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Wetherell: Fisher To Succeed Bowden

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By SCOTT CARTER | The Tampa Tribune

Published: December 5, 2007

During a booster function in Jacksonville on Tuesday night, Florida State president T.K. Wetherell confirmed the worst-kept secret in FSU history.

Wetherell told a Jacksonville TV reporter who contributes stories regularly to a popular FSU fan Web site, warchant.com, that "there's a plan in place'' for FSU offensive coordinator Jimbo Fisher to replace FSU coach Bobby Bowden when the 78-year-old Bowden finally retires. Multiple sources confirmed this to The Tribune on Wednesday.

An FSU football official released a statement late Wednesday afternoon announcing a Monday press conference at 11:30 a.m. at the Moore Athletic Center, where the FSU football offices are located.

Wetherell's comments Tuesday night to boosters — he added, "We're not going to lose Jimbo Fisher, I can tell you that'' — came only four days after the school released a statement saying no more FSU officials would comment on the ongoing contract talks between Bowden and the school. Those talks hinge somewhat on the negotiations to keep Fisher tied to FSU longer than the remaining two years on his contract. Fisher recently completed his first season as FSU's offensive coordinator after spending seven seasons at LSU.

In order to retain Fisher, FSU is thought to have made the 42-year-old Fisher the highest-paid assistant coach in the nation at more than $750,000 per year. Prior to the news conference announcement, FSU spokesman Frank Murphy confirmed to The Tribune that a press conference is expected Monday. Meanwhile, Wetherell did not return a phone call to his office this morning and was in meetings during the afternoon.

But that's not the end of the Fisher rumors today.

According to online reports out of Arkansas, an official University of Arkansas airplane thought to be used by Arkansas athletic director Jeff Long was in Tallahassee on Tuesday night, igniting speculation that Fisher was high on Arkansas' wish list.

Arkansas failed to persuade Clemson coach Tommy Bowden to take over the Razorbacks earlier in the week, leaving the school still searching for a coach to replace Houston Nutt, who resigned last week and took over at Ole Miss.

Long is apparently interested in Fisher, who was not immediately available for comment Wednesday.

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