Texas A&M on Sunday fired football coach Jimbo Fisher, triggering a contract buyout of more than $77 million, the largest in college football history.

After reports of the firing trickled in on social media throughout the morning, indicating the decision was made after a four-hour Texas A&M board of regents meeting Thursday, athletic director Ross Bjork released a statement. Fisher was coming off a 51-10 win over SEC foe Mississippi State.

“After very careful analysis of all the components related to Texas A&M football, I recommended to President (Mark A.) Welsh and then Chancellor (John) Sharp that a change in the leadership of the program was necessary in order for Aggie football to reach our full potential and they accepted my decision,” Bjork wrote. “We appreciate Coach Fisher’s time here at Texas A&M and we wish him the best in his future endeavors.”

Welsh also released a statement, saying that the decision “is the result of a thorough evaluation of the football program’s performance and what’s in the best interest of the overall program and Texas A&M University.”

Fisher went to College Station with great fanfare seven years ago after a stellar tenure at Florida State that included a BCS national championship in 2013. He led the Aggies to a 9-1 record and an Orange Bowl victory in 2020, earning him a fully guaranteed $94 million extension through the 2031 season.

Fisher compiled a record of 83-23 in eight seasons at Florida State. Overall, his teams have a mark of 128-48 (.727).

How will Texas A&M pay up?

• Total buyout: $77,562,500

• Lump sum (25 percent) owed (within 60 days): $19,390,625

• Eight payments, starting no later than March 11, 2024, and continuing annually through 2031: $7,271,484

That’s right. Payments of $7 million will keep cashing in for the next eight years even if Fisher coaches again. Texas A&M is 6-4 this season and will be led by assistant head coach/ co-defensive coordinator/ defensive line coach Elijah Robinson in the interim.