Scattershooting: Random thoughts on Fisher, Woodward & A&M basketball

Random thoughts on Jimbo Fisher, A&M basketball schedules, Scott Woodard, etc. …

Some in national media have predicted Texas A&M’s move to hire Jimbo Fisher at $7.5 million per year for 10 years will ultimately backfire on the Aggies. At least one national writer seemed to back up that opinion by pointing out Fisher is just 25-12 over the last three seasons. Therefore, it is reasoned, Fisher is actually trending downward.

What isn’t pointed out is that Florida State under Fisher posted 10 victories in 2015 and ’16. This year the Seminoles were 5-6, but also lost starting quarterback Deondre Francois in the first game. Several more injuries followed. It seems a stretch to deduce that Fisher is trending downward as a coach because of an unfortunate rash of injuries.

Still, another media member suggested Fisher is merely among the “Top 15” coaches, while rating Michigan State’s Mark Dantonio and Kansas State’s Bill Snyder among the Top 5.

Dantonio has certainly done an exceptional job in East Lansing, but in 2016 the Spartans were 3-9. Perhaps he was trending down, but this year they’re 9-3. Snyder, meanwhile, did a masterful job 25 years ago of building Kansas State into a strong program.

However, the Wildcats have managed just two 10-win seasons in the last eight years and are 7-5 this season. Of course, Fisher posted six 10-win seasons, won a national championship and appeared in another playoff in eight seasons in Tallahassee.

So, exactly how is Snyder a better coach?

The typical reaction would be that Snyder had to build Kansas State up from the bottom, while Fisher took over from Bobby Bowden an already powerful Florida State program.

That’s not entirely true.

Snyder did take a moribund Kansas State program and made it wildly successful. Kansas State posted at 11 victories six times from 1997 until 2003. No doubt, by 2003 Kansas State was established as a national power. Since ’03, Snyder is 82-55 in 11 seasons in Manhattan. Compare that to Fisher, who was 83-23 in eight seasons in Tallahassee.

Furthermore, when Fisher replaced Bowden Florida State had gone 7-6 in three of the previous four seasons and had not finished ranked among nation’s Top 10 since 2003.

Woodward stars

I’m not sure if Texas A&M Athletic Director Scott Woodward ever played football, but if he did he must have been an offensive lineman.

Despite doing an exceptional job he prefers to stay in out of the spotlight … kind of like a lineman. I saw Woodward at the A&M basketball game against Prairie View last Saturday and told him he’d become something of a “rock star” for hiring Fisher.

Clay Taylor, TexAgs

With the hiring of Jimbo Fisher away from Florida State, Scott Woodward has established himself as one of the best AD's in the country.

“I don’t want that,” he said.

Woodward would rather the attention to focused on successful coaches. Landing Fisher — who admitted he would not have left Florida State if not for his relationship with Woodward — was obviously a huge accomplishment for the A&M AD.

But he’s had some other good moments, too.

He retained basketball coach Billy Kennedy, who now has a Top 10 team. He got construction going on a new track & field stadium and softball stadium.

He did draw criticism for publicly announcing that eight wins would not be sufficient for to retain former coach Kevin Sumlin. Yet, I’d interpret that as raising expectations rather than managing them.

Further, he’s never touted the prowess of another program … like, say, TCU … over his.

Basketball thoughts

A&M has played an impressive overall schedule with games against West Virginia, Oklahoma State, Penn State, USC and Arizona. A trip to face Kansas looms in January, too. However, the Aggies’ non-conference home schedule is embarrassing.

A&M sometimes bemoans the sparse home crowds at Reed Arena, but can only blame itself this season. The non-conference games thus far have been against Cal-Santa Barbara, Pepperdine, Texas-Rio Grande Valley and Prairie View.

Upcoming game are against Savannah State, Northern Kentucky and Buffalo.

A&M owes its fans who buy season tickets better home games than that. These days games against high-level opponents like Arizona often at neutral sites and some years a team has to make a return trip on a home-and-home series. That’s the case with USC this year.

However, A&M could — and should — make more efforts to bring to Reed Arena at least a couple of stronger opponents each year. Frankly, I don’t understand why an agreement could not be made with Baylor and Texas to ensure A&M plays one of those teams at home and one on the road each year.

That would ensure a strong December gate, have minimal expense and give all teams involved a strong non-conference game to boost RPI.