Notes: Elijah Robinson’s 1st Presser as Interim for Texas A&M Football

Elijah Robinson Meets Press for First Time as Interim for Texas A&M Football

Less than 48 hours after the announcement that Jimbo Fisher was being relieved of his duties as head coach of Texas A&M football, interim Elijah Robinson met with the media for the first time. You can view the press conference here or by watching the video below.

Here are some notes from what Coach Robinson said.

Elijah Robinson First Presser as Interim Head Coach of Texas A&M Football

Coach Robinson opened with a short statement, thanking Jimbo for everything he has done for him and his family. He also thanked AD Ross Bjork for the opportunity to serve as the interim and Aggie fans for their support before opening it up for questions.

As the questions began to roll in, it became clear that the message Robinson was sending was how important and primary the players are to the success of the program. What was his first thought when he was asked to be interim? About the players and how they are doing—all the players, not just those in his position group. About the parents who are wondering what’s happening with their son in this time of turmoil. It’s very clear that Robinson is a player-minded coach—and evident why he is such an impressive recruiter.

Robinson also complimented the way the players have been handling the news. He mentioned that, as far as on the field, he wanted the guys to be having fun and playing with juice, much like they were this past weekend. He was diplomatic when asked about Max’s availability, deferring to Coach Petrino.

Perhaps most importantly, Coach Robinson gave a very strong statement when asked if he would want to stay on at Texas A&M football. He mentioned how long he had been in College Station—longer than anywhere outside of his Alma Mater. He said his family loves it here, and that he is not looking to leave Texas A&M.

Asked about how he got into coaching, Robinson gave an impressive answer, detailing the life circumstances that brought him to the profession—a career ending injury as a player; a short-lived aspiration to a marketing career; and a coach who believed in him and asked him to start serving as a GA. In that time, Robinson said, he saw the potential to impact the lives of young men and provide for his family, and he’s been a coach ever since.

He also had an impressive answer when he was asked about what he can teach the players through this process. He mentioned how many things are competing for these guys’ attention, and the way the current landscape of college football breeds impatience. He said that his advice to them is to take things one day at a time, control what you can control, and play for the guy next to you—to stay steadfast.

Several reporters asked about how he planned on talking to various players about staying in Aggieland rather than jumping to the portal. Robinson said he hasn’t had any of those conversations—no one has come to him saying they want to leave. However, if they do, he would underscore the advantages of being an Aggie post-graduation, mentioning that the players came here because of the things the university can provide uniquely. On a last, humorous note, it was revealed in the press conference that Coach Robinson has a penchant for actually getting down in the trenches and doing the drills with the defensive linemen. We can only hope that video of such an exercise is soon revealed.