Who makes sense for Texas A&M? 247Sports' national experts weigh in on Aggies' coaching search

Here are some names that the Aggies should target as they move on from Jimbo Fisher.

By finally firing coach Jimbo Fisher on Sunday, Texas A&M kicked off what should be a highly entertaining coaching search as one of college football's higher-profile jobs just came open. The Aggies have the resources to swing with anyone, but those resources have not translated into contention for the national championship in recent decades.

Interestingly, athletic director Ross Bjork indicated Sunday that the size of Fisher's buyout — roughly $76 million — will require A&M's athletic department to increase revenues and perhaps cut costs. Will those measures change the type of coaches that Bjork goes after? That is hard to say right now.

Texas A&M can offer membership in historically the nation's top conference as well as a fantastic pool of in-state talent. On the downside, expectations arguably outpace reality based on the Aggies' historic on-field record — and booster involvement is high. A&M is not for everyone.

With this coaching search getting started, a handful of 247Sports' national college football experts made their recommendations for Bjork and Co. Here's a look at those recommendations, which varied widely in terms of names but for the most part focused on sitting head coaches. The timing is vital.

"It's extremely important to get a coach within the next three weeks with the transfer portal window opening Dec. 4 and the Early Signing Period on Dec. 20," said 247Sports' Clint Brewster, who covers the transfer portal.

Oregon coach Dan Lanning

Lanning, of note, emphatically denied interest in coaching Texas A&M during his regularly scheduled weekly press conference Monday. But that doesn't mean the Aggies can't try to make their pitch, and Lanning has done great work in two short years at Oregon.

"My first phone call without question would be to Oregon's Dan Lanning," said 247Sports national recruiting analyst Cooper Petagna. "He quickly cemented himself as one of the nation's most attractive young coaching candidates with a 19-4 overall record in his first two years in Eugene and a No. 6-ranked recruiting class in 2024 to follow. With four years under Kirby Smart at Georgia and an appetite for elite recruiting, there's not one candidate better suited for the high pressure expectations in College Station than Lanning.

"Not only is he familiar with the SEC but I believe he would quickly prime the Aggies into one of the most robust recruiting operations in all the country. With the nation's most talent rich state at his disposal, along with the abundant resources that come with the great state of Texas, Lanning might be the only name that's semi-available to take the Aggies to where they believe they can go."

Georgia defensive coordinator Glenn Schumann

Can A&M afford to take the risk of hiring an assistant coach to take over as the head man? If the Aggies are OK with doing so, then Georgia could provide fertile ground.

"I think the first call has got to be to Dan Lanning, but I’m not convinced he would leave Oregon given the support behind him and what he has been able to do in such a short amount of time," said Andrew Ivins, 247Sports' director of scouting. "So if Lanning isn’t going to happen, why not go try and land what could be the next Dan Lanning? Glenn Schumann. He might be young, but he’s a tireless recruiter that has helped coordinate one of college football’s top defenses while learning under the direction of Kirby Smart. He also went to high school in Texas."

USC coach Lincoln Riley

Now this is a spicy one. Ivins pointed to USC's struggles this season and the possibility that the future doesn't look as positive in Los Angeles as it did a couple of months ago.

"You can call me crazy, but I would also put a feeler out there on Lincoln Riley," Ivins said. "His honeymoon period in LA appears to all but be over and Caleb Williams is surely headed to the NFL Draft at season’s end. Texas A&M could give Riley a chance to regroup and reset. And if you’re the Aggies, you would have to think he’s going to fix what has turned into a major problem in recent seasons — quarterback."

In regards to Riley, 247Sports national analyst Clint Brewster pitched Lanning at Oregon as the first call for Texas A&M but noted: "With the money, resources, recruiting proximity and conference affiliation, you have to think they could sway a big-name coach."

Duke coach Mike Elko

Elko has plenty of recent ties to Texas A&M, but more importantly he has already established himself as an excellent head coach at Duke. When Elko arrived in Durham, N.C., the Blue Devils were in a rut and seemingly had dropped off from a talent perspective. Elko immediately coached Duke to a nine-win season last fall and has the Blue Devils at 6-4 this season even with star quarterback Riley Leonard dealing with a persistent injury.

"Duke’s Mike Elko is the first person I would look at for the Texas A&M hire," said 247Sports college football analyst Blake Brockermeyer. "Elko has quickly turned Duke around into a relevant contender and has an excellent reputation as a defensive mastermind, something the Aggies are already pretty good at currently. Elko has done more with less at Duke and is a former Aggie defensive coordinator from 2018-21 and understands the Aggie traditions and recruiting hotbeds in Texas."

Ole Miss coach Lane Kiffin

Offense has been an issue at A&M over the last few years, and Kiffin runs one of the SEC's best offenses. Kiffin has also won at a lower-resource program — relative to Texas A&M at least — and perhaps could feel that now is the time to move up.

"Lane Kiffin would be one of my first calls since it's obvious the ceiling has been reached at Ole Miss — he essentially said as much after the Rebels' blowout loss to Georgia," said national college football expert Brad Crawford. "Kiffin needs more talent, something he could acquire in College Station with vast resources. He's the opposite of Jimbo Fisher offensively and that's exactly what the program needs. The conservative approach doesn't win in college football. And Kiffin would have his pick of the litter in terms of a defensive coordinator."

UTSA coach Jeff Traylor

Out of two noteworthy names from the Group of Five ranks, UTSA's Jeff Traylor stands out as the most natural fit. Traylor singlehandedly built the Roadrunners into a standout Group of Five program, and he would bring substantial equity within the state of Texas thanks to his experience and relationships within the state going all the way back to his tenure as a high school coach at Gilmer.

Crucially, Traylor also has shown the ability to coach up the talent that he has — recruiting was never an issue for Fisher. Hiring Traylor wouldn't be a national splash, but it is hard to see him completely failing.

"Traylor is everything Texas A&M should want," 247Sports national reporter Chris Hummer said. "He's a revered former high school coach in the state who instantly has cachet in whatever high school he walks into within the state borders. He's a winner. UTSA won back-to-back Conference USA titles, and the Roadrunners are now 6-0 in their first season in the American. And, perhaps just as importantly for the A&M job, he's got the personality for it. Traylor is an East Texas coach through and through. The boosters and fans will love him. And if you're worried about his recruiting, you should go back and look up how effective he was while at Texas and Arkansas."

One other Group of Five name: Jamey Chadwell of Liberty. Chadwell's spread-option offensive scheme has worked wonders at Coastal Carolina and Liberty, but perhaps the Aggies would favor a more traditional approach.