The rumors are buzzing again. This guy heard from a guy who knows a guy who used to work with a source that Jimbo Fisher is still interested in the LSU job.
The whispers will not go away. The latest reports come from the New Orleans Times-Picayne, who quote anonymous (of course) sources suggesting Fisher, the FSU coach, is ready to take the job if his financial demands are met.
So why doesn’t Fisher just say no? Once and for all, no. He has a job. When you consider how well he has done in recruiting, he has a better job than the one LSU has open. No. Nyet. Never.
Oh, earlier in the season, Fisher said he planned to be at FSU for a long time. But planning is a different animal than pledging, isn’t it? It is time for Fisher to slam the door shut.
Maybe, then, it’s time for the fist-on-the-table, once-and-for-all statement that Fisher isn’t interested in LSU. And furthermore, got it?
Instead, the reports persist. The latest one says that Fisher is “the guy” of LSU athletic director Joe Alleva.
“Jimbo was Joe’s guy from the beginning, and I just don’t see him passing on hiring him,” a source told the newspaper. Fisher was the offensive coordinator at LSU in 2003, when the team won the national title.
What does Fisher, who has a $5-million-a-year buyout, need with the LSU pressure? What does he need with the SEC West and Nick Saban? And when is the last time a coach of a Top 20 program jumped to another Top 20 program?
At FSU, Fisher has a young program. He has recruited well — again. The ACC is tougher these days, but it isn’t Mount Saban.
If I were a coach who was interested, frankly, I think FSU’s situation is better. Unless Fisher is weary of the same scenery, I’d stay put. It’s possible to see Fisher chasing the NFL some day, but not a lateral move.
Will Fisher stay?
We’ll see. Again.