University to pay football coach $75 million to stop coaching
It's great to be paid the big bucks for your work, but what does it say when your employer literally pays millions of dollars to stop you from working?
It's probably not quite so satisfying - though I suppose at least you're still getting paid.
This is the position Texas A&M coach Jimbo Fisher has found himself in after the University decided to fire him on Sunday (12 November), six years into a 10-year contract.
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Fisher left Florida State University for the job, which in September 2021 went on to be extended until 2031.
School leaders were confident in Fisher's ability, so much so that they revealed a national championship trophy with '20--' engraved on it, hinting that the coach would be the one to bring them to victory.
However, this weekend Texas A&M athletic director Ross Bjork said in a statement that officials had found firing Fisher was 'necessary'.
"After very careful analysis of all the components related to Texas A&M football, I recommended to President (Mark) Welsh and then Chancellor (John) Sharp that a change in the leadership of the program was necessary in order for Aggie football to reach our full potential and they accepted my decision," Bjork said.
"We appreciate Coach Fisher’s time here at Texas A&M and we wish him the best in his future endeavors."
Under Fisher's leadership, the A&M team never won more than nine games in any season.
Firing Fisher doesn't come cheap, though, as he received a raise earlier this year which brought his annual salary to $9.15 million.
The university had promised Fisher almost $100 million over 10 years overall, according to Bleacher Report, and thanks to his contract he's now set to be the recipient of what is believed to be the largest buyout ever made in college sports history.
The terms in Fisher's contract mean he's owed the entirety of what remains on his deal, which is more than $75 million.
With Fisher no longer in charge, The Aggies are 6-4 with just two games left this season.
However, they did emerge victorious in their last game with the coach on Saturday, when they won 51-10 victory against Mississippi State.
Speaking about the season after the game, Fisher said: "It’s not frustrating, but it’s disappointing at times.
"Like I’ve said, we’re three or four plays from playing in a playoff spot. But we’ve got to put that past us and grow from it and learn from it for next year."
The Aggies are now looking ahead to regular-season games against Abilene Christian and LSU.
Emily Brown