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Why Bobby Petrino 'Didn't Sleep For Months' While Working For Jimbo Fisher

Originally posted on FanNation All Aggies
By Cole Thompson | Last updated 11/30/23

When former Texas A&M Aggies offensive coordinator Bobby Petrino was hired to replace Darrell Dickey, the intention was for him to have complete control of the play design.

Much like Dickey, that didn't happen.

Petrino told HogsPlus.com that he never felt entirely comfortable scheming up plays under Fisher due to the verbiage used in the huddle. Petrino mentioned he had stayed up late into the evening to master Fisher's vocabulary.

“This past season, I went into A&M and Jimbo [Fisher] wanted to keep his terminology and I didn’t sleep for months,” Petrino said. “It was hard. It was studying every night trying to figure this out and ‘Why are we calling it this way’ you know?”

Petrino, considered an offensive mastermind after his success at Louisville and Arkansas, did help A&M's offense improve. Under Fisher's play-calling in 2022, the Aggies ranked 93rd in total offense (361.2 yards per game) and 101st in scoring (22.8 points per game).

Under Petrino, the Aggies ranked 54th in total yards (403.8 yards per game) and 25th in scoring (34.2 points per game). Petrino, however, never had full control of the offense throughout their tenure in College Station.

Hired back by Arkansas as the Razorbacks' offensive coordinator, Petrino said he's excited to have final say of the playbook.

"I have an offense that I’m very familiar with and understand inside and out,” Petrino said. “Calling it will be much easier and going quicker. The players are going to have to work hard at understanding it.

"We’ll get it installed three times. Psychologists say if you learn something three times, you’d better have it. So we’ll expect them by kickoff, to have it down and have it ready to go.”

Fisher was fired 10 games into the 2023 season after going 11-11 over the past two years. Mike Elko, who led A&M's defense to a top-three finish in scoring in 2021, was hired as Fisher's replacement after spending the previous two seasons at Duke.

"The guy can flat-out coach," said A&M interim president Gen. Mark A. Welsh III. "He proved it to everyone in the country as a head coach for the last two years at Duke."

Part of Fisher's downfall was his inability to adapt to change with the offensive personnel. A&M never featured a 1,000-yard receiver under his watch and often saw at least three quarterbacks taking starting reps following Kellen Mond's graduation.

Petrino's comments on his role in the offense seem to support the findings. Time will tell if Petrino can be the solution to saving Sam Pittman's job following a 4-8 finish in 2023.

A&M will not only need to find a new offensive coordinator but also several other offensive coaches, including wide receiver and offensive line. Interim coach Elijah Robinson is expected to coach the Aggies through their bowl game next month and will be made a "priority" to keep around under Elko's new staff.

This article first appeared on FanNation All Aggies and was syndicated with permission.

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