Bobby Petrino on his relationship with Jimbo Fisher: 'My job is to keep him happy'

Bobby Petrino isn’t getting any funny ideas. On Sunday, the Texas A&M offensive coordinator discussed his relationship with Aggies head coach Jimbo Fisher.

“I’ve read or heard, or I’ve had people send me things about, ‘Are you and Coach Fisher getting along?’ That’s not really how it works. (Jimbo) is the boss, alright,” Petrino said. “My job is to keep him happy and make sure everything works the way he wants it to work.”

It needs to work well.  After going 5-7 last season and 2-6 in conference play, Fisher is in hot water in College Station. Nonetheless, Petrino should lessen that load. In 14 seasons of head coaching experience, Petrino boasts a 119-56 record and three top-six finishes (2004, 2006, 2011).

Petrino has been particularly effective in the SEC. At Arkansas, Petrino’s offenses ranked second in the SEC in scoring in 2010 (36.5 points per game) and first in 2011 (36.8 points per game). With his vast experience, Petrino brings an understanding of the Texas A&M power structure.

“I understand that more than probably anybody because of the number of years I’ve been a head coach. But, it’s been a lot of fun. Coach [Fisher] is a ball coach. The ability to go into the meeting room and watch video and listen to his philosophies and his techniques and fundamentals, I’ve improved a lot as a coach, and my knowledge has improved a lot as a coach in just the short amount of time I’ve been here,” Petrino said.

Petrino isn’t the only one who’s addressed the pair’s working relationship. At SEC Media Days, Fisher made a few cryptic comments on the duo’s dynamic, which garnered media attention.

“I’m not going to get into that. Bobby was hired for a reason. Tremendous guy. Tremendous football mind. Hopefully, he’ll call the game & have suggestions,” Fisher said. “When you get to [play] calling, and you get on a roll, you need a guy that can do it, and I think Bobby can definitely do that better than anybody in college football. And I have great respect for him. We’ve had great admiration for each other for a long time.”

Texas A&M diehards desperately need that respect to translate to offense. The Aggies averaged just 22.8 points per game last season, ranking 101st in the nation. Boasting a top 10 recruiting class yearly from 2019-22, Texas A&M has all it needs to turn things around in 2023.

Whether Petrino or Fisher calls plays, the Aggies must win. On Sept. 2, Texas A&M will kick off its 2023 campaign in a matchup against New Mexico.