Texas A&M fans have a complicated relationship with Jimbo Fisher. The former head man for the Aggies appeared in College Station as a savior to bring the Ags out of the mediocrity of the late Sumlin years, but he ended up plunging the program to deeper lows, in some respects.
That's at least true as far as win totals go, as Fisher's 2022 season saw the Aggies lose more games in a single campaign than they ever did under the previous regime. You have the injury caveat, as the QB situation was more chaotic than ever that year, but it was becoming clear that something was going wrong.
It is undeniable, however, that Fisher raised the profile of Texas A&M further beyond what it had been under Sumlin. Despite Manziel's fame, A&M's brand had begun to tail off, but Fisher's huge personality and status in the sport kept them relevant even when those lean seasons came about.
So in that sense, at least, it shouldn't be a surprise to see Fisher included on a list like this.
Jimbo Fisher ranked as 13th-best coach of 21st century by The Athletic
The Athletic, in partnership with the New York Times, published this list of their greatest coaches of this century so far. It's no surprise to see Nick Saban up at the top, but there are certainly a few head-scratchers on there.
Best coaches in the 21st century per the New York Times. 👀 pic.twitter.com/xkkAqcmJen
— College Football Alerts (@CFBAlerts_) May 24, 2025
Even though he was a coach for the Aggies, I'm not sure that Fisher would have had a groundswell of support for this ranking among the Maroon and White faithful. There are still plenty of fans who are upset over the way his tenure went in the final few years, and see him as a snake oil salesman (despite the results he did deliver on in the first part of his employment at A&M).
I personally think Fisher deserves to be on here. His accomplishments overall recommend him as an inclusion, and his personality makes him one of the most well-known coaches overall in the sport.