Mike Elko's Two-Year Stay At Duke Prepared Him For Texas A&M Aggies Position
Before criticizing the hire, ask yourself a question.
What has Duke done?
No, really, what have the Blue Devils done on the football field over the last 50 years?
Have they won a national title and been crowned kings of college football?
Nope.
Have they won the ACC title and punched their ticket to a New Year's Six Bowl?
Once, but Steve Spurrier was only using his time in Durham to drum up interest from Florida. A year later, he was back on the sidelines for his alma mater.
Seriously though, what can you say when talking about Duke football?
Therein lies your answer to why Mike Elko was always the right replacement at Texas A&M for Jimbo Fisher. The former Aggies defensive coordinator turned the Blue Devils from a three-win program with no direction into a nine-win team that few wanted to play on Saturday.
Ask Dabo Swinney how it felt walking out of Wallace Wade Stadium as fans flew past him to celebrate the 28-7 upset.
Ask Dave Doren how it felt knowing N.C. State could be playing in Charlotte this weekend for an ACC title if not for a 24-3 beatdown in Durham,
Even in losses, Elko made sure his roster filled with lesser talent played with more heart. A stop on 2nd-and-10 against Audric Estime, and it could be Duke winning 21-14 over No. 11 Notre Dame.
A two-point conversion attempt at Chapel Hill and maybe it's the Blue Devils celebrating in a triple-overtime win over No. 24 North Carolina.
Close calls are a sensitive subject in College Station these days. Fisher, in his final press conference, said the Aggies were "three or four plays away" from being in the College Football Playoff.
Those three to four plays were the ultimatum in Ross Bjork and the boosters putting up with another 8-4 season.
But for Duke, a school with more winless seasons than 10-win ones, close calls are signs of growth, something that's been missing in Aggieland for years. David Cutcliffe was riding high after a 10-4 season in 2013, but the Blue Devils with 10-25 in his final three years.
A year later, the 127th-scoring defense skyrocketed 96 spots up the board to 31st nationally. A run defense that allowed teams to gallop through the gridiron like horses on the open range was now holding opponents to 3.7 yards a carry.
Duke Blue Devils head coach Mike Elko before the first half of the game against North Carolina State Wolfpack at Wallace Wade Stadium.
Mandatory Credit: Jaylynn Nash-USA TODAY Sports
And it's not just the defense. Riley Leonard garnered draft buzz after leading the offense to six 30-plus point performances. The Blue Devils totaled 31 rushing touchdowns and ranked top 30 in yards per play.
Duke was ranked for the first time since 2018 under Elko after a 4-0 start. They found a way to win without its best player once Leonard was sidelined due to a lower-leg injury.
ACC Coach of the Year? Elko at least earned some national recognition, right?
The soon-to-be Aggies' 30th coach in program history won 16 games in two seasons while working with three-star talent at a five-star culture level. Imagine what he'll do when he gets his hands on the prospects who come to College Station.
Actually, don't imagine, but instead, look back to 2021 when the Aggies had the No. 3 scoring defense while Elko served as Fisher's right-hand man.
Take a stroll down memory lane when A&M's front seven in 2020 ranked second in defending the run.
Even take a gander at the stats from that gaudy 2019 season when A&M finished 7-5 and faced off against the No. 1 team three different times. Does anyone remember what Elko started building back then?
A&M is more than willing to pay the $5 million buyout to pry him back home. Elko seems more than content with keeping interim coach Elijah Robinson on staff, a massive victory for the Aggies' recruiting services.
And the schedule bodes well in Elko's favor in Year 1 if he can convince kids to stick around long enough to buy into the process. That should be easier than most new coaches since the 46-year-old recruited more than half when he worked under Fisher instead of in his place.
The Aggies open up at home against Notre Dame on Aug. 31 and part of a home-and-home series. They'll play McNeese State, Bowling Green and New Mexico State, but also face off with Mississippi State, South Carolina, Auburn, Florida and Arkansas.
Outside of Texas and LSU, both of which will be played at Kyle Field, is there reason to think nine wins is plausible?
Maybe 10?
Perhaps 11?
Elko isn't the flashiest name listed on the coaching market. Not everyone can be Dabo Swinney, Ryan Day, or even Lane Kiffin barking for answers.
But the Aggies don't need flash. They need fight.
Elko provides that just like R.C. Slocum, the last defensive-minded coach A&M hired, who also happened to be the last coach to win a conference title.
What has Duke done?
It got Elko ready for the moment. This moment.
And A&M is better off because of what Duke did when calling College Station two years ago.
