Jimbo Fisher Discusses Contemplating FSU Retirement in Palm Beach Post Exclusive

Florida State head coach Jimbo Fisher has quickly risen to the top of his profession, but his ascent almost never happened, as he considered retiring in 2011. 

According to Tom D'Angelo of the Palm Beach Post, the 50-year-old coach revealed in March he gave thought to stepping away after just one year at the FSU helm due to his son, Ethan, getting diagnosed with Fanconi anemia:

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Yeah, it did cross my mind, without a doubt. I didn't know what (Ethan's condition) required, what it meant. 'Should I coach? Should I not coach?' I don't know if we ever got to that point where we thought about it seriously but it crossed my mind to think about that because I didn't know until we found out everything.

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Fisher admitted he was concerned at the time about whether he could be fully committed to coaching while also focusing on his son, but he explained his motivation to push through it: "Just had to do what you had to do. That's the way I was raised. You can't feel sorry for yourself because it's unfair to the kids I'm coaching."

The Clarksburg, West Virginia, native led the Seminoles to a 9-4 record in 2011, and he has won at least 10 games in every season since, including a perfect 14-0 mark in 2013 that culminated in a national championship.

Florida State had gone six straight seasons without winning double-digit games before Fisher's elevation from offensive coordinator to head coach in 2010, but he has been the driving force behind the program regaining its status as a national power and perennial contender.

Had Fisher decided to retire in 2011, that progress may never have happened, and the school may not have won its second BCS national title.

The fact that Fisher was not only able to coach but able to excel under such difficult circumstances against a high level of competition is a perfect example of why he is regarded as one of the elite coaches in college football.

His motivational tactics and recruiting have brought the 'Noles program back into a golden age, and they figure to continue contending on a regular basis for as long as he is in the picture.

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