The search to replace Jimbo Fisher at Texas A&M is coming to an end according to reports. After firing Jimbo Fisher earlier this month, the Aggies are reportedly set to hire Kentucky head coach Mark Stoops.
According to Gigem247, the Aggies made the move to hire Stoops. But, as we all know with coaching searches, nothing is done, until it’s completely done.
To this point, according to sources who have spoken with OutKick, a deal with Stoops is not finalized as of midnight Sunday morning and it doesn’t sound like it will be happening at all.
After paying more than $75 million to fire former coach Jimbo Fisher, the Aggies had been looking for the right replacement to fill the open spot. Athletic director Ross Bjork started his search on November 12th, with schools administrators giving him the task of filling the highly regarded role in College Station.
Well, after beating 10th ranked Louisville on Saturday afternoon, Texas A&M was ready to make the move for the winningest coach in Kentucky history. In Lexington, Stoops led Kentucky to a 73-64 overall record, finishing the regular season 7-5.
The move will be dissected by Texas A&M fans for a while, but Ross Bjork made it clear that he was looking for a coach to build a stable culture in College Station. At Kentucky, Mark Stoops battled with top-tier SEC schools on the recruiting front, having success on the field as well.
Over his eleven seasons at the helm in Kentucky, Stoops won ten games twice, but never truly had the access to resources that could see him succeed in the conference.
Now, he will have have all the NIL funds and resources needed to compete for SEC titles, along with a playoff spot with the new format being installed next season. There was chatter during the last Florida State coaching search that Stoops could end up getting the job in Tallahassee, but that spot was obviously filled by Mike Norvell.
In the meantime, his time at Kentucky had ran its course, with a school fighting for relevancy in the SEC East.
What Can Mark Stoops Bring To Texas A&M?
One thing is for certain, Stoops will hire the right staff that fits with his offensive philosophy. After having success with Will Levis and Liam Coen, it will be interesting to see who he would bring with him to College Station.
There has certainly been enough talent on the Kentucky roster over the years, but it never materialized with conference titles, especially fighting with Georgia and Tennessee on a yearly basis. But, with the right staff and a plethora of NIL resources within the 12th man foundation, Stoops should have success building a talented roster for the Aggies.
The question of whether or not this was what Texas A&M fans were hoping for after Jimbo Fisher was fired will certainly lead to conversations within the fanbase. This is not the splashy hire that former AD Scott Woodward made with Fisher, but the Aggies needed a coach who could establish a culture, while also running an organization.
If the Aggies were looking for the CEO type of coach, they undoubtedly found one with Mark Stoops. But in the overall grand scheme of things in the coaching cycle, Texas A&M decided to go with the safe bet, who had extensive experience in the SEC.
Now we wait for a deal to be finalized.