Jimbo Fisher Season 2023

Jimbo Fisher served as LSU’s offensive coordinator/quarterbacks coach for seven years (2001-06) before taking the same position at Florida State University in January of 2007.

While at LSU, Fisher helped lead the Tigers to seven bowl games and a 70-20 overall mark.

Fisher joined the Tigers in 2000 and during that seven-year span, Fisher was been a part of 70 victories, two Southeastern Conference titles, the 2003 BCS National Championship and three BCS bowl games. The 70 victories since the 2000 season are the most in LSU history over any seven-year period of the program, while the Tigers’ streak of seven-consecutive bowl games is a school record.  

Since his first year with the Tigers in 2000, Fisher’s offenses set numerous school records, including points in a season (475 in 2003), total yards (5,857 in 2003), and passing touchdowns (30 in 2003). Fisher’s offenses currently hold 13 LSU school records.  

In seven years with the Tigers, Fisher has coached four LSU quarterbacks who have gone on to become NFL Draft picks – Josh Booty, Rohan Davey, Craig Nall and Matt Mauck – and another (Marcus Randall), who made an NFL roster as a defensive back. In addition, under Fisher’s guidance the Tigers have had two First-Team All-SEC quarterbacks (Josh Booty in 2000 and JaMarcus Russell in 2006) and two Second-Team All-SEC selections (Davey in 2001 and Mauck in 2003).

Fisher’s success at LSU has come by blending together an offense that features both the passing and running games with an emphasis on putting the ball in the hands of the best players. 

Considered an expert in the passing game, Russell has thrived under Fisher, leading the Tigers to a 25-4 mark as a starter. In 2006, Russell tied a school-record by throwing 28 TD passes to go along with 3,129 yards. He led the SEC and ranked No. 3 in the nation in pass efficiency with a 167.0 rating. For his career, Russell ranks among the school’s all-time leader in passing yards, touchdowns and completions. 

Fisher’s offenses aren’t one dimensional as the 2006 Tigers ranked No. 2 in the SEC in rushing with 165.8 yards per game despite not having a back with 500 yards rushing. LSU’s running back-by-committee approach saw six different players lead the Tigers in rushing in 2006.  

As a unit, the Tigers were once again atop the SEC in scoring (33.7 points per game) and total offense (417.5 yards per game). In 2005, the Tigers averaged 29.5 points and 374 yards per contest. 

Fisher’s 2004 offense featured a running game that led the SEC in rushing as the Tigers, behind running backs Alley Broussard, Justin Vincent and Addai, averaged 193.8 yards per game. 

In 2003, his offense may have been the best from a production standpoint as the Tigers averaged 34 points per game on their way to scoring a school-record 475 points while also setting the school standard for total yards (5,857), first downs (298), completed passes (255) and passing touchdowns (30). In all, LSU averaged 418 yards per contest as the Tigers took advantage of their skill position weapons in Michael Clayton, Devery Henderson and Skyler Green, who combined for 179 receptions, 2,459 yards and 27 touchdowns. 

Quarterback Matt Mauck completed his LSU career with an 18-2 overall mark after guiding the Tigers to a 13-1 record and the national title in 2003. Mauck tossed a school-record 28 TD passes on his way to earning Second Team All-SEC honors for LSU.

With a pair of first-time starters at quarterback in Mauck and Randall in 2002, Fisher guided an LSU offense to an average of 350 yards per contest and nearly 25 points per game. LSU scored 30 or more points seven times, including a school-record tying mark of six-straight contests with at least 30 points during one stretch of the season.  

Perhaps Fisher’s most impressive season with the Tigers came in 2001 as he developed Davey, then a first-time starter, into one of the nation’s premier signal callers. Davey set a total of six school records during the regular-season and then broke another seven Sugar Bowl or LSU bowl records in the Tigers’ 47-34 win over Illinois.

In 2001, LSU’s offense set several school-records during the regular-season, including passing yards per game (298.5), total offense per game (451.5) and passing yards (3,578). In the Sugar Bowl, the Tigers racked up a Sugar Bowl record 595 yards of total offense, including 444 through the air.

For the year, Davey threw for a school-record 3,347 yards, while Josh Reed caught 94 passes for an SEC record 1,740 yards to give LSU two of the nation’s most explosive players. Reed was named the winner of the Biletnikoff Award, the honor that goes to the nation’s top wide receiver.  

Fisher’s two finest moments as LSU’s offensive coordinator came during that season in a 35-21 win over Alabama and a 31-20 victory over second-ranked Tennessee in the SEC Championship game. Against Alabama, LSU set a school-record with 528 passing yards, the most-ever recorded against the Crimson Tide. Davey tied an SEC record with 540 yards of total offense in the game, while Reed set SEC records for receptions (19) and receiving yards (293). 

Against Tennessee in the SEC Championship game, Fisher altered the Tiger game plan to better suit second-team quarterback Mauck, who was forced into action in the first half due to an injury to Davey. Mauck took advantage of his rushing skills to leads the Tigers to a 31-20 win and the SEC title.  

For his efforts in 2001, Fisher was named a finalist for the Broyles Assistant Coach of the Year Award. 
In his first year with the Tigers, Fisher’s influence on quarterbacks Booty and Davey was nothing short of remarkable as Booty was named First-Team All-SEC, while Davey earned Most Outstanding Offensive Player honors at the Peach Bowl. The First-Team All-SEC honor for Booty marked the first time since 1989 that an LSU player earned all-league honors at quarterback.

Prior to joining the Tigers, Fisher engineered one of the nation’s most potent offensive attacks at Cincinnati in 1999. Cincinnati finished the 1999 season ranked No. 16 in the nation in total offense with an average of 424.4 yards a contest (172.2 rushing, 252.2 passing). 

Before joining the Cincinnati staff in 1999, Fisher served as the quarterbacks coach at Auburn under Terry Bowden from 1993-98 where he tutored record-setting quarterbacks Stan White, Patrick Nix and Dameyune Craig, who is the only 3,000-yard passer in Auburn history. He helped lead Auburn to appearances in the 1996 Outback, 1996 Independence and 1998 Peach Bowls.

Fisher, a native of Clarksburg, W. Va., also served as the offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach at Samford for two years (1991-92) before joining the Auburn staff. He started his coaching career as a graduate assistant tutoring quarterbacks at Samford from 1988-90.

In college, Fisher played quarterback for Terry Bowden for three seasons, two at Salem College (1985-86) and one at Samford (1987). While at Samford he set the national record for touchdowns in a season with 34 and was named the Division III National Player of the Year that season. He also set 13 school passing and total offense records.

Following college, Fisher played for one season with the Chicago Bruisers of the Arena Football League in 1988.

Fisher, who graduated from Salem College in 1989, and his wife Candi have two children, Trey (4) and Ethan (1). 

The Fisher File
Years at LSU:  Seven (appointed Dec. 6, 1999)
Birthdate:  Oct. 9, 1965, at Clarksburg, W.Va.
Wife: Candi 
Children:  Trey (4), Ethan (1)
High School: Liberty High
College: Salem College ’89 

COACHING EXPERIENCE
1988-90 Samford (graduate assistant/quarterbacks)
1991-92 Samford (offensive coordinator/quarterbacks)
1993-98 Auburn (quarterbacks)
1999 Cincinnati (offensive coordinator/quarterbacks)
2000-06 LSU (offensive coordinator/quarterbacks)