Brian Kelly comments on firings of Jimbo Fisher, Zach Arnett
Brian Kelly felt for Jimbo Fisher and Zach Arnett amid their firings over the weekend from Texas A&M and Mississippi State, respectively.
The LSU head coach is familiar with both men, having coached in the same division. But he acknowledged the human side of things as well.
While it’s a business decision and it’s what both schools deemed the best direction, Kelly sympathized with Fisher and Arnett.
“Yeah, I mean it’s, you know, in our profession it’s unfortunately that time of year where decisions are made and they’re tough decisions,” Kelly said. “Those are good men and I know them both. They love coaching. Tough decisions are made at this time of the year for whatever the reasons are.
“Each university has to make what they consider to be the best decisions for the direction of their programs. But, you know, the human side of it is I’m a coach as well and they’re good people, they’re good fathers, good husbands and you hope that they, you know, obviously land on their feet.”
Arnett was hired following the shocking and saddening death of Mike Leach, previously serving as the Bulldogs offensive coordinator under the late offensive-minded coach since 2020.
The now-former Bulldogs head coach lead the program to a bowl victory last season, where the team honored Leach on their way to a win in the ReliaQuest Bowl over Illinois. However, his first full season on the job hadn’t been going as swimmingly.
While Mississippi State started their season 2-0, with a victory that looks better and better each week over the Arizona Wildcats, SEC play hasn’t been kind to Arnett’s team. Their lone conference win came in a 7-3 slugfest against the disappointing Arkansas Razorbacks, and Mississippi State hasn’t been competitive in other games.
The future of Fisher was much discussed by media members this season as soon as it was clear Texas A&M would not contend for the SEC and College Football Playoff. In fact, ESPN’s Paul Finebaum listed some candidates that could potentially replace Fisher.
Fisher had a 44-25 record at Texas A&M since 2018. The team never made it to the SEC Championship Game. Fisher led the Aggies to a 9-1 record in 2020, during the COVID shortened season, but never got to double digit victories.
Prior to Texas A&M, Fisher coached at Florida State from 2010-17 and won the 2013 BCS National Championship, the final title game. Fisher also led FSU to the inaugural College Football Playoff in 2014.
Texas A&M owes Fisher a $76 million buyout of his contract while Arnett could be a candidate elsewhere as an assistant.