Recently, Coach “Jimbo” Fisher was fired from his head coaching position of the football program at Texas A & M University in College Station, Texas. On the surface this may not shock you. College coaches along with most others in America’s workforce get fired everyday for a myriad of reasons. I am no “evaluator” of coaches at any level. But, Coach Fisher, if we are going on “wins/losses,” didn’t do a horrible job. His record at Texas A & M in almost a full six seasons is 45-25 (56% win percentage). Since the school initiated the firing or separation, they in effect broke the contract and have to pay Coach Fisher $76 million to leave! Yes, reread that again, it’s not a typo. In 2021, the school gave him a new contract where he was to make $10 million per year with $95 million dollars “guaranteed.” He received the contract extension because school officials feared “Jimbo” would take the same job at a rival school that has “deep pockets” as well. This article is not one where I write about money, stewardship, or even greed! That’s another article for another time.
When I learned of Coach Fisher’s firing, I began to follow the story. The termination, press conference and all, took place on a recent Sunday afternoon. After worship services, I went home and listened to the Athletic Director make the University’s official announcement and take questions from local and national reporters. Aside from the firing and the money involved, the phrase that stuck with me from the “AD” is he said the firing took place because the football program is “stuck in neutral.” If you have ever had car problems, you get this phrase- everything is running, but you aren’t moving!
The point is this, if a school that holds up the importance of its football program and has such a concern about the “health” of the program that it is willing to spend more money than most school districts, churches, and businesses have access to in terms of dollars, do we share the same concern about our walk with Christ? Are we concerned about being “stuck in neutral? Why should we? If we are, how can we make sure we are in “drive?” What really does matter?
We should be concerned not only with our steps, but with our growth! Are we seeking to be resilient when life knocks us down? Are we “most” concerned about our direction as a Christian? Are we progressing, digressing, or are we in neutral? Paul writes in I Corinthians 15:58, Therefore, my beloved brethren, be steadfast, immovable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, knowing that your labor is not in vain in the Lord.
In a little more than 25 days, if the Lord wills, we will turn the calendar and thus begin a new year. What are your plans to assess your Christian goals for the new year? Can we look at the amount of desire we have for the work of the church? Are we seeking to invest more time in equipping ourselves in helping to advance the borders of God’s Kingdom? Colleges & universities that manage and support sports are now considered franchises due to the dollars and production levels involved. Therefore, they will forever be concerned about “athletic progress,” and will desire to be relevant regardless the financial cost.
Personally, I wouldn’t know what a million dollars looks like, let alone what seventy-six million dollars looks like. But, Coach Fisher will soon know! But, my real concern should be that I’m walking with Christ, and not stuck in neutral when it comes to pleasing our Lord.
