Fisher resigns to take over at Texas A&M

Jimbo Fisher, who coached Florida State’s football team to its third national title in 2013 and opened this season with his team ranked in the top five, is leaving to take the same job at Texas A&M.

Fisher leaves after going 83-23 with three Atlantic Coast Conference titles in eight seasons. He replaces Kevin Sumlin, fired after going 51-26 in six seasons at Texas A&M. The Houston Chronicle reports Fisher is expected to earn between $7 million and $7.5 million over at least five years.

Florida State (5-6), trying to avoid its first losing season since 1976, needs to beat Louisiana-Monroe on Saturday to be bowl eligible for a 36th consecutive season. Defensive line coach Odell Haggins will be the interim coach.

Tennessee Chancellor Beverly Davenport named Phillip Fulmer the school’s new athletic director and tasked him with taking over the search for a new football coach.

Former athletic director John Currie has been suspended and put on paid leave as the school investigates whether it can fire him with just cause; it’s not clear what led to that decision. Davenport said it was a “series of events.”

Tennessee, coming off maybe the most disappointing football season in school history, fired Butch Jones as coach Nov. 12. Tennessee was close to hiring Ohio State defensive coordinator Greg Schiano on Sunday before that deal fell through amid a public backlash to Schiano’s history as an assistant at Penn State during the Jerry Sandusky era.

Fulmer coached the Volunteers to their last football championship in 1998. He ruled out the possibility of replacing Jones.

Just six days after minor surgery on his right knee, Ohio State quarterback J.T. Barrett is preparing to start Saturday against No. 4 Wisconsin in the Big Ten championship game . ... Mississippi’s football program won’t participate in the postseason this year or in 2018 as part of NCAA sanctions in a long-running rules violation case. ... Bobby Hauck returned as head coach at Montana, a program he led to three Football Championship Subdivision national championship games, on a three-year contract . ... Penn State promoted Ricky Rahne to offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach to replace Joe Moorhead, who left to be Mississippi State’s head coach.