Texas A&M head coach Jimbo Fisher was the first coach to address the media on day one of the 2018 SEC Football Media Days. During his media time, the head coach got asked about a comment he made last year at the ACC media days. Last year he commented that the ACC was the premier conference in college football. Now a head coach at an SEC school, Fisher credited the SEC for the ACC’s progression.
Fisher mentions that he played in both the ACC and the SEC as a coach. He stated that while at Florida State he was surrounded by Florida, Georgia, Alabama, and Auburn from the SEC. Not to mention Clemson and Miami in the ACC challenged the Seminoles in recruiting and having to play them each year.
“I think the ACC’s progression to where it has become in football is because of the SEC,” Fisher stated. “From being in the South and having– not just playing against but to recruit against and compete against daily and the way you have to operate your organization.”
He says that he believes that the SEC’s pressured to stay on top. Fisher comments that the SEC had a great run with winning the national championships during the BCS era, but it was him and FSU that broke the streak. Also being in the South automatically raises the bar. The ACC had to become better to be able to compete with the SEC and snag those big-time recruits.
“I think in the South, in general, because you’re so close, I think it enhanced the ACC’s ability to compete and raise its level of ball because of the recruiting competition, and then, once you get better players, you play better.”
Fisher credits the ACC’s recent success to the SEC because of the pressure to get better in every aspect. The ACC has raised to the challenge and put even more pressure on the SEC to stay at the top.
Below check out Fisher’s full interview.