The coaching debates continue with an interesting SEC West one — Jimbo Fisher, Texas A&M vs. Brian Kelly, LSU
The case for Fisher:
While both coaches are technically national championship-winning coaches, only Fisher has done it at the FBS level (Kelly owns two D-II national titles). Fisher has repeatedly proven that he can recruit with the best of them, as evidenced by the Aggies’ number-one class nationally in 2022.
The case against Fisher:
Just look at what happened this past season: a 5-7 record with an embarrassing loss at home to Appalachian State and a mass exodus from the program. The hiring of Bobby Petrino reeked of desperation, and it’s starting to feel like he’s losing control of the program.
The case for Kelly:
Even the biggest Tigers fans couldn’t have expected an SEC West title in Kelly’s first year in town, but that’s just what happened. Kelly has a formula for winning that clearly has worked everywhere he’s gone, and he’s now using that same system with the best group of athletes he’s coached. With the way they’ve attacked the portal, he’s got LSU in prime position.
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The case against Kelly:
The Irish-Catholic guy from Boston still doesn’t quite feel like the appropriate cultural fit for LSU, despite the early returns looking good. He’s also going to need to find a way to prove that he can recruit with the Alabamas and Georgias (and Texas A&Ms) of the world if he’s going to build a consistent winner.
The verdict:
A year ago, this would have been an easy victory for Jimbo Fisher, coming off of signing the nation’s top class and a pre-season top-10 ranking. But after a terrible season on the field and off, the Aggies are in shambles and that falls on Fisher. Brian Kelly has someone managed to get LSU back into contention earlier than any of us thought. So coupling these two together, Kelly becomes the natural winner.
