'People Are Jealous!' Aggies Coach Mike Elko Has Strong Take on Texas A&M Detractors

The Texas A&M Aggies get a lot of hate, and head coach Mike Elko believes it all stems from Jealousy.

The Texas A&M Aggies are steeped in tradition.

To some people, however, those traditions come off as a bit strange. Some have even referred to the way Texas A&M operates as 'cult-like.'

As a result, Aggies and their alumni tend to hear a little bit more from the detractors than most other schools. That is particularly true with the football program, which obviously garners more attention than any other sports on campus.

But according to head coach Mike Elko, all of the hate and detraction stems from one thing: Jealousy.

“We have to focus on us,” Elko said at the Houston Texas A&M Club on Friday. “We have spent a lot of time chasing things and chasing people. We just need to focus on Texas A&M and becoming the absolute best version of Texas A&M and be proud of who we are. Because people are jealous of us.”

So in Elko's eyes, what exactly are people jealous of? Not exactly what you might think at first.

Elko isn't necessarily referring to national or conference titles or success on the field.

Instead, he is referencing the close bond of Aggies alumni and their impact on the community and the state of Texas - things he believes were forged thanks to the spirit of the school, and its quirky traditions.

And to Elko, that is where the outside noise all comes from.

“People are jealous of how many Aggies can come together and support each other, how Aggies take care of Aggies,” Elko said. “What our people do in the community, what our people do in the state of Texas. The spirit that our university brings together in its alumni base. People are jealous of that, and that’s why they make fun of it.”

Some programs or universities might be weakened or distracted by the outside noise. At others, it might cause division or chaos.

However, instead of fighting against it, Elko believes that Aggies everywhere need to embrace it, and use it to their advantage moving forward.

“I just think we need to embrace that," Elko said. "We need to embrace that we’re good enough, and the best version of us is plenty good enough to be where we want to be.”