Fisher deals FSU rare opportunity

Fisher deals FSU rare opportunity


"While Jimbo Fisher learned many lessons during his years with Nick Saban, one of the most important right now is how difficult the path is to repeat as national champions.
Saban (with Fisher as his offensive coordinator) couldn't accomplish that feat 10 years ago at LSU; the Tigers followed a championship season in 2003 with a 9-3 finish in 2004. Saban couldn't do it in 2010 at Alabama, either. The Crimson Tide won it all in '09 but fell to 10-3 the following season - with a team that actually might have had more potential. It would end up taking Saban three tries to get it right, which he did of course with Alabama in 2011 and 2012. But that's the nice thing about learning from great teachers - if you do it right, you can adopt the practices that work well while eliminating the ones that don't. That's probably why Fisher has been able to achieve more at a quicker pace than his former boss. Fisher won a national championship in his fourth season as a head coach. Saban didn't do that. Fisher claimed his first title before he was 50. Saban didn't do that, either. And if things go right, this 2014 season could go a long way in determining Fisher's place among the elite coaches in college football. Fisher already is gaining that respect, at least in some circles. Earlier this year, Athlon listed him as the seventh best coach in the game. More recently, a listing on NFL.com had him at No. 13. That last one seems low, when you consider where Florida State was when Fisher took over - 30-22 in Bobby Bowden's final four years, and 45-10 since - but it's not all that surprising. For starters, there's a perception, at least nationally, that it's easy to win at Florida State. That the locker room is always overflowing with talent - even during the final few years of Bowden's tenure. Those of us who follow the program closely, of course, know that is a fallacy. There were starters on some of those teams in the late 2000s that wouldn't have a chance to make FSU's roster today. Recruiting and talent evaluation are two of the most important skills needed to be an elite college football coach, and Fisher is among the very the best in the nation at both."


"Fisher is proud of both of those influences - Saban and Bowden - and he should be. But a carbon copy he is not.
Jimbo Fisher has evolved into his own coach. And on Monday, he officially will begin his quest to accomplish something that neither of his mentors could - follow up his first national championship with another. He's starting out with the best hand at the table. Unlike in poker, he dealt it to himself."