Jimbo Fisher had huge expectations entering this season at Texas A&M after getting a monster contract to leave Florida State. The Aggies have started the season 2-2 with losses to perennial playoff teams Clemson and Alabama, but Fisher drew the most attention to himself in a 24-17 win over Arkansas at the Cowboys' AT&T Stadium on Saturday. Fisher grabbed a Texas A&M linebacker's face mask in the huddle during a timeout, taking more steps toward him after shoving him away.
Backlash for the altercation was swift. People simply don't see a situation in which it's acceptable to do that to a player. Naturally, once the clip went viral it only garnered more negative attention.
So we just gonna let Jimbo Fisher get away with treating his player like a rag doll
— Emmanuel Acho (@thEMANacho) September 29, 2018
pic.twitter.com/PbecEn4nJs
Big no no here from Jimbo Fisher, 100% uncalled for and you can’t do that. He should be suspended. https://t.co/azRNjX2iJ9
— Michael Pierce (@MichaelMPierce) September 29, 2018
one of these people is an adult, and the other is Jimbo Fisher https://t.co/Clrdgb1fho
— Jordan Zirm (@clevezirm) September 29, 2018
Jimbo Fisher...tough guy. Keep your hands off of the players (kids) and try coaching/communicating with your knowledge and expertise!
— Louis Riddick (@LRiddickESPN) September 30, 2018
A few NFL players even gave their opinions on the face mask, including Eagles defensive end Chris Long and Saints tight end Benjamin Watson.
Should be suspended. https://t.co/SNCvLuRSG8
— Benjamin Watson (@BenjaminSWatson) September 29, 2018
Obviously in today's college football world, coaches are always recruiting. If the wrong player sees this, it could drive him away from Texas A&M. But more than that, current players understandably don't like being manhandled by coaches.
On Monday's "Off the Bench" podcast, Danny Kanell and Raja Bell talk about Fisher's antics, and they break down the aftermath of the clip -- especially once it went viral. They talk about the current state of coaching, and how coaches' roles have changed in terms of player interaction. Texas A&M is heading into the teeth of its SEC schedule, so all eyes will be on Fisher to see how he handles close games moving forward.
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