Jimbo Fisher: ‘Someone should’ve slapped’ Nick Saban after Texas A&M, NIL claim

Jimbo Fisher was enraged by Nick Saban accusing Texas A&M of using NIL to their advantage on the recruiting trail, stating the Aggies “bought” their players. In a passionate press conference on Thursday, Fisher took issue with Saban basically calling him a cheater, and said some should have “slapped him” so he would’ve learned not to cry wolf.

“You can call em anything you want to call me, you ain’t calling me a cheater,” stated Fisher. “I don’t cheat and I don’t lie. Because I learned that when I was a kid. If you did my old man slapped me across the head. Maybe someone should have slapped him.

“That’s what thing you don’t. Now you’re fooling with our name. .. I ain’t into that. I wasn’t raised that way.”

Juwan Howard and Will Smith have a sly smile on their face listening to the Texas A&M coach. As if the Aggies and the Crimson Tide isn’t always a money game, the emotion in 2022 will be higher than ever.

Jimbo Fisher on Nick Saban: ‘The narcissist in him doesn’t allow those things to happen and it’s ridiculous when he’s not on top.”

Just hours after Alabama head coach Nick Saban’s rant accused Texas A&M head coach Jimbo Fisher of recruiting infractions involving NIL offers to incoming players, there is a response. After calling an impromptu press conference on Thursday morning, the Aggies denied any wrongdoing.

During the press conference, Jimbo Fisher took time to address the accusations made by his former boss Nick Saban. While upset with this, and accusations made by Ole Miss head coach Lane Kiffin before, he continues preaching the same response.

“First, I want to say, it’s a shame that we have to do this,” said Fisher. “It’s really despicable. It’s despicable that somebody can say things about somebody, an organization, and more importantly 17-year old kids. You’re taking shots at 17-year old kids and their families. That they broke state laws, that they’re all money, that we bought every player on this group.

“We never bought anybody. No rules were broken. Nothing was done wrong. It was all – the way in which we do things, the ethics of how we do things. And these families, it’s despicable that a reputable head coach can come out and say this when he doesn’t get his way or things don’t go his way. The narcissist in him doesn’t allow those things to happen and it’s ridiculous when he’s not on top.”

The heart of the anger from other SEC coaches toward Texas A&M comes after the Aggies signed nine five-star commits from the On3 Consensus. In addition, four of those nine were five-star plus prospects who earned the high honor from all four major recruiting services.

The class is headlined by No. 1 overall player Walter Nolen, followed by defensive lineman Shemar Stewart, wide receiver Evan Stewart, defensive lineman Lebbeus Overton, defensive lineman Gabriel Brownlow-Dindy, cornerback Denver Harris, wide receiver Chris Marshall, quarterback Conner Weigman and safety Jacoby Matthews.

On3’s James Fletcher III contributed to this article.