The difference in Jimbo postgame speeches from 2018 to 2023 is telling

With the release of this week’s episode of “The Pulse” from 12th Man Productions, we got to see what turned out to be the final postgame speech Jimbo Fisher would give at Texas A&M.

While he seemed to say the right things, it also seemed to lack any emotion or real motivation. It felt like the speech of a man who had checked out, or at best, was beaten down by the toll the job had taken on him. If you’ve followed A&M closely and seen a lot of these, this speech may not have seemed markedly different than what Jimbo has done in the past.

But it wasn’t always this way.

There was a time that Jimbo had fire that seemed infectious, and it was why we were so optimstic about his tenure early on. Below is a video from the Aggies’ narrow loss to Clemson in Jimbo’s second game as A&M head coach back in 2018.

First of all, both Jimbo and Max Wright looked so much younger, but more than that, Jimbo just seemed to believe. He believed so strongly that me made everyone aroud him believe too. The things he said aren’t necessarily different, but it was done with enthusiasm and conviction. The difference in his tone from 2018 to now is remarkably telling.

If you need another example, here is Jimbo following the Alabama loss this season. From a simple talking point perspective, it’s very very similar to what Jimbo said after the Clemson game five years ago. But the lack of passion/belief in his voice is palpable.

Now whether his change in demeanor affected the team’s performance or vice versa is up for debate, but either way, it’s sad reflect on how hopeful everyone around this program was at the beginning of his tenure, to how disappointing it turned out to be.