January 8, 2007

FSU Sports Info.

Tallahassee, Fla. -- Florida State head coach Bobby Bowden announced Monday that Jimbo Fisher has accepted the position of offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach at Florida State. Fisher just finished his seventh season with the same title at LSU with a win over Notre Dame in the Allstate Sugar Bowl.

"I'm very happy that Jimbo will be joining our staff and I could not be more excited about the future of our program," said Bowden. "I've followed Jimbo's career for a long time and his ability to put in an offense and adjust as the season goes along is second to none. He brings the experience and attitude that I was looking for in a coordinator. I think when you look at what we have in place offensively now with Jimbo, Rick (Trickett), Lawrence (Dawsey), John Lilly and the potential candidates for an additional offensive assistant, it really is an exciting time for Florida State."

LSU's offense ranked 18th overall and ninth in scoring following the regular season this year. Junior quarterback JeMarcus Russell ranks third nationally in passing efficiency (168.10) and the Tiger offense has three players ranked among the Top 100 in the nation in receptions per game.

Between 2000 and 2005, Fisher's offense's set 13 school records, including points in a season (475 in 2003), total yards (5,857 in 2003), and passing touchdowns (30 in 2003).

"I am very excited about the opportunity to come to Florida State University," said Fisher. "I've always had great respect for Florida State and utmost respect for Coach Bowden. The opportunity to coach at Florida State and to grow as a coach under Coach Bowden was one that I could not pass up."

In seven years with the Tigers, Fisher coached four LSU quarterbacks who were NFL Draft picks - Josh Booty, Rohan Davey, Craig Nall and Matt Mauck - and another (Randall), who made an NFL roster as a defensive back. In addition, under Fisher's guidance, the Tigers have had two First-Team All-SEC quarterbacks (Booty and Russell), and two Second-Team All-SEC selections (Davey and Mauck).

Fisher was named a finalist for the Broyles Assistant Coach of the Year Award in 2001.

Prior to joining the Tigers, Fisher engineered one of the nation's most potent offensive attacks at Cincinnati in 1999. The Bearcats ranked 16th in the nation in total offense with an average of 424.4 yards a contest (172.2 rushing, 252.2 passing).

Before joining the Bearcats, Fisher served as the quarterbacks coach at Auburn under Terry Bowden from 1993-98 where he tutored record-setting quarterbacks Stan White, Patrick Nix and Dameyune Craig, who is the only 3,000-yard passer in Auburn history.

Fisher, a native of Clarksburg, W. Va., also served as the offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach at Samford for two years (1991-92) before joining the Auburn staff. He started his coaching career as a graduate assistant tutoring quarterbacks at Samford from 1988-90.

In college, Fisher played quarterback for Terry Bowden for three seasons, two at Salem College (1985-86) and one at Samford (1987). While at Samford, he set the national record for touchdowns in a season with 34 and was named the Division III National Player of the Year.

Following college, Fisher played one season with the Chicago Bruisers of the Arena Football League in 1988.

A 1989 graduate of Salem, Fisher and his wife Candi have two children, Trey (4) and Ethan (1).

Fisher, who will sign a three year contact with a base salary of $215,000, will take over as quarterback coach from Daryl Dickey whose contract will not be renewed by FSU. He becomes the eighth offensive coordinator during Bowden's 31 years at FSU.

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