Florida State Football: 5 Reasons Why Jimbo Fisher Won't Leave Tallahassee

It was recently brought to my attention that there is a possibility, however slim, that Jimbo Fisher could make his way from Tallahassee to another stop in the next few years in the case he continues his winning ways.

While not seeming probable to some fans, the fact is that coaches leave programs for their dream job and can leave the fanbase slightly upset. Just ask Volunteer fans about Lane Kiffin; a departure they won’t soon forget. But Fisher is in a unique situation where it’s hard to predict why or where he would go. He has stated many times that he is proud to be a part of continuing the Seminole tradition.

As a life-long Nole fan, I would be discouraged to see my favorite team lose a great coach so soon after having Bobby Bowden for over 30 years, but the two current precedents of college football are the coaching carousel and big bags of money.

Despite my dislike of the system, it is the way it is and coaches will continue to change programs for bigger paychecks, but Coach Fisher might be settled in Tallahassee and this is why.

1. FSU Is Already a Big Job

It has often been speculated that if Fisher were to leave Florida State, it would be for a job in the Southeastern Conference, where he made his bones as an offensive coordinator while at LSU and Auburn.

SEC schools have a long history of great football programs along with a high level of prestige which could be appealing to Fisher. FSU has this same level of prestige with two national championships and two Heisman winners.

There are only a few jobs that could be considered a bigger deal than FSU. None of them seem to be in need of a head coach at the moment, so fans should take solace in that fact, but jobs are always opening up in the business of college football.

2. They’re Showing Him the Money

FSU has continually backed Fisher with monetary support to keep him at the school. When FSU officials saw a possibility of Fisher taking another head coaching position while still an assistant in 2007, they locked him down with a guarantee that he would be coach by 2011 or he would have a check for 2.5 million dollars, which was raised to 5 million the next year.

It is doubtful that he will ever be the highest paid coach in the country at FSU, but as the program continues to make its way back, the revenues will begin to flourish, which could bring a bigger paycheck for the head coach.

It is unlikely that Fisher’s main drive as a head coach is financial gain, but he has shown that he desires to be paid well for his work and the work of good coaches does not come cheap. If there is a reason that Fisher will leave, this is the most unlikely one.

3. The Competition Level of the ACC

The SEC has shown that it is the true king of college football conferences by winning the last five national championships, but the competition level is not kind to most of the good teams in that conference. With other conferences buffing up with realignment, the ACC is an enviable position for Fisher to thrive with conference championships and BCS bowls. He will have a preferable path to national championships in the ACC than if he were to move to the SEC.

Bobby Bowden knew the strength of the SEC and took advantage of the ACC’s competition level to set himself up for more opportunities in bowl season. Sadly, bad field goals often ruined chances at national championships, but those chances were there because of the competition level in the ACC.

4. This Is Only the Beginning

Top recruiting classes, a ten-win season for the first time in years, a top five preseason projection, and more hype than when disco died. All of these things are contributing reasons as to why the Noles are back and why Fisher should stay put for a while.

Even though Fisher has proved himself in his short time at Florida State and while he looks to build off of his first year’s success, it’s still early and he has yet to really show his full repertoire as a head coach. Not to doubt his ability, but we have yet to see what he is fully capable of and he should not be looking for the door anytime soon.

Also nothing is really looking bad for Fisher’s program right now and for Fisher to think of jumping ship now would be preposterous anyhow.

No one is hotter on the recruiting trail than Fisher is right now and you never leave the table when it’s hot. Which leads right into the next reason…

5. The Gold Mine in the Backyard

The recruiting situation of Florida is another reason why FSU is a great place to stay.

When it comes to football talent in Florida, the cup runneth over and when you can just recruit out of your backyard, it can make your job that much easier. Many programs suffer from the lack of in-state talent and it is hard for coaches to consistently bring in top talent from around the country.

Fisher has shown that he is a great recruiter by bringing in a top five class the last two years with another likely on the way, and I doubt he is about to leave the goldmine of talent that is Florida high school football. The recruiting situation is enviable for any college coach in Florida, and it would be unwise for Fisher to turn his back on it, which is why he’ll be staying put for a while.