Jimbo Fisher John James " Jimbo " Fisher ( born October 9 , 1965 ) is an American college football coach and former player . He is currently head coach at Florida State University . As a senior student at Samford University Fisher was the 1987 NCAA Division III National Player of the Year . From 2000 until 2006 he served as offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach at LSU . From 2007 to 2009 he was offensive coordinator , quarterbacks coach and , beginning in 2007 , head coach - in - waiting for the Florida State Seminoles . Bobby Bowden , Florida State ' s head coach of 34 years , retired after the team ' s appearance in its 28th consecutive bowl game on 1 January 2010 . Fisher took over as head coach soon after . Florida State is Fisher ' s first head coaching position and he led them to a 10 – 4 record during his first season . His inaugural year marked FSU ' s first 10 - win season since 2003 and first appearance in the ACC Championship Game since 2005 . Biography . Background . Born in Clarksburg , West Virginia , Fisher attended North View Junior High School and Liberty High School before going to Salem College ( now Salem International University ) in Salem , West Virginia where he played quarterback under head coach Terry Bowden from 1985 – 1986 . When Bowden left for Samford University in Birmingham , Alabama , Fisher transferred with him to play his final season for the Bulldogs where he was named Division III National Player of the Year . Fisher still holds multiple school records at Samford . Fisher played a season in the Arena Football League in 1988 for the Chicago Bruisers , then rejoined Terry Bowden at Samford as a graduate assistant coach working with quarterbacks from 1988 – 1990 . He was subsequently hired as the fulltime offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach . After two seasons Fisher moved with Bowden to Auburn University where he coached quarterbacks alongside offensive coordinator Tommy Bowden . At Auburn Fisher coached several successful quarterbacks including Patrick Nix , who would later serve as offensive coordinator at Georgia Tech and Miami . He continued at Auburn until Tommy Tuberville took over as head coach following Terry Bowden ' s 1998 mid - season resignation . Fisher coached quarterbacks for one season at Cincinnati before joining Nick Saban ' s new staff at LSU in 2000 . When Saban left for the NFL ' s Miami Dolphins Fisher remained at LSU to continue his role with Les Miles . At LSU he helped to develop a number of outstanding college quarterbacks , including Josh Booty , Rohan Davey , Matt Mauck and JaMarcus Russell . Fisher interviewed for the head coaching position at the University of Alabama at Birmingham after the 2006 season but the Board of Trustees , which also governs the University of Alabama , vetoed the contract offer , sparking some controversy . He turned down an invitation from Nick Saban to join the coaching staff at the University of Alabama to sign a contract as offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach at Florida State University . His contract initially guaranteed a base salary of $ 215 , 000 with incentives increasing the total package into the low $ 400 , 000 range . In a press release on December 10 , 2007 Jimbo Fisher was named " head coach in waiting " , making him the eventual successor for legendary Seminoles coach Bobby Bowden . The new contract paid Fisher around $ 600 , 000 per year with a $ 2 . 5 million buyout clause . The university promised to pay $ 5 million to Fisher if he was not made head coach by January 2011 . On December 1 , 2009 Bowden announced that he would retire from coaching after the Seminoles ' upcoming bowl game on New Year ' s Day 2010 against West Virginia in the Gator Bowl . Fisher began selecting his coaching staff and recruiting players while preparing the team for its bowl game for the last time as a Bowden assistant . The Seminoles sent Bowden out with a victory on January 1 . Fisher held his first staff meeting the following afternoon . A few days later , on January 5 , he officially became the ninth head football coach in Florida State history . Head coach at Florida State . Jimbo Fisher ' s official introduction as head coach took place at a Florida State University press conference on 7 January 2010 . " Empowered , confident athletes are winners , " he said . " My goal is to get the structure , the staff and the support resources in place to facilitate a winning plan and get players into the structure and start effecting change . Now . " Fisher then announced his 2010 coaching staff : Personal . Fisher and his wife Candi have two sons , Trey and Ethan . Fisher ' s brother , Bryan , is the offensive coordinator at Fairmont State University and his mother , Gloria , teaches chemistry at Robert C . Byrd High School in Clarksburg , WV .