The firing of Jimbo Fisher in his sixth season as head coach of the Aggies creates the first big job opening of the 2023-24 coaching carousel and the line of potential suitors should be long and include huge names in the college football world. Fisher was 45-25 in six seasons as the head coach and under .500 in SEC plays since the start of the 2021 season. The Aggies are 7-12 in their last 19 games against P5 teams and haven’t won a true road game in over two years. 

The hiring of a new coach is hampered by one factor – Texas A&M owes Fisher $76 million dollars with 20 percent due within 30 days of termination and the rest to be paid annually for the next eight years. That’ll be roughly $7 million a year for Fisher without factoring in whatever the new head coach makes. That might keep the Aggies from making a similar splash to the one they made late in 2017 by signing Fisher to a now notorious 10-year, $75 million dollar contract. 

BIG SWING 

Dan Lanning – The head coach at Oregon is 19-4 and has the Ducks poised for a run at the Pac-12 title and berth into the College Football Playoff in his second season in Eugene. He signed a six-year, $29.1 million dollar contract ahead of the 2021 season. Lanning made his name as the defensive coordinator at Georgia as the Bulldogs began their current dynasty. He has SEC ties, winning a national title as a GA at Alabama back in 2015 and one with Georgia as the DC in 2021. He’s young at age 37, but he’s the best coach in America under 40 and should get the first call from Texas A&M. 

REALISTIC 

Mike Elko – The former Texas A&M defensive coordinator is currently rebuilding the Duke program as head coach. His Blue Devils won nine games in 2022 – his first season as a head coach – and are currently 6-3 with a win over Clemson. Elko is still beloved by an Aggie roster that he helped build from 2018 through 2021. He laid the defensive groundwork that helped the Aggies land multiple five-star defensive linemen in the historic 2022 cycle. Elko was also the DC for a year at Notre Dame. USA Today reported that Elko made $2.1 million in 2022 and that the school extended him through 2029 following the season. 

Lane Kiffin – How ironic would it be if Kiffin, a perennial thorn in Fisher’s side verbally and competitively during their recent SEC battles, was chosen as the replacement in College Station? At 48 years old, Kiffin already has experience at big programs like USC and Tennessee. He’s also coached in the NFL. He resurrected his career and reputation as the offensive coordinator at Alabama from 2014 through 2016 and then enjoyed success as head coach at FAU from 2017-2019. He’s been at Ole Miss since the start of the 2020 season. Kiffin is 31-15 overall and 19-13 in the SEC through four seasons at Ole Miss. 

DCTF PICK 

Jeff Traylor – The former Gilmer High School head coach is a winner. In 15 years leading the Buckeyes, Traylor won five state championships and won 87 percent of his games. He’s now 37-13 as a collegiate head coach in his fourth season in charge of UTSA. Traylor has led the Roadrunners to back-to-back conference championships and is 26-3 in conference play as a collegiate head coach. UTSA had never posted a double-digit win season in its history until Traylor arrived – he’s done it in each of the last two seasons. UTSA is currently 6-0 in the AAC. Traylor makes roughly $2.5 million a year and his buy out is affordable. Fisher ruined relationships with the THSCA and local communities as the head coach. Traylor would be a fan favorite who continued recruiting success. 

WILDCARD 

Urban Meyer - If Texas A&M wants to make the biggest splash possible, the Aggies will call the guy who won national titles at Ohio State and Florida. Meyer is 187-32 in his career as a head coach. He won at least 10 games in his final eight seasons and has never suffered a losing season in 17 seasons as a college head coach. He’d be expensive, but scared money don’t make money, as the saying goes. Meyer would catapult the Aggies into national prominence right away because of his reputation – good and bad – inside the football world. 

Deion Sanders – Anyone want to get weird? Hiring Sanders as the head coach would be an immediate splash. It’d also be an interesting culture clash between the major donors and a head coach who wants to do it his way. Sanders is a charismatic leader who would undoubtedly bring attention and profile to Texas A&M. He’d excel on the recruiting trail and in the transfer portal. He’d be brash and outspoken and take headlines away from the Longhorns joining the SEC.