COLLEGE STATION, Texas _ On a shelf behind John James "Jimbo" Fisher Jr.'s desk are various framed photos of his sons, Trey and Ethan, and one of a gray-bearded, barrel-chested bear of a man.
John James "Big Jim" Fisher Sr.
Jimbo says the photo of his father was taken on his last Christmas Day, in 1993. Jimbo was Auburn's 28-year-old quarterbacks coach. Big Jim, farmer by day, coal miner by night, had black lung disease.
A quarter-century later, Big Jim's commanding presence, which exceeded his 6-foot-3 stature, still resonates back home in West Virginia _ and here at Texas A&M, personified in Jimbo's magnetism, mannerisms and homespun proverbs.
No, 5-9 Jimbo did not inherit his father's size, but he was a tenacious athlete, all-state in three sports and Division III Player of the Year as a quarterback despite 11 surgeries.
And get a load of Jimbo now, in his spacious office, adjacent to 102,733-seat Kyle Field. What would Big Jim think of Jimbo's 10-year, $75 million contract, the richest in college football coaching history?
"He'd be grinnin'," Jimbo says. "He'd say, 'Bo, you'd better get your ass to work if you want to earn your (expletive) money.' "
It's the West Virginian mentality, further evidenced by Jimbo's 81-year-old mother, Gloria. She retired seven years ago after 51 years of teaching, mostly high school chemistry and physics, but she still substitute teaches.
As for Jimbo, 52, it was six months ago that A&M stunningly wooed him from Florida State, where he was 83-23 in eight seasons and won the 2013 national title. But he's been so busy recruiting and jetting to Aggie meet-and-greets around the state that he hasn't fully decorated his office.
"A bunch of my stuff is still over there (in Tallahassee)," he says. "I'll get it later this summer."
Last weekend Fisher-and-staff's recruiting efforts netted an oral, nonbinding commitment from Humble Atascocita offensive tackle Kenyon Green. 247Sports.com rates him the state's No. 1 recruit and A&M's 2019 class No. 2 in the nation, behind Alabama's.
The Aggies also last weekend reaped oral commitments from 2020-class offensive linemen Akinola Ogunbiyi and Smart Chibuzo, both from Fort Bend County.
"Hopefully what we can do," Fisher declares during a wide-ranging interview with The News before zipping out to Midland, "is make A&M more of a national brand.
"Don't get me wrong: We want to get every Texas football player we can. We're going to saturate this state, top to bottom, but there may be one or two or three great players out there across the country that could make your program different. We've got to be able to go out and pluck those players."
Aggies athletic director Scott Woodward says the Fisher Effect, in the wake of three straight 8-5 seasons under Kevin Sumlin, has been appreciable in ways other than recruiting.
Woodward says he senses energized Aggie Spirit as Fisher's Aug. 30 debut against Northwestern State approaches. Looming nine days later is a home clash against Clemson. Two weeks after that is a trip to face defending national champion Alabama and Fisher's ex-boss, fellow West Virginian Nick Saban.
"You're seeing, in my opinion, a very, very high intensity of what he wants to sell and bring to the program," Woodward says of Fisher.
Woodward isn't surprised, nor is he unbiased. Coach and AD have known one another since 2000, when then-LSU coach Saban hired Fisher as offensive coordinator and Woodward was Chancellor Mark Emmert's liaison to the athletic department.
Woodward says he spent many evening hours in the football offices watching Saban, Fisher and staff game plan opponents and build the program, ultimately to the 2003 national championship.
"As a young man," Woodward says of Fisher, "he carried himself with such maturity and such confidence that I said, 'Man, this guy is going to be an incredible head coach one day.' I just knew it."
Now, six months into their reunion?
"He gets the culture of Aggieland and is a great fit for it," Woodward says. "And Aggies in particular, donors and supporters, sense that right away. The feedback I've gotten is, 'Hey, this guy really gets us and understands what he has here.' "
