Fisher open to giving up play-calling role
COLLEGE STATION — Texas A&M coach Jimbo Fisher, who calls the plays on offense, said Monday he’d be willing to turn over those duties at some point if it would help.
“Possibly could,” Fisher said. “You always evaluate those things. We evaluate everything we do.”
Fisher, whose No. 24 Aggies (1-1) host No. 13 Miami (2-0) at 8 p.m. Saturday, added that co-offensive coordinators Darrell Dickey and James Coley also contribute during games, so he’s not alone in play-calling.
“It’s a conglomerate of playcalling, too. We’re getting information from everybody and thoughts,” Fisher said. “It’s a collective group decision based off of our offensive staff. … But yes, possibly yes (on relinquishing duties).”
Fisher’s offense has struggled mightily in this season’s first two games, a 31-0 win over Sam Houston and a 17-14 loss to Appalachian State, and his elaborate approach led to one of the SEC’s worst offenses last season when the Aggies finished 8-4.
Fisher was asked if he could set aside his ego and bring in an exclusive play-caller, considering he’s called plays as an offensive coordinator and head coach at Florida State and A&M for more than 20 years (and the 2013 Seminoles won the national title with a high-revving offense).
“I’m always up for whatever it takes to win. … My ego would not (get in the way). … Winning takes (precedence) over everything — I promise you that,” he said.
Sophomore quarterback Haynes King has been mostly ineffective as well in his two starts this season, throwing two interceptions against the Bearkats (along with three long touchdown passes) and completing 13 of 20 passes for 97 yards and no touchdowns against the Mountaineers.
“We’ll evaluate everything this week,” Fisher said Monday when asked if he might change quarterbacks.
King, who two games in has the third lowest quarterback rating (33.1) among Power Five quarterbacks, beat out junior Max Johnson, a transfer from LSU, and five-star true freshman Conner Weigman for the starting job. King is considered one of the fastest players on the team but has failed for the most part to make a dent in opposing defenses with his elusiveness when turning to the run.
Johnson defeated the Aggies last year in A&M’s regular-season finale at Baton Rouge, La., and should be the next quarterback to earn a shot at sparking the Aggies’ offense, based on his experience. A year ago, Johnson was starting for the Tigers against SEC competition while the dynamic Weigman was competing in District 16-6A for Bridgeland.
King failed to lead the Aggies to a fourth-quarter comeback victory over Appalachian State — kicker Caden Davis also missed badly on a late 47-yard field-goal attempt that would have tied the game — although a leaky offensive line certainly didn’t help King’s cause.
“There are some plays we wish he would have made at the end of the game, and he knows that,” Fisher said of King’s results in his first true crunch time in college. “We’ll work on it, do what we have to do, and evaluate everything as we go.”
Saturday night’s game against the Hurricanes already was being pitched as a top-15 showdown, but the Aggies dropped 18 spots in the Associated Press poll Sunday following the jarring setback to the Mountaineers.
“Any time a team doesn’t achieve its 1-0 goal (each week), they’re going to go right back to the facts and back to the process,” first-year Miami coach Mario Cristobal said of the response he expects from the Aggies following one of the biggest upsets of the early season. “Just trying to analyze the result is not going to do much. The things that led to not getting the ultimate goal (will be practiced) to the extreme to make sure everything is done so that it doesn’t happen again.”
In other A&M news as the Aggies try to avoid entering SEC play (against Arkansas on Sept. 24 in Arlington) on a two-game losing streak, Fisher said center Bryce Foster is expected to return to action after missing the first two games for undisclosed reasons.
Linebacker Andre White, who broke up two passes and forced a fumble against Sam Houston, is not expected back against the Hurricanes after missing the Appalachian State game with an undisclosed injury.