Jimbo Fisher has hit the jackpot. He has left Florida State University to become the next football coach at Texas A&M, and signed the richest contract in college football history, a 10-year deal worth a reported $75 million, fully guaranteed.
It is not clear yet what Fisher’s salary would be for the 2018 season. But a $7.5 million salary (his contract’s average annual value) would not only have ranked third in college football this season, it would also rank among the largest salaries for a coach in all of sports.
What is remarkable is how quickly Fisher’s salary has risen in recent years. Less than 20 years ago, Fisher was the quarterbacks coach at Auburn with a salary of $72,000, according to Darren Rovell of ESPN. From there he became the offensive coordinator at LSU, and later Florida State, where his salary as an assistant peaked at $630,000. In his first season as a head coach at FSU, his salary was $1.6 million. In his eight seasons as head coach, FSU won three conference titles and one national championship. During that time, his salary has skyrocketed.