Jimbo Fisher reportedly staying at FSU, so LSU and Texas could battle for Tom Herman

Florida State head coach Jimbo Fisher is staying in Tallahassee instead of replacing Les Miles at LSU, according to ESPN.com’s Chris Low:

LSU has zeroed in on Houston’s Tom Herman as its next head coach and could have a deal in place as early as Saturday, sources told ESPN.com’s Chris Low on Thursday night. Florida State’s Jimbo Fisher was also near the top of LSU’s wish list, but Fisher opted to stay put before talks with LSU ever got too far down the road. He’s told some close to him that he thinks he could have some of his most talented teams at FSU over the next two years.

Fisher had something approximating an offer from LSU, according to reports from FootballScoop and Charles Hanagriff, an ESPN Radio host in Baton Rouge.

Rising star Herman had long been considered a favorite to replace the as-yet-unfired Charlie Strong at Texas, but HornsDigest.com and OrangeBloods.com reported LSU could land Herman instead.

“I have not been informed by Tom or his agent that he has accepted a position at LSU,” UH athletic director Hunter Yuracheck told SB Nation’s Steven Godfrey. “We are in Memphis together, preparing for a game.”

Current LSU interim Ed Orgeron, whose team was busy beating Texas A&M during all this, had already planned a Friday meeting with LSU AD Joe Alleva.

Texas isn’t giving up on Herman, either.

We’ll follow all that as it develops.

Fisher has been the head coach at Florida State since 2010, and he’s 76-17 leading the Seminoles, with a 2013 national championship in the bank. He was the Noles’ offensive coordinator for three years before that. And before that, he worked from 2000-06 as LSU’s offensive coordinator, first under Nick Saban and then Miles.

Fisher’s success as a head coach at an elite program makes him an attractive candidate for just about any job, and it doesn’t hurt that at 51, he figures to have plenty of good years ahead of him. He’s developed a reputation as a strong recruiter and quarterbacks coach, and more than anything, he’s won.

Here’s a good primer on the Fisher-to-LSU idea, including why he might leave a place where he’s got some of the best job security in the sport:

Change of scenery? Realizing most coaches are much better as change agents than maintainers? In the last five years, only Saban has won a national title after being at a school for more than five years. Urban Meyer has won them in years two and four at Florida and year three at Ohio State. Jimbo Fisher won his in year four at Florida State, Gene Chizik in year two at Auburn, and Miles won his in year three at LSU.

Jimbo Fisher will be going into his eighth year as FSU’s head coach in 2017. Is his message still getting through with the effectiveness it once did? Would it work better in Baton Rouge in the years 2017-2022

Might he want the challenge of facing Nick Saban? Maybe Fisher really loves Baton Rouge? Who knows?

LSU blog And The Valley Shook has some worries about Fisher — his decision not to pick up a spread offense at FSU, his players’ off-field behavior, and the point that LSU might have a hard time keeping well-regarded defensive coordinator Dave Aranda around. These Tigers fans aren’t sold:

So sure, Fisher might maintain better and more consistent quarterback play here, but if he can’t maintain the other positions on the field, and manage his staff, the result will be just a different flavor of the disappointments we had with Les Miles over the years.

And that’s not what LSU or its fans are looking for out of this hire.

His agent was reportedly trying to push his price up, which could’ve either been a sign of serious interest or a push to get a raise at FSU.