UTSA head coach Jeff Traylor interviewed for the Texas A&M job with athletic director Ross Bjork, according to Kirk Bohls of the Austin American Statesman. The Aggies are in search of a new coach after dismissing Jimbo Fisher after the Mississippi State win in Week 11 despite his $76 million dollar buy out. Traylor was rumored as one of the top candidates prior to the report of his interview. 

Traylor is an East Texas native who led his hometown Gilmer Buckeyes to three state titles in five state championship game appearances as head coach. The football stadium in Gilmer is named after him. He left to become an assistant at Texas on Charlie Strong’s staff and spent time as an assistant at Arkansas and SMU before accepting the head coaching job at UTSA prior to the 2020 season. 

The Roadrunners went 7-5 in the pandemic-altered 2020 season – Traylor’s first as a collegiate head coach. They’re 30-8 since the start of 2021 with two conference titles. UTSA is 6-0 in its first season of AAC play heading into a Week 12 home game against USF on Friday night. Traylor is 27-3 against conference opponents and 22-3 at home in his nearly four full seasons at UTSA. 

Reports earlier in the day said that Texas A&M reached out to Detroit Lions head man Dan Campbell about the opening, but the former Aggie indicated that he’s staying put. Traylor and Duke head coach Mike Elko – a former Texas A&M defensive coordinator – are two of the front runners for the job.