Jimbo Fisher moves on, has 'great respect' for Nick Saban

7/21/2022 3:30:49 PM EST

Texas A&M coach Jimbo Fisher said Thursday that he has moved on from his public spat with Nick Saban and maintains "great respect for him."

Fisher made the comments during his SEC Media Days appearance in Atlanta, perhaps putting to bed the fierce back-and-forth that began in May when Saban said Fisher had "bought every player" with NIL deals.

"Listen, we're great. Two competitive guys that go at it. We all learn from things we do in our business. Two competitive guys on a topic that is very -- everywhere, as they say," Fisher said.

"I have great respect for Nick. Unfortunately, our thing went public. Sometimes that happens in this world. Nothing is private anymore, is it?" Fisher added.

It was a far cry from Fisher's initial response to Saban's remarks made in Birmingham, when he told a gathering that A&M "bought every player on their team. Made a deal for name, image and likeness."

Fisher went ballistic the next day in a hastily called press conference, calling Saban a narcissist who thinks he's God, adding that somebody should have slapped him when he was little. Fisher said he was done with Saban and refused to take his calls.

Saban repeatedly apologized for singling out Texas A&M -- and others -- though he didn't back down from his point about the wild west nature of NIL deals.

"We all learn from him. We all will learn, like I say, he will learn, hopefully I learn from things we do and say, and we move on from there. But I have great respect for him and their program like always," Fisher said Thursday.

Texas A&M opens the season at home against Sam Houston State on Sept. 3. The Aggies visit Alabama on Oct. 8.

Fisher guided the team to an 8-4 record last season and is 34-14 through four seasons in College Station, including 3-0 in bowl games.

--Field Level Media

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