As Texas A&M searches for a new football coach, here's Dan Campbell's message to his alma mater: thanks, but no thanks.
After being linked to the opening following the recent firing of Jimbo Fisher, Campbell was asked Friday if the Aggies approached him about the job.
"Maybe," said Campbell, "but that’s all good. Certainly, I know some people there and I love my school. It’s my alma mater and I want to do anything I can to help them but coach for them. And I’ll do that.”
Campbell, who's in the third season of a reported six-year contract as head coach of the Lions, played at A&M from 1995-98 under R.C. Slocum, who had a strong 14-year tenure. Asked Friday how the Aggies can restore the program to success, Campbell said, "Look, I don’t want to get into all of that."
He added, "Certainly, the hire’s important and it needs to be somebody that understands the state of Texas, understands the history of Texas A&M and can communicate with young people and develop them. I think that’s where it starts, man, strong leadership.”
Texas A&M fired Fisher this week in his sixth season at the helm, with the program on a downward trajectory. The Aggies went 26-10 with three bowl wins in Fisher's first three seasons, but are 19-15 since. They have just two top-10 finishes in the AP poll this century.
Campbell has improved the Lions from 3-13-1 in his first season, to 9-8 last season and to 7-2 this season as the franchise eyes its first division title in 30 years.