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Fisher Is FSU's Heir Apparent

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By SCOTT CARTER, The Tampa Tribune

Published: December 6, 2007

Updated: 12/06/2007 12:17 am

TALLAHASSEE - On the one-year anniversary of Florida State coach Bobby Bowden's induction into the College Football Hall of Fame, multiple sources confirmed Wednesday that FSU is close to finalizing a plan for offensive coordinator Jimbo Fisher to replace Bowden when the iconic FSU coach retires.

FSU still has some legal hurdles to overcome in the language of the agreement, but a formal announcement of the nebulous deal, one that will make Fisher the highest-paid assistant coach in the country, will come Monday morning at a news conference. The agreement is expected to give Fisher an additional title and pay him a financial package worth more than $800,000 annually.

Fisher, who left town on a recruiting trip Wednesday afternoon, did not return a call late Wednesday to his cell phone. His wife, Candi, is hopeful the pact can be finalized soon.

"We love it here and we're happy here," she said. "Jimbo has always been a huge Florida State fan ever since I've known him. We hope everything works out so that we can stay here a long time."

With Fisher's name linked to several openings - including strong interest from Arkansas once Clemson coach Tommy Bowden turned down an offer earlier this week from the Razorbacks - FSU president T.K. Wetherell made it a priority in recent days to keep FSU's coaching staff intact.

At the top of his list was to renew Bowden's "lifetime" contract for 2008, a task reached late last week when Bowden agreed to a one-year extension worth approximately $2.5 million; and to find a way to keep Fisher in Tallahassee. Wetherell did not return a call to his office Wednesday, and his secretary said he was not available for comment during a stop by his office. However, during a booster function Tuesday in Jacksonville, Wetherell assured those in attendance he had every intention of retaining Fisher, 42, a former assistant under Terry Bowden at Auburn who came to FSU after spending seven years as LSU's offensive coordinator.

"There's a plan in place," Wetherell said during Tuesday night's booster function. "We're not going to lose Jimbo Fisher."

For those close to the program with their hearts and wallets, such as former FSU receiver and prominent Tampa booster Barry Smith, keeping Fisher on staff is crucial for the program's immediate future.

"Different people will look at it different ways," Smith said of picking Bowden's successor before the legendary coach retires. "I think it's a good move. I don't think it's anything to slight Bobby at all.

"It's a big job. Nobody holds the golden answer that this is going to be the perfect choice. ... What was started a year ago with the big coaching changes, it's moving in the right direction, because we have had a lot of ambiguity the past few years, and that's not good for a program like Florida State."

When Fisher was hired in January, he signed a three-year contract that pays him $425,000 per year. That figure is expected to double, with Fisher to be more involved in booster and alumni affairs.

Also, according to multiple sources, the agreement will cost FSU a significant buyout if Fisher isn't named coach, and conversely, Fisher must pay FSU if he accepts another job before Bowden retires.

Bowden, in his 32nd season at FSU, is major college football's all-time winningest coach. His 373 career wins are two more than Penn State's Joe Paterno.

Neither Bowden, 78, nor Paterno, 81, have indicated any desire to stop coaching. Prior to his induction into the Hall of Fame last December in New York, Bowden acknowledged in an interview with The Tampa Tribune that the wins record matters somewhat.

"You would love for it to happen, but it's not something I've ever worried about or tried to make a goal of mine," he said.

After a 7-6 record last season - Bowden's worst since his first season at FSU in 1976 - he made the largest overhaul of his coaching career, hiring five new assistants. That quieted a restless fan base for the most part until FSU's 45-12 loss at Florida on Nov. 24. The loss was FSU's worst in the series since 1983 and reignited talk of Bowden's future.

Rick Nafe, who sits on the board of the FSU National Alumni Association, is confident Fisher is capable of leading the program.

"It was a concern that we've all been talking about, especially after the Florida game," Nafe said Wednesday. "Now, you can tell the recruits, 'You are going to start out playing under a legend, and whenever that day comes when he is not the coach, here is who is going to be your next coach.'"

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