Jimbo Fisher contract details: How much Texas A&M owes in salary buyout after firing coach

No one can deny Jimbo Fisher's Texas A&M teams have failed to live up to expectations in recent seasons. 

Despite a losing record in 2022 and a mediocre 6-4 mark to this point in 2023, though, it stood to reason Fisher's massive contract might buy him a bit more time to get things back on track.

Apparently the powers that be in College Station disagreed. Texas A&M fired Fisher on Sunday with two regular-season games remaining before the end of his sixth season with the Aggies. 

"After very careful analysis of all the components related to Texas A&M football, I recommended to President Welsh and Chancellor Sharp that a change in the leadership of the program was necessary in order for Aggie football to reach our full potential and they accepted my decision," athletic director Ross Bjork said in a release. "We appreciate Coach Fisher's time here at Texas A&M and we wish him the best in his future endeavors." 

Here's how much that decision will cost the school to reboot its football program: 

MORE: Ranking Texas A&M's best Jimbo Fisher replacements

Jimbo Fisher contract details

Texas A&M lured Fisher away from Florida State, where he had built a perennial title contender, after the 2017 season. That was the only campaign in Fisher's eight years in Tallahassee that the Seminoles didn't reach a bowl game, as they stumbled to a 5-6 mark. 

That opened the door for a change of scenery, and Fisher bolted for (much) greener pastures at A&M, resigning at FSU that Dec. 1 to move to College Station. Fisher initially received a fully guaranteed 10-year deal worth $75 million, a significant bump from the $5.7 million he was making annually at FSU. The $75 million total value was the richest in college football history at the time. 

That distinction didn't last, of course, as his peers continued to up the ante. After Fisher led his team to a 9-1 record and No. 4 ranking in the pandemic-shortened 2020 season, A&M decided another bump was in order, giving Fisher a new 10-year, $95 million deal days before the 2021 season opener. 

The 58-year-old Fisher has been working under that deal as the Aggies have fallen back toward mediocrity the last two seasons, leaving A&M administrators and mega-booster with a decision to make: Was it worth it for them to pay tens of millions of dollars to cut ties with Fisher and move on? 

Even on the heels of a 51-10 demolition of Mississippi State, the answer was yes. Here's how much A&M still owes Fisher:

Jimbo Fisher buyout

According to multiple reports, A&M will owe Fisher a buyout worth about $76 million in firing him now, with his contract set to run through the 2031 season. 

"This will only involve Athletics and 12th Man Foundation funds." - A&M AD Ross Bjork on paying off Jimbo Fisher's buyout.

— Billy Liucci (@billyliucci) November 12, 2023

The previous record for a buyout was Auburn paying Gus Malzahn $21.5 million when it fired him after the 2020 season. Ross Dellenger of Yahoo Sports notes that Fisher's buyout will be more than the entire amount spent by 15 schools that fired coaches last year, which came to about $72 million. 

MORE: Projecting the Playoff teams, NCAA top 25 for Week 12

Jimbo Fisher coaching record

Fisher has been one of the most successful coaches of his era, with a 14-year record highlighted by a national championship with Florida State in 2013. 

He has seen mostly diminishing returns since that high point a decade ago, however, and is 45-25 (.643) during his time in College Station.

Jimbo Fisher ROI

$2.61M per win
(+338% than Kevin Sumlin)

$4.35M per conference win
(+211% than Kevin Sumlin)

$11.75M per ranked win
(+370% than Kevin Sumlin) pic.twitter.com/bkh8bwNcJi

— Kyle Umlang (@kyleumlang) November 12, 2023

Here's a look at his year-by-year record as a head coach: