Texas A&M's Jimbo Fisher defends recruiting practices

The recent trend of college football coaches accusing each other of bad recruiting practices continued last weekend, and Texas A&M coach Jimbo Fisher is tired of it.

Fisher appeared on KSAT 12 in San Antonio on Sunday and went off on comments that his program was using the NCAA's new "name, image, and likeness" rules to illegally recruit players.

"I just researched this," Fisher said in the fiery interview. "Of the 11 guys we have in place that came early? One guy has an NIL deal. So all these stories you're hearing are complete lies."

Fisher also said he has been dealing with these accusations since signing day back in February, then accused interviewer Greg Simmons of believing the rumors.

"Did you do your research?" Fisher said. "No, so you just assumed. And that's the way this world goes now. As soon as it's written on social media and someone says it, you believe it. So where does that put you guys as reporters? Nobody wants the truth. You want a story and a click and a hit."

Rumors that A&M used sketchy recruiting practices bubbled over this past week when Alabama head coach Nick Saban accused the rival program of "buying" players. Saban himself was recently accused of tampering while trying to recruit receiver Tyler Harrell from Louisville. 

"A&M bought every player on their team — made a deal for name, image, likeness. We didn't buy one player, all right?" Saban said last week, via ESPN.

Saban's comments drew criticism from all corners of the college football world, but it especially irked Fisher since the two coaches notoriously don't like each other. When asked on Sunday if he has talked to Saban directly this week, Fisher shot the idea down.

"No, we haven't talked," Fisher said, then snapped when asked if he'd accept an apology from Saban: "I said we're not talking."

Saban has also accused Jackson State, coached by Pro Football Hall of Famer Deion Sanders, of buying players. Sanders also had some pretty harsh words for Saban.