Jimbo Fisher

Texas A&M head football coach Jimbo Fisher said Wednesday he's "moving on" from his feud with Alabama counterpart Nick Saban.

Fisher told reporters his focus has shifted to college football's "more pressing needs" as it tries to evolve in the name, image and likeness (NIL) era:

The verbal exchange began May 19 when Saban said "A&M bought every player on their team" since NIL deals became available following a Supreme Court ruling last June that barred the NCAA from limiting payments to student-athletes.

While it was just the latest in a long line of comments the longtime Bama coach has made questioning the direction of college sports in the NIL era, it was also his most direct rebuke of any program's specific use of collective pools—each program's money available for endorsement deals—to attract recruits.

It drew a strong response from Fisher, who described Saban as a "narcissist" and urged people to dig into Saban's past.

"Some people think they're God. Go dig into how God did his deal, you may find out about a guy that a lot of things you don't wanna know," Fisher said. "We build him up to be this czar of football. Go dig into his past or anybody that's ever coached with him."

SEC commissioner Greg Sankey issued a public reprimand against both coaches, saying they didn't meet the "established expectations for conduct and sportsmanship."

On Tuesday, Saban apologized for singling out Texas A&M in his prior remarks, but he didn't retract the allegations and instead refocused his ire toward the NIL environment.

"I didn't say anybody did anything wrong," Saban said.

The situation generated ample headlines not only because the coaches are currently rivals in the SEC, but also because they worked together at LSU in the early 2000s.

Saban was the head coach of the Tigers from 2000 through 2004, and Fisher was his offensive coordinator for all five of those seasons.

Brody Miller, Bruce Feldman and Matt Fortuna of The Athletic reported there were a lot of issues between the pair during those years despite the on-field success, which included the 2003 national championship.

"There was [friction] all the time," one source told The Athletic. "Will [Muschamp] and Kirby [Smart] and all the defensive guys all bowed down to Nick, but Nick depended on Jimbo a lot. But Nick is so hard on his [offensive coordinators]. They were always at each other's throats."

Another added: "Oh, it ain't like Nick and Kirby. There is no love lost between Nick and Jimbo—at all."

Two decades later, those lingering frustrations appeared to re-emerge in recent weeks.

Fisher's comments Wednesday may push the tension to the back burner for awhile, but the topic is sure to return ahead of the Oct. 8 clash between the Aggies and Crimson Tide.

Alabama head football coach Nick Saban doesn't have a personal grudge against Jimbo Fisher.

Speaking to reporters at the SEC spring meetings on Tuesday in Destin, Florida, Saban said "I have no problem" with the Texas A&M head coach "at all."

The comment comes nearly two weeks after Saban told the audience at a business event that the Aggies "bought every player on their team" in recruiting the past two years, per ESPN's Alex Scarborough:

I mean, we were second in recruiting last year. A&M was first. A&M bought every player on their team -- made a deal for name, image, likeness. We didn't buy one player, all right? But I don't know if we're gonna be able to sustain that in the future because more and more people are doing it. It's tough.

Saban tied his comment about the Aggies into his thoughts about how name, image and likeness rules are impacting college football.

Texas A&M has drawn a lot of attention from opposing SEC coaches recently. Mississippi's Lane Kiffin told 247Sports' Carl Reed in February that college football was "gonna implement a luxury tax" on Texas A&M and Texas because "what they’re paying the players is unbelievable."

Fisher has gotten defensive amid accusations that his program is buying all of its players.

Coming out of national signing day in February, Fisher called out an anonymous message board post that said the Aggies had $30 million in NIL funds.

Fisher also had strong words for his fellow coaches, including Kiffin, and others who were spreading rumors about Texas A&M spending to recruit players.

"To have coaches in our league and across this league to say it, clown acts," Fisher told reporters. "Irresponsible as hell. Multiple coaches in our league. And the guys griping about NIL and transfer portal are using it the most and bragging about it the most. That's the ironic part. ... It's a joke. It does piss me off."

On Tuesday, Saban noted he "didn't say anybody did anything wrong" regarding Texas A&M's recruiting practices.

Texas A&M has the nation's top-ranked class for 2022, per 247Sports' composite rankings. The class includes 27 players who are 4- or 5-star prospects, including two top-10 overall players in defensive linemen Walter Nolen and Shemar Stewart.

Saban could also be playing mind games in an attempt to get under Fisher's skin. They know each other well from their last four years coaching against each other in the SEC. Fisher was also on Saban's coaching staff at LSU from 2000 to '04.

The Aggies and Crimson Tide will play at Bryant-Denny Stadium on Oct. 8. Texas A&M beat Alabama, 41-38, last season for the first time since 2012.   

Georgia head coach Kirby Smart didn't find anything amiss upon learning how few interactions Nick Saban and Jimbo Fisher have with each other.

Speaking with reporters Tuesday, Smart generally downplayed the war of words between Saban and Fisher, explaining how it's "not super unusual to me" for two coaches not to speak with each other:

Saban drew the ire of Fisher when the Alabama head coach said Texas A&M "bought every player on their team—made a deal for name, image, likeness."

Fisher and his coaching staff assembledthe No. 1 class in 247Sports' composite rankings for 2022, and it could be a historically significant group for the Aggies.

While Saban was clearly taking a shot across A&M's bow,he likely had a different intention behind his comments given his audience. He was speaking with local business leaders, the same ones who might need to arrange the kind of NIL deals that will help Alabama land the blue-chip recruits who regularly signed with the Crimson Tide in the pre-NIL era.

Whether Saban was largely attempting to send a message to his booster base was apparently irrelevant to Fisher. The Aggies head coach quickly arranged a press conference for the ages.

Fisher told reporters he didn't answer a call from Saban in the aftermath of the initial comments and added, "We're done."

Smart added a helpful perspective, though.

The 46-year-old was an assistant under Saban with the Miami Dolphins in 2006 and followed him to Alabama before finally taking the Georgia job in 2016.

In December, Smart said Saban "meant a lot in my career" and that he "had a tremendous time while I was at Alabama." Still, Smart added he and Saban "don't communicate daily or anything" and that maintaining an open line of communication is tough because of family and the time demands of their jobs.

Fisher's public broadside against Saban was surprising, but frosty relationships between rival coaches probably isn't all that uncommon. That's likely especially true in the SEC because of how competitive the conference is.

When you're competing to sign the same players on the recruiting trail and chasing the same on-field achievements, feeling any sort of camaraderie toward your peers might be tough.

Jimbo Fisher isn't backing off from his criticism of Nick Saban.

The Texas A&M coach spoke to KSAT 12's Greg Simmons on Friday, saying Saban's allegations were "complete lies."

"I just researched this," Fisher said. "Of the 11 guys we have in place that came early? One guy has an NIL deal. So all these stories you're hearing are complete lies."

Saban had accused Texas A&M of getting NIL contracts for its entire 2022 recruiting class.

"I mean, we were second in recruiting last year," Saban said last Wednesday. "A&M was first. A&M bought every player on their team—made a deal for name, image, likeness. We didn't buy one player, all right? But I don't know if we're gonna be able to sustain that in the future because more and more people are doing it. It's tough."

The Alabama coach's comments led to a forceful denial at a Thursday press conference from Fisher, who made several insinuations about the way Saban's teams have handled the recruiting trail over the years. While he wouldn't go as far as to detail any Saban misdeeds, Fisher threw some 95mph fastballs right back in his mentor-turned-rival's direction.

Saban would later backtrack on his comments, saying he never meant to single out any school. The SEC also issued public reprimands of the two coaches for their public squabble. 

Fisher also took issue with the media's handling of the situation, saying reporters are more interested in getting a story out than fact-checking.

"I'm asking you," Fisher said. "Did you do your research? No, so you just assumed. And that's the way this world goes now. As soon as it's written on social media and someone says it, you believe it. So where does that put you guys as reporters? Nobody wants the truth. You want a story and a click and a hit."

Texas A&M had previously been accused of having a $30 million NIL fund for recruits, a rumor that made the rounds on social media but was never substantiated. 

Coaching legend Steve Spurrier may not be in the profession anymore, but that's not stopping the 77-year-old from needling some of his former peers.

Alabama's Nick Saban drew the ire of Texas A&M's Jimbo Fisher when he said the Aggies "bought every player on their team" after they put together a historic 2022 recruiting class. Fisher immediately responded with a press conference for the ages.

Spurrier wondered why Fisher had been so incensed and questioned whether Saban said anything that lacked a level of truth.

"I don't think Saban told any lies in there, so I don't know what he was mad about," he said to DawgNation's Mike Griffith.

It's a shame the "Head Ball Coach" isn't still active because he otherwise might have waded into the matter with some more pointed trash-talking.

Bobby Bowden once described Spurrier as a "natural-born needler." He's someone who once remarked upon learning of a fire that destroyed 20 books at an Auburn library that "the real tragedy was that 15 hadn't been colored yet."

Some of that acerbic wit came out in the interview with Griffith when he spoke about Fisher's A&M tenure.

"He hasn't beat much of anybody, but he beat Saban last year," he said. "But they haven't won the division or anything since he's been there."

Saban issued an apology to Fisher on Thursday, saying he was wrong to call out a specific school when expressing his concerns with the NIL era.

Unfortunately for fans, this might be the end of the war of words between Saban and Fisher for now. SEC Commissioner Greg Sankey reprimanded both coaches, and he asked all of the conference's coaches to avoid media appearances for the time being.

Tension between Alabama head coach Nick Saban and Texas A&M counterpart Jimbo Fisher reportedly started long before this week's verbal exchange.

Saban's outcry against college football's current name, image and likeness (NIL) rules Wednesday included him saying "A&M bought every player on their team," which led Fisher to call his former boss a "narcissist" during a press conference Thursday.

Brody Miller, Bruce Feldman and Matt Fortuna of The Athletic reported Friday that sources who worked alongside both coaches on Saban's star-studded staffs at LSU in the early 2000s said there were already issues between the duo back in those days.

"There was [friction] all the time," one staffer said. "Will [Muschamp] and Kirby [Smart] and all the defensive guys all bowed down to Nick, but Nick depended on Jimbo a lot. But Nick is so hard on his [offensive coordinators]. They were always at each other's throats."

Another source told The Athletic: "Oh, it ain't like Nick and Kirby. There is no love lost between Nick and Jimbo—at all."

Saban, who also made reference to Jackson State in his remarks Wednesday, appeared on SiriusXM Radio (via Yahoo Sports' Sam Cooper) after Fisher's press conference and issued an apology.

"I should have never really singled anybody out. That was a mistake, and I really apologize for that part of it," Saban said.

SEC commissioner Greg Sankey released a statement reprimanding two of the conference's high-profile coaches for their public remarks.

"The membership of the Southeastern Conference has established expectations for conduct and sportsmanship that were not met last night nor today," Sankey said Thursday.

Saban and Fisher spent five seasons together at LSU beginning in 2000. It was a successful run that included Saban's first of seven national championships as a head coach in 2003.

Despite the success, the coaches rarely saw eye-to-eye about how the Tigers program was being run and the frustration often carried over to the practice field.

"Jimbo would try to pencil-whip Nick to win the drill," a source told The Athletic. "And Nick would say, 'That's not what it's about. We're trying to get better getting ready for an opponent. That's not how they're gonna do it in a game.'"

Another added: "Jimbo wanted to run all these fancy plays. Jimbo is an 'offensive guru.' ... He wanted to showcase his playbook, and that was the biggest argument between those two."

Saban ultimately left in 2005 for a short stint with the NFL's Miami Dolphins before returning to the college ranks with Alabama in 2007.

Fisher stayed at LSU until 2007, when he left to take over as offensive coordinator at Florida State. He'd be promoted to the Seminoles' head coach in 2010 and won a national title in 2013. He accepted the A&M job in 2018.

Two decades after that initial friction developed, they're now major rivals, both on the field and on the recruiting trail in the SEC. Based on Saban's unprovoked attack and Fisher's response, it appears a lot of hard feelings remain.

It adds plenty of intrigue to the Oct. 8 clash between the Aggies and the Crimson Tide, which is now one of the must-see games of the 2022 college football season.

Alabama head coach Nick Saban was the first one to apologize in what has already shaped up to be an explosive back-and-forth with Texas A&M head coach Jimbo Fisher and Jackson State head coach Deion Sanders.

"I should have never really singled anybody out," Saban said during an appearance on ESPNU Radio (h/t Mike Rodak of AL.com). "That was a mistake and I really apologize for that part of it."

He continued and said, "I really didn't mean to single anybody out. I apologize for that. But it’s the whole system—is this a sustainable system and is this good for college football?"

Saban revealed he reached out to Fisher—who was on his staff at LSU—and Sanders but "never got a response. I feel bad about it."

He then expressed his concern with the current climate of name, image and likeness opportunities in college sports, adding he didn't insinuate Texas A&M or Jackson State were doing anything illegal but that "collectives are the issue."

Earlier this month, the NCAA released guidelines regarding booster-led collectives to reiterate that boosters cannot be involved in recruiting. In theory, there can be retroactive punishments for schools if they violated the bylaws, but potential antitrust lawsuits and a focus on the future could prevent that from happening.

While Saban was apologetic Thursday, he made headlines Wednesday when he told reporters, "A&M bought every player on their team. Made a deal for name, image and likeness. We didn't buy one player. But I don't know if we're going to be able to sustain that in the future because more and more people are doing it."

He also said, "Jackson State paid a guy a million dollars last year that was a really good Division I player to come to school. It was in the paper. They bragged about it. Nobody did anything about it."

While the Alabama coach didn't single out the player, cornerback Travis Hunter was a 5-star prospect, per 247Sports' composite rankings, and responded to the comments:         

So did his coach:

They weren't the only ones who publicly criticized Saban in the aftermath of Wednesday's comments.

Fisher told reporters the suggestions were "despicable. We're taking shots at 17-year-old kids. We never bought anyone. When [Saban] doesn't get his way or things don't go his way. Go dig into [Saban's past]. It's despicable. It's personal to us. And I know the guy. Really well."

He also called Saban a "narcissist" and said, "Some people think they're God. Go dig into how God did his deal. You may find out about a guy, a lot of things you don't want to know. We build him up to be this czar of football. Go dig into his past."       

SEC commissioner Greg Sankey issued public reprimands for both Saban and Fisher and said, "public criticism of any kind does not resolve issues and creates a distraction from seeking solutions for the issues facing college athletics today."

All of this comes after Texas A&M defeated Alabama last season and landed the No. 1 overall recruiting class of 2022, per 247Sports' composite rankings.

The Oct. 8 matchup between the Crimson Tide and Aggies will surely be one of the most anticipated games of the season.       

Head football coach Jimbo Fisher isn't the only high-profile member of Texas A&M's athletic department who took issue with comments from Alabama head coach Nick Saban.

Saban turned heads Wednesday when he told reporters: "A&M bought every player on their team. Made a deal for name, image and likeness. We didn't buy one player. But I don't know if we're going to be able to sustain that in the future because more and more people are doing it."

Texas A&M athletic director Ross Bjork told Ross Dellenger of Sports Illustrated he views the comments as a "personal attack" on the school and Fisher, and he reached out to SEC Commissioner Greg Sankey about Saban potentially violating the SEC's sportsmanship bylaws.

"I don't know why Nick Saban would say what he said except he's threatened," Bjork said. "There is a saying … an emperor who loses their dynasty lashes out. He seems to be making excuses.

"This is personal. Coach Fisher views this as a personal attack on his integrity and on Texas A&M’s integrity. To have personal attacks, to say that the only reason A&M is [recruiting well] is NIL money is wrong."

Bryan Fischer of Athlon Sports shared the bylaws Bjork referenced:     

The athletic director's comments were frankly mild compared to Fisher's explosive press conference Thursday.

He told reporters Saban's suggestions were "despicable. We're taking shots at 17-year-old kids. We never bought anyone. When [Saban] doesn't get his way or things don't go his way. Go dig into [Saban's past]. It's despicable. It's personal to us. And I know the guy. Really well."

Fisher, who was an offensive coordinator on Saban's staff when the Alabama coach was at LSU, also called his former boss a "narcissist."

"Some people think they're God," Fisher said. "Go dig into how God did his deal. You may find out about a guy, a lot of things you don't want to know. We build him up to be this czar of football. Go dig into his past."      

Sankey issued public reprimands of both Saban and Fisher:

While Alabama is widely considered to be the gold standard for modern-day college football in large part because of the success Saban has enjoyed both on the field and the recruiting trail, the Aggies landed the No. 1 overall class of 2022, per 247Sports' composite rankings.

Texas A&M also handed the Crimson Tide their only loss last season until the College Football Playoff championship game against Georgia.

This isn't the first time Fisher has defended his program against such rumors after bringing in such an impressive recruiting class. He said the "insinuation" players only came to the Aggies because of money was "insulting" in February, noting "the things that people say are very irresponsible."       

The NCAA may have at least looked into Texas A&M, as Dellenger reported Bjork said the organization requested information about the program's recruiting but never followed up after the initial ask.

One thing is certain. The Oct. 8 matchup between Alabama and Texas A&M in Tuscaloosa will be appointment viewing for all college football fans.