Texas A&M football coach Jimbo Fisher fires back at 'clown acts' criticizing Aggies for relying on NIL deals along recruiting trail

Instead of celebrating the No. 1 signing class on Wednesday, Texas A&M football coach Jimbo Fisher vehemently defended his program against accusations that money fueled the Aggies' success on the recruiting trail.

Fisher called out an anonymous message board poster who uses the handle «Sliced Bread» for claims that the Aggies had $30 million at their disposal in name, image and likeness funds, calling it a «joke.»

But Fisher also took aim at the media, a Notre Dame administrator and fellow SEC coaches for spreading rumors about deals promised to recruits, saying it was «insulting» and «irresponsible.»

On Tuesday, Ole Miss coach Lane Kiffin quipped that, «Texas A&M was going to incur a luxury tax in how much they paid for their signing class.»

The Aggies' class includes four five-star prospects and 22 players ranked in the ESPN 300.

«To have coaches in our league and across this league to say it, clown acts,» Fisher said. «Irresponsible as hell. Multiple coaches in our league. And the guys griping about NIL and transfer portal are using it the most and bragging about it the most. That's the ironic part.… It's a joke. It does piss me off.»

Fisher didn't stop there, threatening retaliation.

«I'll tell you what, I know how some of those guys recruit, too,» he said. «Go dig into that. I know the history, I know the tradition. I know things. Trust me, you don't want to go down that avenue.»

In December, Fisher told The Paul Finebaum Show that «There's always been NIL stuff going on, it just wasn't legal.»

On Wednesday, he doubled down.

«Some of those guys complaining,» Fisher said, «those aren't new NIL deals, they're them old NIL deals, you know what I'm saying? I'll stand by that.»

At the Senior Bowl on Tuesday, Alabama