Paul Finebaum predicts Jimbo Fisher will get head coaching job by end of year

ESPN’s Paul Finebaum predicted Jimbo Fisher will get a head coaching gig by the end of the year. The former Florida State and Texas A&M head coach is currently an analyst on the ACC Network.

He last coached in 2023 at A&M which is a tenure that will be remembered for coming up short despite a tremendous financial investment. But make no mistake, Fisher was regarded as one of the better coaches over the last 15 or so years, due to his success at Florida State.

Fisher won a national title in 2013 and led FSU to the College Football Playoff the very next year, the first year of the CFP. With roughly two years off now, perhaps it’s time Fisher returns to the sidelines.

“I think Jimbo Fisher will have a coaching job at the end of the year,” Finebaum said on The Matt Barrie Show. Finebaum then responded to Barrie about a potential Florida State reunion.

“It was a tough breakup, as you know,” Finebaum said. “But one thing about college football, Matt, none of us have memories. Had Bobby Petrino won these last two games, he would be the next Arkansas coach … 

“Rich (Rodriguez) … 15 years ago, (had possibly one of) the ugliest divorces, maybe, in the history of college football. It just doesn’t matter, because fans care about winning. The only one that would even be crazier, it’s not on the chart right now. What if a couple of years from now, Josh Heupel decides he wants to go somewhere else and Lane Kiffin goes back to Tennessee?”

Fisher back in Tallahassee? Well with the way things are right now under Mike Norvell, it might not be a bad idea. In fact, Fisher was welcomed back fondly at Florida State when he and the rest of the ACC Network crew arrived for pregame earlier this season.

Fisher was 83-23 during his time in Tallahassee. He won three straight ACC titles from 2012-14 and won the 2013 BCS National Championship Game, finishing the season 14-0.

While his days at FSU’s head coach didn’t end on great terms, the fanbase seems to have welcomed him back fondly. Fisher resigned as Florida State head coach on December 1st, 2017 and signed a 10-year, $75 million deal to become Texas A&M’s head coach.

Fisher went 45-25 in six seasons as he was fired after a 6-4 record during his final season in 2023. He led the team to three straight bowl wins to start, but never topped nine wins despite the investment into his contract and the program.

The 2020 season was memorable considering the 9-1 record and No. 4 final ranking. However, since Texas A&M lost 52-24 to Alabama early on the season, they did not make the College Football Playoff, but won the Orange Bowl over North Carolina.

Fisher has a 128-48 overall record as a college head coach. It remains to be seen if he’ll return to the sidelines, but he seems to be enjoying his current role as an analyst for the ACC Network. As with anything in college football, that could change.

“Jimbo Fisher and Dan Mullen right now are hotter than they’ve ever been,” Finebaum said. Mullen is currently 6-1 at UNLV this season.