Sports

Jimbo Fisher has a desire to return to coaching and FSU may have to consider it

Chop Chat · Jul 20, 2026 16:52 · 3 min read

Jimbo Fisher has a desire to return to coaching and FSU may have to consider it — Dec 6, 2014; Charlotte, NC, USA; Florida State Seminoles head coach Jimbo Fisher holds up the ACC trophy after defeating the Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets at Bank of America Stadium. FSU defeated Georgia Tech 37-35. Mandatory Credit: Jeremy Brevard-USA TODAY Sports | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

The Jimbo-FSU relationship is complicated. Yes, he won a lot and the majority of the trophies in Dunlap Football Center from the 21st century are from Fisher's teams. But he left Tallahassee in a bad way,

Jimbo Fisher wants to return to coaching. That's not a surprise. The 60-year-old has spent the last few years as an analyst for the ACC Network, and he's been very good at it, but as he told David Ubben from The Athletic, "coaches are coaches."

So consider this the first public offering from Fisher to return to coaching the college game. Fisher was an incredible 83-23 at FSU over eight seasons, winning three ACC championships (2012-2014) and the BCS Championship in 2013. He also coaches three first-round picks at quarterback and a Heisman Trophy winner, Jameis Winston. Fisher's run at Texas A&M from 2018-2023 was less impressive, going 45-25 with a top-five finish in 2020.

“The relationship with players. The competition. I miss the competition. I miss recruiting. If I can recruit without money, I can recruit with money. I promise you that,” Fisher told Ubben. “But I miss the competition, the game planning. That was never work to me. That was fun. It was a grind, but it was fun.”

Does Jimbo Fisher have a path back to FSU?

The Jimbo-FSU relationship is complicated. Yes, he won a lot and the majority of the trophies in Dunlap Football Center from the 21st century are from Fisher's teams. He also went 14-2, 8-0 on the road against Florida and Miami. The recruiting classes were amazing and only Alabama rivaled FSU in terms of talent on the field during Fisher's run with the Seminoles. He left Tallahassee in a bad way, and it was during a general downturn in the program's production. Jimbo's teams from 2014-2017 weren't as good as the teams from 2010-2013. There were also disciplinary and APR issues that left his successor, Willie Taggart, handicapped out of the gate.

Jimbo also had major issues with the administration and his desire to make sure FSU was keeping up with the Joneses. The death of Monk Bonasorte in 2016 was a big part of his friction with then AD Stan Wilcox, Seminole Booster head Andy Miller and president John Thrasher. Bonasorte, who was the Executive Director of FSU Varsity Club, often served as a level-headed intermediate between FSU and the administration and a soundboard for Fisher.

But fans like winning and Jimbo won a LOT at FSU. Even his "down years" were 10-3, 10-3 and that forgettable 2017 season where the Seminoles were 5-6 when he left and finished with a 7-6 record. Given where FSU has stumbled under Mike Norvell would the fans take a 27-12 record over three years? Damn right they would. The reception Jimbo got last season when the ACC Network was in Tallahassee for the Miami game clearly choked up the coach a bit. And it's distance that makes the heart grow fonder.

So could Jimbo return to FSU? Sure. He's going to be available and, truthfully. I don't think he's going to be as expensive of a hire as people think. He already has a lot of money and I believe he also has an understanding that the financial resources are better used to get the best players and field a competitive roster. But the FSU administration has changed, and I don't know that Jimbo would be a good match with Alford. If Jimbo returned to coach in the state of Florida, my guess is it would be a few hours south-east of Tallahassee, in Orlando with the UCF Knights.