Texas A&M football may be launching a nationwide search for coach Jimbo Fisher’s successor, but the program’s next head coach has been in College Station all along.
In regards to the dismissal of Fisher, athletic director Ross Bjork said he felt the football program lacked both consistency and a recognizable identity.
With this in mind, what better way to create and maintain consistency than to promote a coach that has been with the team since 2018? A coach that is adored by his players, respected by his fellow coaches and can recruit at a high level?
Elijah Robinson arrived in Aggieland with Fisher in 2018 as defensive line coach before earning a promotion to assistant head coach and co-defensive coordinator in 2022. The Maroon and White have displayed stout defense under Robinson, particularly in the trenches.
Defense has been the 2023 squad’s calling card in limiting opponents to only 19.5 yards per game. In the past two matchups against Mississippi State and Abilene Christian, the Aggies allowed just a field goal on offense to both teams.
Robinson led the Aggies to a win over the Wildcats this past weekend in his first game since being named interim head coach after Fisher’s firing. Bjork and the team presented Robinson with the game ball after the 38-10 victory and celebrated jubilantly with their new leader.
“I love y’all to death,” Robinson said as he addressed the locker room postgame. “I wouldn’t want to be anywhere else.”
Bjork discussed the positive reaction from the players when he named Robinson interim head coach last week, with the Aggies giving Robinson a standing ovation.
“Elijah is all about the players,” Bjork said. “The reaction was awesome … when he spoke to the team. I wanted somebody that players would gravitate towards. It’s going to be a lot coming their way, we know what that means. I’ve already seen a lot of positivity about his leadership.”
That player-first mentality has been reflected on the recruiting trail, where Robinson has contributed to four Top 10 recruiting classes in his time at A&M. In the Aggies’ historic No. 1 2022 class, he helped attract five five-star defensive linemen, including Walter Nolen, Shemar Stewart and LT Overton.
For a program that has failed to break into college football’s elite no matter how many resources are pumped into the program, this coaching hire couldn’t be more important. There have been 25 years of underachievement since the Aggies last won a conference championship, in spite of the talent and support at the program’s disposal.
A&M needs a coach to break that trend, and Robinson, affectionately known as “E-Rob” by his players, is the man to do it.
“This has been the place I’ve been the longest outside my alma mater (Penn State),” Robinson said. “When me and my family moved here, we fell in love with being here. My wife loves it here, my kids love it here and so do I. I’m not looking to leave Texas A&M and I would love to be here.”