BY KEITH TAYLOR

Kentucky Today

Bobby Petrino is back in the Southeastern Conference.

Petrino, who spent the three previous seasons at Missouri State following a five-year second stint at Louisville, is entering his first season as offensive coordinator at Texas A&M. He takes over for coach Jimbo Fisher, who opted to give up the playcalling duties to focus on his status as the team’s CEO.

Fisher relinquished his offensive coordinator duties following the Aggies’ 5-7 campaign a year ago, the team’s first losing season in Fisher’s five-year tenure at College Station.

“Bobby has done a great job (and) fit in very well,” Fisher said. “(He’s) been a great staff guy. He’s done a great job recruiting. Has done a great job coaching. Fit right in with what we’re doing. Our staff loves him.”

Fisher added he’s not concerned with having a former head coach on his staff and is looking forward to working with Petrino this season and beyond.

“Every coaching staff in America has an argument or a disagreement. That’s part of it,” he said. “… I’m the boss, we’re the boss, we’ll do it at the end of the day, but you listen to everybody’s opinion. Everybody can voice their — I want guys with opinions. I want guys who have knowledge.

“I want guys who make you think. I want guys to create different narratives that brought to the table that can help us. I think it’s the best thing you have. I think that’s one of the reasons — some of the reasons you hired them, to do different scenarios and different things like that. As far as that, we all have great respect for each other and it’s been tremendous. We’ve had great response and haven’t had any issues.”

Petrino hasn’t been an assistant coach since serving as offensive coordinator at Auburn and has been a head coach at Louisville (twice),  Atlanta Falcons, Arkansas, Western Kentucky and Missouri State.

“Bobby was hired for a reason, and he’s a tremendous coach and tremendous guy and tremendous football mind, tremendous recruiter,” Fisher said. “He’s done a great job recruiting since he’s been there, everything he does.

“He’ll call a lot of — hopefully he’ll call the game. We’ll have suggestions on things we do, whether it’s offense or defense. Every coach is always involved. It’s a more collective thing than people want to give it room for, but when you get to calling and you get on a roll, you’ve got to have a guy that can do it, and I think Bobby can definitely do that, and does it as well as anybody in college football.

“I have great respect for him. Me and him, we’ve had a great admiration for each other for a long time, his production and what he’s done.”

Seeking a rebound following his first losing season at Texas A&M, Fisher doesn’t feel any pressure following last year’s letdown campaign.

“We live under pressure every day,” Fisher said. “We put more pressure on ourselves than anybody out there ever puts on us, so there’s no added pressure because what good does that do? Does worrying make you any better? No.  … we feel pressure every day. We feel pressure in everything we’ve got to do. So there’s no added pressure. It’s just a matter of dealing with what you have to deal with and go execute and try to win football games.”

Kentucky has played against the Aggies just once since Texas A&M joined the SEC. The Aggies edged the Wildcats 20-14 at College Station in 2018.