Before the first question of his first spring practice news conference could be completed, Texas A&M coach Jimbo Fisher shook his head dismissively and interjected.
Jimbo, how much difference will there be in the offense and how much …
“We ain’t worried about … here’s what we’re doing,” Fisher said, holding up his right hand and swatting away the question before new coordinator Bobby Petrino’s name could be uttered. “We’re running our thing. We’re gonna be base fundamentals. We ain’t getting into scheme. We ain’t getting into anything. That’s what we’re going to do. That’s what we’re going to practice and what we’re going to do on a daily basis.”
OK, then.
Fisher, who rarely lacks for words, appeared in no mood to expound on the addition of Petrino, the former Arkansas and Louisville head coach who joined the Aggies’ staff in January. Because it was the first time Fisher met with local reporters since the hiring, naturally, there were plenty of questions about it, especially considering the offense — long Fisher’s baby — was the sore spot of Texas A&M’s disastrous 2022.
Some of those queries on Monday, ahead of A&M’s first spring practice later that afternoon, received terse responses; others were met with platitudes or deflected into oft-repeated talking points Fisher trotted out after losses last year, harping on the team’s execution.
When asked who would call the plays, Fisher said, “I mean, we’ll go through that as we go,” pausing briefly, then adding as the next question started, “Plan on him making calls, plan on him calling plays, I have no problem with that at all.”
The 15-minute session was awkward at times, with Fisher often assuming the defensive tone reminiscent of 2022’s post-defeat briefings rather than a typical spring practice table-setter, usually a haven for positivity.