On this edition of The Nolecast, Bud Elliott and Ingram Smith discuss the LSU Job and LSU's reported interest in Jimbo Fisher. First, they discuss why LSU would want Jimbo Fisher if it does indeed fire Les Miles. Fisher is a proven recruiter, coach, winner, program builder, and has connections to the LSU job.
We then debate which job is better -- LSU or FSU, and determine that neither is wildly better than the other. Both have the infrastructure and support setup that wouldn't hold an elite coach back from winning a national title.
Then we address some common misconceptions about Fisher and Florida State, which plays in to our belief that Fisher is not likely to leave FSU.
Of note, FSU pays Fisher more than LSU pays Miles, though LSU pays its assistants more, and the total coaches expenditure is a wash between the schools. Unless it decides to completely go off the deep end and offer more than coaches like Saban and Meyer who have won multiple national titles, LSU doesn't seem likely to be able to outbid FSU by a significant amount.
Fisher is also very high on the 2016 and 2017 teams, and just put in the work to form the rebuilding 2015 team to his standards for a nice upcoming run. Every single offensive scholarship player is coming back except Everett Golson. Would he want to leave without enjoying the fruits of his labor? The timing of leaving wouldn't make much sense.
Fisher also has to know that the road to win titles is easier at Florida State in the ACC as long as Miami continues to not seriously invest in its program, and Fisher is very much a student of history and aware of his legacy.
And according to our sources, Jimbo Fisher's relationship with his bosses, and particularly with university president John Thrasher, is excellent and much better than it was with the previous administration.
Of course, there are issues outside of FSU's control that could make a coach want to leave, including personal life factors including his split from wife Candi, and his children. Could there be a desire to go to the SEC and face mentor Nick Saban? Fisher has not indicated publicly (or privately) that he wants to do that.
But even if Fisher did leave, he'd be leaving a program that due to his work is so much better than it was when he took over as head coach in 2010. It's better because he re-ignited the boosters to start giving at a much higher level than they had been and to join modern college football. He inspired the facilities improvements and got an extremely impressive indoor facility built. And, of course, he's won at a rate better than every current coach aside from Urban Meyer. It's not a stretch to say that if Fisher left, 90 to 95 percent of college coaches would be interested in the gig. That's a credit to his work.