Jimbo Fisher gives curious response to Bobby Petrino calling plays for Texas A&M

Texas A&M head coach Jimbo Fisher isn’t revealing any secrets regarding the Aggies’ offensive plans this fall. When a reporter asked the 57-year-old about offensive coordinator Bobby Petrino’s role in play-calling, Fisher was particularly vague.

“I’m not going to get into that. Bobby was hired for a reason. Tremendous guy. Tremendous football mind. Hopefully, he’ll call the game & have suggestions,” Fisher said at SEC Media Days on Monday.

Hopefully? After going 5-7 last season and 2-6 in conference play, Texas A&M is in hot water. Most fans assumed that adding Petrino would release some of that heat off Fisher. After all, Petrino has a history of successful offenses.

In 14 seasons of head coaching experience, Petrino boasts a 119-56 record and three top-six finishes (2004, 2006, 2011). The 62-year-old OC was particularly successful in the SEC, a enticing trait for Fisher.

At Arkansas, Petrino’s offenses ranked second in the SEC in scoring in 2010 (36.5 points per game) and first in 2011 (36.8 points per game). Despite off-field controversies, Petrino is widely hailed as an offensive mastermind, something Fisher is not known for.

Last season, Texas A&M finished 101st in the nation, scoring just 22.8 points per game. Consequently, A&M lost five games by six points or fewer en route to a disappointing 5-7 finish, leading to the Aggies’ first losing season since 2009.

Despite the odd comments, Fisher insisted he respects Petrino.

“When you get to [play] calling, and you get on a roll, you need a guy that can do it, and I think Bobby can definitely do that better than anybody in college football. And I have great respect for him. We’ve had great admiration for each other for a long time,” Fisher said.

The comment is consistent with Fisher’s statement after the program hired Petrino.

“I am very happy to add Bobby as our offensive coordinator,” Fisher said in a statement announcing the hire. “I always had tremendous respect for him as a head coach, offensive coordinator and play caller. He is one of the best minds in college football. Bobby has a reputation for developing players and we are extremely excited to have him on our staff.”

Whoever calls the offense will have a surplus of talent at their disposal. From 2019 to 2022, Texas A&M had a top 10 recruiting class yearly. Aggies fans will see who is really calling the shots on Sept. 2 when Texas A&M kicks off the 2023 season against New Mexico.