Texas A&M football: Jimbo Fisher ‘not interested in being average’

Texas A&M football head coach Jimbo Fisher sat down (on a horse) with ESPN’s Marty Smith and talked about what he plans to bring to the table.

Texas A&M football sent a loud message when they gave Jimbo Fisher a 10-year, $75 million deal that is fully guaranteed. That message? The Aggies are aiming for the mountain top.

Fisher’s success will no doubt be measured by national championships. If he is still around after 10 years, it will be because he won a national title or at least made the College Football Playoff a couple of times.

Competing for national titles is the only reason you bring in a name worth that much money. So far, that big bet looks to be paying off.

Fisher has the Aggies at the No. 2 spot in the 2019 recruiting class and inching ever closer to the Alabama Crimson Tide for that top spot. They have two 5-star recruits already, one more than Alabama, and several more high-level recruits have their eyes on the Aggies.

He implemented a culture change, most notably in practice where he turned off the music so the kids could hear him when he’s teaching. It may not be as fun as a Kevin Sumlin practice, but it will be more productive.

In speaking to the media, Fisher has emphasized his focus on the little things. He is putting the Aggies through every possible situation in practice so they know what to do when those situations appear in games. You just get the feeling this team will be way more mentally prepared than any Texas A&M team in recent memory.

You could hear a lot of this in his recent sit down with ESPN’s Marty Smith. Pay attention to the very last thing he says in the video.

“I’m not interested in being average,” Fisher said.

Damn right.

That’s what you expect to hear from a guy who has won a national title as an assistant coach and a head coach.

That’s what you need to hear from a guy taking over a program who has developed a reputation for failing in the highest pressure games (at least in the last 10-15 years).

He sent a loud and clear message right at the beginning of the video too. “It ain’t like it used to be. It ain’t gonna be like it used to be.” Fisher is not shying away from letting his players know that anything less than maximum effort will not be tolerated. He puts in work and expects his players to match his intensity.

Next: 5 bold predictions for Aggies 2018 season

This is a new era for Texas A&M football. Fisher will have them in the national title conversation sooner rather than later.

Jeff Shull is the Site Expert for the Gig Em Gazette on FanSided. Follow him on Twitter, and be sure to follow the Gig Em Gazette on Facebook and Twitter.