Where Mike Elko Ranks Among the Top 10 Highest-Paid Coaches In College Football

After one of the most successful seasons in recent Texas A&M history, Elko is enjoying the benefits just two years after his initial hire.

Oct 18, 2025; Fayetteville, Arkansas, USA; Texas A&M Aggies head coach Mike Elko prior to the game against the Arkansas Razorbacks at Donald W. Reynolds Razorback Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Nelson Chenault-Imagn Images | Nelson Chenault-Imagn Images

In mid-November 2025, Texas A&M head coach Mike Elko’s first priority was to get his team to an undefeated regular season, and the Aggies’ first SEC championship game since they had joined the conference in 2012.

While the Aggies missed that opportunity, the other check-box on Elko’s list was completed before the regular season had even ended. He signed a six-year contract extension with the Aggies in his second year as head coach, keeping him in College Station through 2031 and receiving a big enough bonus to put him well within the top 10 highest-paid head coaches in college football for the year of 2026.

Where Does Elko Rank Among the Top 10 Highest-Paid Head Coaches?

Nov 8, 2025; Columbia, Missouri, USA; Texas A&M Aggies head coach Mike Elko watches warmups prior to a game against the Missouri Tigers at Faurot Field at Memorial Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jay Biggerstaff-Imagn Images | Jay Biggerstaff-Imagn Images

For his efforts during the 2025-26 season, Elko received a check of $11 million — making him the eighth-highest paid head coach this year. 

The number puts him just above rival Texas head coach Steve Sarkisian, with $10.8 million. Colorado head coach Deion Sanders is on par with Sarkisian’s pay, while Indiana head coach Curt Cignetti tops the board with $13.2 million after his undefeated season and national championship win with the Hoosiers.

Following Cignetti are Georgia head coach Kirby Smart, new LSU head coach Lane Kiffin, Ohio State head coach Ryan Day, Clemson head coach Dabo Swinney, Oregon’s Dan Lanning and the University of Southern California’s Lincoln Riley.

Google him.

Curt Cignetti is the highest-paid college football coach in 2026. pic.twitter.com/gtk81CqhZd

— DraftKings (@DraftKings) February 20, 2026

It’s interesting to note that most of these bonuses, as add-ons to contract extensions, were made in the wake of one of the biggest coaching carousels in college football — especially within the SEC. The conference lost and switched around five head coaches, the most in a season since 2017, with many shifts being made around the time of Elko’s new extension.

More than ever, it’s crucial for programs to retain head coaches, and rare to sustain contracts over long periods of time. Cignetti has only been with Indiana since the 2024 season and made a complete turn-around of a team that just two years ago had historically found itself at the bottom of the Big 10. 

Elko is in a similar position. After head coach Jimbo Fisher’s departure, Elko took his place as head coach over a team that looked like a long-term development project after spending several years as the SEC’s punching bag. Within his time as Texas A&M’s head coach, he’s made a similar turn-around with efforts to retain big name players, like quarterback Marcel Reed, and recruit immediate impact prospects. Those efforts resulted in an 11-2 season with the Aggies' first College Football Playoff appearance.

In an era of college football that makes retention difficult for coaches and players alike, it’s crucial for programs like Texas A&M to do everything they can to keep coaches like Elko. With a top-of-the-line payout and significant yearly raises set for the next six years, though, Elko is in a good position to coach and develop the Aggies for the next several years.