Texas A&M athletic director Ross Bjork met with reporters Sunday and said his firing of football coach Jimbo Fisher was “quick and cordial.”

Elijah Robinson, Texas A&M’s co-defensive coordinator, has been named the interim coach. Robinson, who has been at A&M since 2018, is an assistant head coach and defensive line coach.

Texas A&Mwill pay Fisher the $76 million left on his contract. Bjork, who said the decision to fire Fisher was his, said he had the conversation with Fisher “within Kyle Field.”

“I would say it was quick and cordial,” Bjork said.

The athletic director said the decision was made after the 38-35 loss to Ole Miss, but he stressed it wasn’t that loss but the direction in which the program was headed that caused him to make the decision to fire Fisher.

“I determined that – at this point, for lots of reasons – our program is stuck in neutral,” Bjork said. “We should be relevant on the national scene. Something is not clicking. Something is not working. Therefore, something had to give in order for Aggie football to reach our full potential. As leaders, every decision we make or every decision we don’t make has consequences.

“Consistency on how the program operates on a daily basis impacts the confidence level of every single person in the program, and, thus, influences performance. Based on my experience, the best programs have confidence. The program has an established identity. The program maximizes the talent. The leadership is fully integrated in the university, the athletic program and its culture.

“I did not feel like we were meeting those standards in excellence and leadership.”

Fisher went 45-25 and 27-21 in the SEC, never winning more than nine games in any season. The Aggies are 6-4 with two games left, coming off a 51-10 victory against Mississippi State on Saturday night in College Station, Texas.

“I have been here for five years,” Bjork said. “Aggieland is special. The ingredients for a championship are here. Aggies want to do it the right way and deserve excellence in everything that we do. … Onward we go.”

Bjork added an advisory group, former players and industry leaders will be utilized in keying in on potential replacements.

“Here’s the profile from what we will work on,” he said. “A coach that has a program identity, great interpersonal skills, track record of player development, commitment to academics, recruiting machine, supreme organizational skills, culture of discipline, passion for the game, proven winners, strong leadership skills, involved in the community, of course knowledge of Xs and Os, and someone who understands and can capitalize in today’s modern-day college athletics.”

Mark Heim is a reporter for The Alabama Media Group. Follow him on Twitter @Mark_Heim. He can be heard on “The Opening Kickoff” on WNSP-FM 105.5 FM in Mobile or on the free Sound of Mobile App from 6 to 9 a.m. daily.