With every passing day, it seems there’s another report out of Louisiana stating that Florida State head coach Jimbo Fisher is a leading candidate to be the next football coach at LSU.
That, of course, is no surprise. We all knew this speculation was coming as soon as Les Miles was dismissed in late September. For a lot of reasons, Fisher makes perfect sense for the Tigers -- he coached there in the early to mid-2000s; he has strong ties with several boosters in Baton Rouge; he has longstanding relationships that would allow him to hit the ground running in recruiting that state and Texas; and LSU desperately needs a new coach who will bring optimism and excitement to its beleaguered offense.
So no one should be surprised that Fisher is high on the Tigers’ wish list. What is perplexing is why several of these reports also suggest that Fisher is not only interested in the position but that he can’t wait to catch the first flight out of Tallahassee.
Now, I’m not going to pretend that Fisher loves EVERYTHING about the way things are done at FSU. I’m sure he has complaints and concerns just like every coach on every campus in America. I’ve never met a coach who didn’t want more money for this or more input on that. It’s the nature of the beast -- coaches want everything they can get for their programs, and administrators have to decide what is and isn’t feasible. That often leads to conflict.
But these reports that make it sound as if Fisher is miserable at FSU and can’t wait to leave town are based in fantasy.
With that in mind, this seems like the perfect time to debunk the five prevailing myths about why Fisher will jump at the LSU job as soon as it’s offered.
Myth No. 1 -- FSU lacks the facilities of big-time college football powers
This makes for a good sound bite from sports talk show hosts who apparently have either never been to Florida State’s campus or haven’t been in many years. While it’s true that Fisher wanted facility improvements when he came to FSU as offensive coordinator, almost everything he coveted has been granted.
The Indoor Practice Facility -- which was Fisher’s top priority upon arrival -- became a reality long before SEC powers like Florida and Georgia got theirs. And in the last few years, FSU has built gorgeous new player dorms, they’ve completely renovated the locker room and the coaches’ offices, and Doak Campbell Stadium is in the midst of major renovations.
Are there still things he desires? Sure. But the only major one I know of is a state-of-the-art academic support center, and from everything we’ve heard, that’s something FSU is working to make happen. So if anyone tries telling you that Jimbo Fisher is down on the Seminoles’ facilities, they’re either making it up or they’re basing their opinions on outdated information.
Myth No. 2 -- FSU doesn’t pay its assistant coaches well
