After firing Jimbo Fisher, Texas A&M has hired Fisher’s former DC Mike Elko as the Aggies’ new head coach. Elko was at TAMU from 2018-21 and by his final season had built the defense into one of the best in the nation, ranking 3rd in points allowed and 20th in yards allowed in all of FBS in 2021. He then spent the last two seasons as the head coach at Duke.
“Coach Mike Elko is one of the best leaders and coaches in college football and has had high-level success at each stop of his career,” AD Ross Bjork said in a statement. “He is known amongst coaching circles as one of the best defensive minds in the country and has shown his ability to lead and turn around a program as a Power 5 head coach.”
“Coach Elko has a vision for Aggie football, and a specific plan for innovation and greatness which is exactly what our program needs right now to compete in the modern era of college athletics,” Bjork continued. “We are fortunate to attract a head coach of his character, coaching acumen, recruiting experience in the SEC, winning formula, ability to develop players to their full potential and a love and familiarity with Aggieland and our University, which makes him a perfect match,” Bjork concluded. “We are excited to welcome Coach Elko and his family back to Aggieland and we cannot wait to get started.”
Elko took over a Duke program that had finished with losing records in three-straight years and was coming off a 3-9 (0-8 ACC) finish in 2021. In his first year, he quickly rebuilt the Blue Devils to a ACC contender and earned a berth in the Military Bowl, which they won to finish 9-4 overall. This year’s team is 7-5 and heading to another bowl, and his overall record of 16-9 is the best for any Duke head coach through their first two seasons since William D. Murray went 13-6-1 to start his tenure in 1951-52.
In addition to Duke and A&M, Elko has stints as the DC at Notre Dame (2017), Wake Forest (2014-16), and Bowing Green (2009-13), among others. The New Jersey-native played safety at Penn from 1995-98.
credit to Texas A&M Athletics for the image
