Paul Finebaum breaks down potential candidates to replace Jimbo Fisher at Texas A&M

ESPN’s Paul Finebaum tried to ponder a logical candidate to replace Jimbo Fisher as Texas A&M’s head coach.

However, there’s not much out there because Texas A&M is one of the hardest jobs in college football, so it seems, according to Finebaum. Lane Kiffin and Mike Elko’s names have been floated out there, more so Elko.

But Finebaum doesn’t buy Kiffin jumping from Ole Miss to Texas A&M.

“Lane Kiffin seems very happy where he is,” Finebaum said on The Matt Barrie Show. “Does he want to deal with all that? I mean, he’s already coached for the Raiders where you have an ego maniacal owner. He’s coached at Southern Cal, which is as tough as it gets … There may be something out there for Lincoln, but it’s not there.”

Jimbo Fisher potential replacements waiting?

Elko makes sense from a familiarity stand point. The former Aggies defensive coordinator is in his second season with Duke and is 15-7 as head coach.

Doing that at a basketball school is as impressive as it gets. However, Finebaum is weary about that potential match.

“The only name you people keep throwing up is Mike Elko but like, I mean, that would be a really big risk,” Finebaum said. “I don’t care how good a coach he is. But to put him in that environment with Texas coming into the SEC, I mean, they have a serious problem at A&M. I’m stating the obvious here. I’ll try not to do that. They’ve got to figure this out. 

“And they really, (Jimbo) has no more real estate to change anyone’s mind. I mean, the only game left on the schedule that matters is at LSU on the final weekend, and beating a three-loss LSU team is not going to change anyone’s mind.”

Elko served as Texas A&M’s defensive coordinator under Fisher from 2018-21.

“As good as that may sound, you’ve been to A&M, that may not work, that might not pass the interview process because it is different than every other school that I’ve ever been to,” Finebaum said. “And I respect the people out there immensely, but it’s unique and if you don’t adhere to that uniqueness, you’re not going to make it there.”

Texas A&M fell to 5-4 on the season and a bowl game is still likely to happen. But anything short of a conference title and College Football Playoff berth under Fisher has been vastly disappointing year in and year out.