FanShot

Florida State is in Transition under Jimbo Fisher

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This article reiterates some of what we have already heard, but at the same time there may be some new details you may not have read about before. More importantly, it reminds us of the point we keep stressing about having realistic expectations for this year, and also reinforces this about Jimbo Fisher: He’s off to a good start. But there is a long way to go. The final years of Bowden’s reign in Tallahassee featured a slow atrophying of the Seminole brand. What was once robust and feared had become soft and vulnerable. FSU inspired dread in few opponents. A program that was expected to tear through the ACC was repeatedly knocked around by the "basketball schools" it was supposed to dominate. Over the past five seasons, FSU lost to all but two — North Carolina and Duke — of its conference rivals. The program that had achieved an unprecedented run of 14 straight seasons with 10 or more wins and rankings in the top 5 of the final AP poll had become a toothless power, losing 27 games in Bowden’s final five years in Tallahassee. By comparison, the Noles dropped only 19 from 1987-2000. During his three-year stint as the sorcerer’s apprentice, Fisher spent as much time investigating the back channels at the university as he did concocting gameplans, cajoling recruits or tutoring his charges on the field. In Fisher’s world, plenty of programs fill their arsenals on the recruiting trails and know how to put those weapons to use on the field. What separates the top teams are the smaller, less noticeable things that can have a huge impact on success. Forging good relationships with the Office of Student Services and the Bursar’s Office can be as vital to a coach as making sure the local constables are willing to play ball at 3 a.m. on a Sunday morning. "I learned where to go to get things done," Fisher says. "I know there are going to be problems, and I have to know how to get them solved quickly. "If you recruit good players, you can win. The difference between that and winning big is the support system you build around your players. Different people control different things in the university, and the big thing is knowing how to organize the whole university to help you."