-digit-win seasons in eight years in Tallahassee. If he accepts the job, Fisher, according to KPRC-TV, an NBC affiliate in Houston, would coach the Seminoles’ regular season finale against Louisiana-Monroe then take over at Texas A&M. The deal is for a reported $37.5 million over five years.
Mississippi State coach Dan Mullen bolted the SEC school after nine seasons and a 69-46 record for another one, Florida, where he was the offensive coordinator from 2005-08 and won two national championships. A quarterback guru who has worked with the likes of Tim Tebow, Dak Prescott and Alex Smith, he will be tasked with turning around the once-elite Gators, who are coming off a dismal 4-7 season and have failed with their past two hires, Will Muschamp and Jim McElwain.
Ole Miss interim coach Matt Luke was given the permanent job after going 6-6 and knocking off rival Mississippi State. He spent the past season as the interim coach, taking over after Hugh Freeze resigned in July following a university investigation into his phone records.
The day began with Arizona State firing Todd Graham and got crazier from there. Ohio State defensive coordinator Greg Schiano landed the Tennessee job, but he quickly was out after an ugly fan revolt that included public officials criticizing the hire because of unsubstantiated allegations from the early 1990s involving the Jerry Sandusky child sex abuse scandal.
Still, there are many dominoes left.
It will be fascinating to see where Tennessee looks next. Arkansas, Arizona State, Mississippi State and Nebraska are open, and Florida State could become the biggest job available if Fisher leaves.