Q: Can you give us an exhaustive review of the following candidates:

Deon Sanders

Urban Meyers

Lane Kiffin

Kliff KIngsbury

Dan Lanning

Dan Campbell

James Franklin

Don't waste your time on the reaches:

Jeff Traylor

Mike Elko

Glen Schuman

Kalen DeBoer

Dan Lanning (Richard23)

A: Ok, sure.

Deion: No.

Meyer: no.

Kiffin: No.

Kingsbury: No.

Lanning: really, really unlikely

Campbell: No.

Franklin: No.

The only one I can see A&M even remotely considering out of this group beyond Lanning and Campbell (who said no) is Kiffin. And that would cause a huge outcry.

Q: I know it’s premature but how do you feel overall about the handling of both firing Fisher and the coaching search our AD is conducting? (MC9008)

A: Like you said, it’s premature. I don’t think we can make any determination yet.

Q: How much does Jimbo's agent get from the buyout? (Richard23)

A: No idea, but if Jimbo I’d make sure my first-born grandson is named after him.

Q: what’s up with Anderson and DeBerry? Were they dressed but not playing or injured and not dressed. I saw there wasn’t a mention of them on the.injury report so …. What’s up? Will they be available for the last two games? (dad_in_tx)

A: They were not dressed out. As for whether they play from here on out is questionable, but I think there’s a good chance they play against LSU.

Q: If Jimbo takes another coaching gig, does he lose his annual payouts? (84Aggiect)

A: No.

Q: If you were the new head football coach for A&M, who would you go after for position coaches and coordinators to build your staff? (X-Ray Ag)

A: I think that really depends on who the coach is and what their scheme is.

Q: Seems like between Lanning and DeBoer, either could easily fit into our AD'S profile. One of them will win the PAC 12 & go to the playoffs and accordingly. not be available for us in time. Why the hell don't we go for the other one? (AginAfIII)

A: They already have gone after one. They may well go after the other.

Q: Does Elijah want the job?

A: I would think he definitely does.

Given how relational E-Rob is, does he have the backbone to fire coaches and dismiss players? (BC93)

A: He said a couple of times that he understands that this is a business and tough things sometimes happen. I would say that’s a yes.

Q: Are they really seriously considering Traylor to lead this program? This the same Traylor that was associate head coach during the Morris disaster at Arkansas? If so, why in God’s name? (Agcatter123)

A: Because he’s a really good recruiter and has done a great job at UTSA.

Q: Given everything you know about the coaching search thus far and how you expect it to unfold over the next few weeks based on what has happened so far, how confident are you (1 -10 with 10 the highest possible confidence) in the competency of our coaching search? Is it focused and well managed? How much meddling is happening? Is it clear who is truly in charge of the search and making the choice? (Aggiewoo)

A: Ask me when it’s over.

Q: Elijah Robinson is excellent at coaching the defensive line and a top notch recruiter, do those characteristics make him a legitimate candidate to be an SEC head coach? I’ve been surprised how many posters support him over proven head coaches. (12thFan)

A: They’re part of what make him a legitimate candidate. He’s a good leader and has the ability to get the most out of players. Those, I think, have as much to do with him being named the interim coach and having a shot at the full-time gig as much as anything.

Q: How much dysfunction was happening within the coaches / program for Jimbo to get canned out of the blue? Something became very clear and self evident to A&M brass and the AD for us to pull the trigger. Thoughts? (AggieEyes12)

A: I think AD Ross Bjork laid out the reasoning well when he said the program was stuck in neutral and things weren’t clicking. Combine displeasure with the current situation with an unsatisfactory future plan and the prospect of losses in the portal and they decided it wartime to make a move.

Q: What are the ideal chain of events this season that would lead to us getting Lanning? (Give us something or someone to cheer for) (ChampKindKHOU11)

A: Nike goes bankrupt. Oregon loses to Oregon State. Lanning and Oregon’s AD get into a physical altercation coming off the field. That should do it.

Q: What players with eligibility to play next year might try to go pro ?? (gatillero_76)

A: Technically, McKinnley Jackson could come back, but he’s going to go. Edgerrin Cooper is in the same boat and I expect the same result.

Q: Oregon has the same kind of financial resources as us, and yet, they were willing to hire Lanning without any head coaching experience, why can't we do the same and take a chance on a young assistant or a new head coach with little experience like Mike Elko or Kelan DeBoer? (Kyling)

A: Who says they won’t? Like I said in a thread this morning, when it comes to college coaches, discount nothing. Except maybe Saban.

Q: Is the handling of the firing and not having the new HC on seat in 13 days going to lead to Bjork’s firing? Just have a sense we begrudgingly give the job to ERob and switch our search to find a new AD. (Elgot)

A: You’re asking a question you know there’s no answer to at this point, or at least not one that you’d really like. But I think they’re going to get this done by Dec. 4. I just don’t know who it’ll be yet. It could literally be anyone from an assistant to a coach with CFP experience.

Q: I have this awful feeling that we are going to end up with Traylor. The public perception will be that nobody else wanted the job. Plus he’s old. Please tell me why this would be a good hire. And if possible, please tell me that it won’t be him. (Ksl8859)

A: Like I said before, he can seriously recruit. Like at an elite level. He has done so before. He has some SEC experience at Arkansas. For those who want a candidate who “gets A&M”, he definitely does. He has done a great job at UTSA — much better than most people realize.

And I can’t tell you it won’t be him.

Q: Aside from all of the coaching conversation, who do you think is going to start at QB against ACU?(Johnkur)

A: Jaylen Henderson. No reason to put Max out there.

Q: E Rob was named acting HC but Coordinators will still be in charge of their respective groups. Must be a little weird to be the HC but have Durkin as your boss, sorta. Since each coordinator will not have a Jimbo watching over their shoulders, what changes might we expect on the offensive and defensive sides of the ball that you have heard about?

A: I expect very few changes on defense, but maybe things open up a little on offense.

Still got a game to play with all the other noise. Are you hearing E Rob will put some special emphasis on special teams??? (DentonAg80)

A: Look, you can’t scrap everything you’ve done all year in five days. That’s not going to happen anywhere. If there are some things that they can clearly adjust, they will. But “special emphasis”? They’ve been practicing the stuff all year. You’re not going to change the scheme and fix everything broken in a week.

Q: There’s been a lot of hand wringing about the extension jimbo was given after 2021 season. In reality, how close was jimbo to leaving for LSU?

A: There was a very real possibility that he would have left. But he also wanted to finish that recruiting class.

Would he have left had we not given him the extension? (Aggiewoo)

A: I think he would have, yes. Doesn’t mean they had to give him that exact extension, but LSU had a similar deal on the table.

Q: Did Björk throw Jimbo under the bus?

A: He fired him, so yes. Did he do so without reason? No. Jimbo was 11-11 in his last 22 games and the message wasn’t getting to the players. They lost games they should’ve won.

And does Jimbo gets enough credit for 2020 when ND was selected over A&M and OSU was allowed in with only playing 6 games. (submarineAg)

A: No. People would rather mock him for “We ain’t done yet”, when he did one hell of a job in 2020. But he didn’t adjust his scheme to his personnel and it bit him.

Q: what is the prospects of Henderson starting Saturday and if he shows progression, starting at LSU? At least he is mobile and didn't hold the ball forever Saturday from Q2 on. If Max is healthy enough (never had a broken rib but doubt it will be healed in 2 weeks) to play could be good insurance if Henderson had his blind squirrel finding his nut against MSU. (Rooster77)

A: I think he’s almost an absolute certainty to start Saturday. Why would you risk Max in a game you should win in a total rout? But if Max is healthy (or can tolerate the pain), he plays against LSU.

Q: If the HC hire is indeed Ed Orgeron, will we hear from you again? (Reckless75)

A: Sure, but someone had better get me an Orgeron to English dictionary.

Q: Excuse my ignorance, but how does a $100MM trigger get pulled to terminate a coaching staff and we not have our next HC sitting in a Suburban outside Bright ready to be introduced? What say you? (Aggie1983)

A: That may be a bit much, but I would think you’d have a real good idea of who it is and what they’re thinking.

Q: Any chance Petrino gets tabbed as the new HC? (Reckless75)

A: I would not say there’s no chance, but he doesn’t fit the profile as far as age goes and, honestly, I’m not sure he would want to be a head coach again. He seemed to be enjoying what he was doing as the OC.

Q: I believe you have to hire a coach that is either a QB guru or a great offensive mind who can attract great QB’s (don’t tell me that was Jimbo because he turned out to be a fraud other than his years with Winston). My question is are there any candidates other than maybe Lane Kiffin that fit that bill? (David123)

A: Well, considering Kiffin really isn’t a candidate, I wouldn’t include him. But yeah, I’m sure there are. If you’re looking for exactly who they are, I’m gonna hold off on that one.

Q: At what point did Bjork and the administration fell that Jimbo needed to go? I know with Sumlin it was the UCLA loss, but what was the trigger for Jimbo? (GCJC)

A: Losing to Ole Miss was the last straw.

Q: It’s usually not just the HC that turn things around for a program. It is a multiple of variables that come together to make that change. Depending on the coach, do they bring a staff with him?

A: Yeah, they either bring their staff or hire a new one. Sumlin largely brought his from Houston. Jimbo hired a new one at A&M.

What coach on the list can bring the staff to get the good guys on course?

A: No way to say for certain.

What’s the list of Aggie assistant that need to stay or go? (Spar2cus)

A: Keeping Elijah Robinson is as close to a non-negotiable as it gets. Otherwise, I doubt anyone qualifies as a need to stay.

Q: Why is there a lot of support for Elko? Also, if he becomes the next coach who does he realistically retain from the current staff and program? (Lskeen)

A: There’s a lot of support for Elko because he’s done a great job everywhere he’s been, either as a coordinator or as a head coach. Getting Duke to .500 is a minor miracle, and he’s done that. He’s also really loved by his players.

If he returns, I think he keeps E-Rob for sure. The rest you can’t really say.

Q: Do you think the 2022 class raised the expectation bar too high for jimbo. Say we pulled a top 10, would he still be gone?

A: He probably would have been gone just as quickly, if not sooner.

Total hypothetical, if the class didn’t turn out to be full of bone heads, do you see their addition to this years roster making a huge difference (I was thinking depth at cb) (pharm11)

A: Not really. For one thing, you can’t say they wouldn’t be boneheads. They all turned around and were idiots again. LSU is desperate for cornerback help and they basically told Denver Harris they’re rather get lit up like Time Square than have him play for them. Georgia kicked Smoke Bouie off the team before a serious practice took place. Marquis-Groves Killebrew has done jack squat at Louisville. Ironically, the only guy they could have used was Myles Jones, who the boneheads were supposed to replace. Now that he’s healthy, he’s played well…for Mike Elko at Duke.

Q: Why the sudden disinterest in Schumann? I like the youth, his mentor's / programs he's been around, his success, his background in Texas and the feedback and respect from his players when discussing their preparedness. Granted, he's never been a HC ... but neither had Lanning (nor Ryan Day). And certainly there are those (Bjork, et al) that would offer insight on program direction, etc.

A: Some people don’t have the right personality to be a head coach or to coach a certain time. It may not be his time yet.

I'm not too sure on a Deboer making a successful transition to the SEC from the Pac 12 - thoughts? (CypressAggie)

A: Not worried about it remotely.

Q: Any truth to the rumors that Jimbo knew about the firing well ahead of the game on Saturday? What do you believe? (Elgot)

A: Considering his demeanor during his postgame speech and when he talked with us, I think he knew.

Q: What do you believe is realistic in the timing of hiring the new HC?

A: End of the month. Seriously.

Are the people that you know, who are connected, all in as much of a convulsive state of mind as AY?

A: No. Nowhere close.

Any new news on E. Stewart's injury status? (Tsip despiser)

A: I don’t expect him to play Saturday and I don’t know if we’ll see him against LSU.

Q: I believe you had mentioned that Coleman was visiting another campus last weekend. Are you hearing that he is still good with us and waiting to see how this change plays out ? (Jram)

A: He visited FSU and didn’t flip. But the Noles and Auburn are going to keep after him. Just another reason to get the right guy and fast.

Q: Do you expect the $$$ spent in NIL to go up at A&M this year due to the excitement of having a new coach? (Reckless75) A: That may be contingent on the new coach.

Q: Henderson or Johnson for the last 2 games and bowl? (Ag_2000)

A: Henderson for Saturday, TBD on LSU and Max in the bowl.