Coaching Carousel: Jimbo Fisher Announces Changes to Texas A&M Coaching Staff
COLLEGE STATION -- Texas A&M's Jimbo Fisher has made changes to his coaching staff before.
Usually, it's the hiring or firing of a coordinator or replacing a position coach due to their departure.
That doesn't mean in years past Fisher has played musical chairs with those in the building.
That's the case entering 2022.
Co-offensive coordinator Darrell Dickey has moved from working with the quarterbacks to tight ends. Fellow co-offensive coordinator James Coley, who worked with tight ends last season, is now working with the receivers. And after four seasons of enhancing the play of receivers, Dameyune Craig will be helping Fisher inside the quarterback room.
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"They've all done it before," Fisher said Sunday. "They've all coached those positions before.'
The biggest surprise comes between Craig and Dickey. Since arriving in College Station from Memphis in 2018, Dickey has worked primarily with Fisher at the game's most important position. In stops with Memphis, Mississippi State, UTEP and Utah State, Dickey has been working with passers rather than skill players.
The last time Dickey worked with tight ends came in 1991 with LSU, and he has been pleased with the maturity of senior Max Wright and Blake Smith, along with the emergence of young pass-catchers Jake Johnson, Theodor Melin Öhrström and Donovan Green.
"We have a very talented room," Dickey said. "They all have a little bit of a different thing that they're good at, maybe strong than the other guys in, but they're all very gifted players and they're fun to coach."
Like Dickey, Coley has worked primarily with quarterbacks as both Miami's and Georgia's offensive coordinator. Before being promoted by Kirby Smart in 2018, Coley worked as the Bulldogs' receivers coach.
That season, both Mecole Hardman and Riley Ridley recorded over 500 receiving yards and seven touchdowns on the way to helping Georgia finish 11-3. Entering this season, Coley described the receiving room as "having leverage" due to the balance of size and speed.
"When you're throwing a bubble screen to a guy out there who has speed, he could be the fastest or it could be a guy who is long, but is strong and hard to tackle," Coley said. "That adds an element to your game, being explosive along with going deep."
The Aggies will return veterans such as Ainias Smith, Jalen Preston, Chase Lane and Moose Muhammad III, among others. A&M also added highly-touted receiver prospect Evan Stewart from Liberty (Frisco, TX) and Chris Marshall from Fort Bend Marshall (Missouri City, TX).
In practice, Coley has been pleased with Stewart's speed and attention to detail.
Stewart was named the team's Offensive MVP of spring football as an early enrollee.
"He brings a really good package to that room, especially as young as he is," Coley said. "He takes a lot of pride in being prepared and having his toolbox and skillset ready to go for practice."
Craig, who played quarterback under Fisher at Auburn, returns to coaching the position for the first time since 2017 while at Florida State. Before coaching quarterbacks with the Seminoles, Craig also coached passers while at Tuskegee University from 2006-07.
The Aggies open the season on Sept. 3 against Sam Houston at Kyle Field.
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