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Texas A&M agrees to pay Jimbo Fisher even more and extends his contract through 2031

One year ago, we were wondering if Texas A&M was getting its money's worth from head coach Jimbo Fisher.

Now, Fisher is getting even more money.

Texas A&M announced a contract extension with Fisher that will pay him more than $9 million annually through 2031. The new deal is roughly a $1.5 million annual raise from the 10-year, $75 million contract that raised eyebrows the first time around.

The extension will put Fisher behind only Nick Saban, who makes $10.6 million per year, among college coach salaries. If he reaches the end of the contract, he will have made more than $100 million at Texas A&M.

Fisher's new contract is for $95 million through its current end date.

“Coach Fisher continues to demonstrate he is building our program for long-term success and he is a perfect fit for Texas A&M," athletic director Ross Bjork said in a statement. "Providing the appropriate amount of stability and continuity during this important time is critical as we support our football program at the highest level. As one of only five active head coaches to win a national championship, Coach Fisher knows what it takes to lead a comprehensive program on and off the field and develop our young men beyond football. There is momentum in all phases of our program and we are excited about what lies ahead for Aggie Football. We appreciate Coach Fisher’s commitment to Texas A&M.”

Has Jimbo Fisher earned his raise?

Fisher entered College Station with the highest of expectations thanks to his national championship-winning résumé and monster contract.

Three seasons in, it has been a mixed bag for the Aggies. Fisher's first two campaigns weren't disasters, but they definitely weren't what Texas A&M was paying for. The team went 17-9 in those two seasons, but 3-7 against ranked opponents and 0-6 against top 5 opponents.

A pandemic-altered 2020 season is why Texas A&M is giving Fisher his raise. He finally got a signature win with an upset of No. 4 Florida and posted a record of 9-1, with a win over North Carolina in the Orange Bowl. Texas A&M's No. 4 finish in the AP Poll was its highest since 1939.

That finish was encouraging, though a third straight lopsided loss to Saban's Alabama team was not. Fisher's Aggies have never finished within even two scores of Alabama and hold a combined score of 144-75 across the three games. Despite that, Texas A&M decided to pay Fisher nearly at the level of Saban.

Texas A & M head coach Jimbo Fisher speaks to reporters during an NCAA college football news conference at the Southeastern Conference media days, Wednesday, July 21, 2021, in Hoover, Ala. (AP Photo/Butch Dill)
Jimbo Fisher's Texas A&M career has been nothing if not lucrative. (AP Photo/Butch Dill)

Plenty of coaches have done better against Alabama, but few are in the position of Fisher, who could very well have drawn interest had the LSU job opened up in the near future. Not only does Fisher have a history at LSU as its former offensive coordinator, the Tigers just hired Scott Woodward, the man who brought in Fisher when he was Texas A&M's athletic director and now holds the same title in Baton Rouge.

You'd imagine this extension precludes an exit to LSU. The Aggies, ranked No. 6 in the preseason AP poll, can only hope Fisher lives up to it.