What’s the worst thing that a college football head coach can witness? When they are set as a standard for ‘not to be like them.’ That’s how poor Jimbo Fisher’s fate turned out to be. Back in 2023, Fisher was fired late in his sixth season at Texas A&M with more than $76 million remaining on his fully guaranteed contract. Since 2009, Texas A&M has had five seasons with four or more losses, including the 2022 campaign when they started No. 6 but fell to 5-7 with a six-game skid. Under Fisher, a home loss to Appalachian State, producing just 180 yards and nine first downs, cemented their reputation as the nation’s biggest underachievers. That’s when they pulled the trigger on Fisher. But looks like the former A&M head coach is going to hit the ‘return’ button.

Before Texas A&M, Fisher held the head coaching seat at Florida State from 2010 to 2017.  “It was the most difficult thing I’ve ever done. I never wanted to go. And I loved A&M,” confessed the former Seminoles head coach. He had an 83-23 record in Tallahassee with six seasons of 10 or more wins and three ACC championships. Now that Fisher is back at Florida State for the Miami game, it’s no less than a homecoming for the former head coach. And what better PR event than this to make his demands heard? 

On October 3, Florida State Football- Warchant TV posted a clip of Fisher’s interview right from the Tallahassee campus. The former head coach sounded all emotional, “I missed it. Miss the players, miss the camaraderies, and just somewhere that it’s going to allow you to be competitive. It gives you the resources…just you can go be competitive and win games and have a chance to play for a Championship. You know what I mean? It gives you a chance.” So, he clearly hinted at how his heart craves a return.

Do you remember Fisher’s wish? Back in 2020, he said, “We came here to win championships.” He helped the Seminoles win a Natty once in 2013. But maybe that did not satiate his hunger. Back in August this year, he was invited on the Trials to Triumph podcast. That’s when the host asked about his thoughts of trying his hand at coaching again. 

“People have asked me that, and I know I’ve enjoyed my time with my family, because your family does—but my—always tried to include my family. Remember I took the kids, and we always had them at practices, and they were like part of the team. They were in the locker rooms and doing all that, But to answer your question, if the right situation comes along and it’s right, I’m still 59,” replied Fisher.

Going by the buzz, after getting rid of Brent Pry, Virginia Tech football is looking for someone who will bring back its competitive status in the ACC. That’s when Fisher’s name came up. While he did not take any program’s name, he goes on a down memory lane ride. 

Jimbo Fisher relives old memories

It took Fisher one trip to Tallahassee to get teleported to 1987. The former Florida State head coach recalled one of his favorite Florida State–Miami games from 1987, even though Miami won. He was playing at Samford at the time, where Terry Bowden was head coach and Jeff Bowden was offensive coordinator. 

As Fisher recalled, he convinced Bowden to bring a small TV into the press box so they could keep tabs on the FSU-Miami clash while playing their own game. He quickly built a huge lead for Samford, throwing five touchdowns in a 59-0 win, and kept asking about the score of the FSU game between drives. What’s the reason behind recalling the memory?

It reminds Fisher of the present times, on how when the team starts slow, it needs some adversity to shake things up. “You know, this kind of reminds me of that where they had started 0-2. They got to have the game, had some adversity right before, and you know, you had to play Miami and be able to come back. Hopefully, you know, one of those deals where you can’t have a great victory unless you got a little adversity,” said the former head coach. 

Jimbo Fisher is part of the ACC Huddle pregame show after joining the show as an analyst over the summer. According to him, “Hey, we are in Tallahassee, we’ve had wide left, and we’ve had wide right, but we are going to get wide middle, right down the middle and the Noles’ are going to win it on a late field goal.” So, FSU might just make sure Fisher leaves with a smile.