Florida State Wise to Extend Jimbo Fisher's Contract Before NFL Comes Calling

With a national title under his belt and a shot at another coming up in the next few weeks, Jimbo Fisher has the kind of resume that figures to make him an enticing option for NFL teams looking to dip into college for their next coach.

Florida State has recognized this, announcing Tuesday it inked Fisher to an eight-year contract extension through the 2022 season that should make it easier to keep him from jumping to the pros.

Terms of the deal were not disclosed, but the release said Fisher—who was paid just under $3.6 million for this season—will be "one of college football's highest paid coaches." Bruce Feldman of Fox Sports tweeted that Fisher's average salary would be around $5.5 million, trailing only the Alabama's Nick Saban and Michigan State's Mark Dantonio.

Fisher's name hasn't been mentioned for potential NFL openings like other college coaches, such as Brian Kelly at Notre Dame or Bob Stoops at Oklahoma, but that could change soon, especially if he leads the Seminoles to a second straight FBS title next month.

The 49-year-old has spent his entire coaching career in college, with this being his fifth season in charge of FSU, but his combination of age, experience and success makes him a viable NFL candidate.

"I never had an urge to go to the NFL," Fisher told the Orlando Sentinel's Mike Bianchi, who advocated for the Miami Dolphins to fire Joe Philbin to lure Fisher from FSU in the Dec. 17 column (though since then, Miami owner Stephen Ross announced Philbin would be retained for 2015). "I like college kids. I don't think you ever say never in this business—I've learned that—but I don't have a drive to go to the NFL; that's not an ultimate goal."

Fisher's public statements regarding the NFL can only be believed so much, since money can mean a lot. NFL teams can pay much more than college teams, as his reported $5.5 million average salary in the extension would only put him 11th if it were a pro contract.

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Another motivating factor to head to the NFL would be avoiding dealing with major roster turnover again this offseason. This happens in the pros, too, but teams have a little more control over it than in college, where seniors graduate and some underclassmen declare early for the draft. FSU figures to lose quarterback Jameis Winston, among others, and this could lead to a rebuilding year in 2015.

But there was a similar concern heading into this season, yet FSU has a 29-game win streak going. And the recruiting success that Fisher and his staff has had should minimize the effect of the roster attrition, especially with Fisher's reputation for developing quarterbacks and commitments from two highly regarded passers for 2015.

Fisher also seems to genuinely like the challenge of the recruiting landscape, telling Bianchi, "I like the interaction of recruiting and then developing these college kids when they're 18-22 (years old). It's fun. It really is."

The move by FSU to ink Fisher to this long-term deal makes sense, and not just because it's easier than having to deal with a new coach search in the near future. He's winning, he's loved by the fanbase and his players, and he's managed to weather losing multiple coordinators to other programs without any on-field performance backslide. He's also helped steer the ship during the rough seas of controversy that have swirled around the program beyond just what Winston has been involved in.

While Fisher might be criticized by some for defending Winston and others in hot water too unwaveringly, that can also speak to his dedication to the program in that he's trying to separate football from non-football situations. It's also been cited by at least one incoming recruit, running back Jacques Patrick, as a reason for choosing FSU over other schools, as Josh Newberg of 247Sports.com reported:

After a season like this, with seemingly the entire college football world waiting (perhaps, hoping) for FSU to fall from its perch, the idea of bolting for a more lucrative gig in the NFL could have been very enticing. Fisher likely wouldn't have signed this deal if that was really an option for him, though, and Florida State wouldn't have made this extension if it didn't think Fisher was the guy it wanted to ride with for a long, long time.

Follow Brian J. Pedersen on Twitter at @realBJP.