Jimbo Fisher on play-calling duties: We'll address that as we go
When you have a 5-7 season this deep — five years — into a coaching stint, some kind of change is needed. For Jimbo Fisher, doing some self-evaluation as a play caller hopes to bring a positive change to the Texas A&M program. Bobby Petrino was brought on as the offensive coordinator and was thought to be the one who will call the shots on Saturdays.
That idea is not totally set in stone according to Fisher. He was asked who will have the play-calling duties heading into the season and Fisher said it’s an ongoing process. Fisher admitted he has no problem with Petrino calling plays but after Day One of spring practice, he did not have a clear-cut answer.
“We’ll go through that as we go,” Fisher said. “Plan on him making calls, plan on him calling plays. I have no problem with that at all.”
Petrino was hired away from Missouri State, reviving his career at the Division II level. He does have SEC experience as an offensive coordinator (Auburn in 2002) but mainly as the Arkansas head coach for four seasons. Before being fired for off-the-field problems, the Razorbacks had back-to-back double-digit win seasons.
Now, the goal is to rework the Texas A&M offense and fix major issues. Conner Weigman will be returning as the starting quarterback, while there is a solid group of wide receivers to work with. A strong running game has been the theme of Fisher’s time but offensive line problems do exist heading into the season.
Fisher will always have an input on the offense end, it’s just his nature. Petrino having the opportunity to call plays could be the difference between success and another disaster of a season. Even if the newly hired OC does not come out firing on all cylinders, some kind of change is needed in Aggieland.
More on Jimbo Fisher, play-calling struggles
Fisher has long been known for his play-calling abilities. He has two national championships on his resume — one as the LSU OC and another as the Florida State head coach. When Texas A&M brought him to College Station, they thought one of the best in the country was stepping into the role.
Some disappointments have since happened, especially this past season. Texas A&M struggled mightily on offense and relied on their defense to win games. The Aggies finished second to last in the SEC in scoring, coming at 22.8 points per game. Total yards per game are not too much better, being third from the bottom.