Florida State coach Jimbo Fisher leaving to take Texas A&M head coaching job

For the first time in 41 years, Florida State is without a head football coach.

FSU Coach Jimbo Fisher agreed Friday to become the new head coach at Texas A&M, capping a week of limbo that had Tallahassee on edge.

He will not coach the Seminoles against Louisiana-Monroe at noon today. Odell Haggins will be the interim head coach.

Fisher has signed a 10 year, $75 million deal to become the Aggies next head coach.

“Today, Jimbo Fisher informed me he has accepted an offer to become the next head football coach at Texas A&M University,” FSU President John Thrasher said in a statement.

“Coach Fisher did an exceptional job as both an assistant coach at FSU and in the challenging role of successor to the legendary Bobby Bowden. I believe Texas A&M is getting one of the best coaches in college football. We appreciate all he has done for our program and wish him and his family great success moving forward.”

Things moved quickly Friday morning on what turned out to be Fisher’s last day as the Seminole’s coach.

Thrasher met with Fisher’s agent Jimmy Sexton for about an hour at 9 a.m., sources told the Tallahassee Democrat. At 11 a.m., sources said, Fisher called Thrasher and resigned.

Before Fisher could tell his players at a 2 p.m. meeting, the news broke. He spoke with the team, and then left the campus.

At least one FSU player -- injured quarterback Deondre Francois -- did not appreciate finding out after the news appeared on social media.

“No call, no text, you could of said something ...” Francois tweeted Friday afternoon.

Fisher was in his eighth year as the FSU head coach with an 83-23 overall record. He leaves FSU with one game left in the 2017 regular season.

With Fisher gone, FSU will be entering into the coaching carousel for the first time in 41 years when Bobby Bowden was hired in 1976.

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Fisher became FSU's head coach in 2010, taking over for Bobby Bowden after being named head-coach-in-waiting and offensive coordinator in 2007.

He took over a program that had gone 7-6 three times in the four years before Fisher took over, and he immediately turned the program around winning 19 games in his first two seasons, and reaching the programs first ACC title game since 2010.

Fisher then parlayed that into a three year stretch from 2012-2014 where the Seminoles went 39-3 with three ACC titles – FSU hadn’t won the ACC since 2005 — and a 14-0 national championship season in 2013, the program’s first since 1999.

Fisher then became a hot name for the coaching rumor mill being mentioned for jobs at LSU, Texas, Auburn, West Virginia, and Tennessee before ultimately leaving FSU for Texas A&M.

Fisher turned the LSU rumors into a raise following the 2015 season and then into an extension through 2024 in following the 2016 season when LSU came calling once again.

That contract extension made Fisher the sixth highest paid head coach in college football at $5.55 million annually.

FSU finished 10-3 in both seasons.

The Seminoles entered the 2017 season as the preseason No. 3 team in the country, but now sit at 5-6 needing a win against Louisiana-Monroe on Saturday to extend its bowl game streak to 36 straight seasons.

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He finished his FSU career 20-11 against Power-5 opponents over his last three seasons, and is just 10-10 over his last 20 games.

With Fisher gone, FSU will turn its focus to Oregon coach Willie Taggart. USA Today reported Wednesday that the administration has already started its vetting process with Taggart.

He has been at Oregon for one season with a 7-5 record after the Ducks went 4-8 a season ago, and has a 47-50 overall record.

FSU is also considering Virginia Tech coach Justin Fuente, who led the Hokies to the ACC Championship game in his first season in Blacksburg in 2016. This season, the Hokies are 9-3 heading into bowl season.

“From the moment media reports began to circulate about our position, it became evident the job would attract great interest from a number of elite coaches, and we will move quickly to evaluate candidates from across the nation,” Thrasher wrote.

“Our fans are the best in the country, loyal and passionate about developing student-athletes who are champions on and off the field. They’ve made Doak Campbell Stadium one of the most thrilling venues in all of college sports along with its storied traditions that represent the spirit and excellence of our distinguished university, athletically and academically.

"The excitement around Florida State is indisputable, and a tremendous opportunity awaits whoever is chosen as our new head football coach.”

Sports editor Jim Henry contributed to this report.