Paul Finebaum Names the ‘Most Underrated’ Coach in College Football

The ESPN analyst hands this SEC head coach the title of college football's most underrated.

ESPN college football analyst Paul Finebaum was asked which head coach was the most underrated in college football. | Christopher Hanewinckel-Imagn Images

Paul Finebaum has never been shy about throwing cold water on coaches who get too much praise. So when Jake Crain pivoted on the Crain & Cone podcast and asked the longtime SEC voice to compliment an underappreciated coach.

Finebaum didn't hesitate before pointing to College Station. Mike Elko, in his eyes, is the most underrated head coach in the sport, even after guiding Texas A&M to an 11-2 record and the program's first College Football Playoff appearance last fall.

It's a take that reframes how analysts have been ranking the SEC's top tier, particularly with Kirby Smart, Steve Sarkisian and Lane Kiffin soaking up the bulk of the offseason oxygen.

Why Finebaum is high on Elko

Finebaum laid out his case plainly. "He gets a lot of credit, but he doesn't get enough," Finebaum said. "I think that's Mike Elko at Texas A&M. You couldn't design a better coach for that program than Elko."

The contrast with the previous regime did most of the heavy lifting in his argument. "When you consider the disaster that Jimbo Fisher was at that program, with everything handed to him, Mike Elko came in there seamlessly and built it back," Finebaum continued.

Texas A&M head coach Mike Elko rejoined the Aggies in 2023 after two seasons leading the Duke Blue Devils to a 16-9 record. | Maria Lysaker-Imagn Images

Elko was no stranger to College Station when the Aggies came calling. He spent four seasons (2018-2021) as Jimbo Fisher's defensive coordinator before taking the Duke head coaching job in December 2021, where he went 16-9 over two seasons and earned ACC Coach of the Year honors in 2022.

After Texas A&M paid roughly $75 million to buy out Fisher in November 2023, athletic director Ross Bjork pivoted to Elko on a six-year deal worth $7 million annually, bringing him back to a program he already knew inside and out.

Finebaum acknowledged that last season's loss to Miami stung, pinning the blame on a quarterback who lost composure late. Still, the broader verdict was glowing: "I think [Elko is] a master class in what a coach should look like."

What's next for Texas A&M this spring

Elko's roster overhaul has been one of the busiest in the country. The Aggies are replacing 15 starters and roughly 20 additional scholarship players, with 10 players total selected in the 2026 NFL Draft. Several undrafted free agents also landed contracts and will be working the camp circuit through the spring and summer.

To plug those gaps, Elko brought in 17 transfers, headlined by 6-foot-7 Alabama tackle Wilkin Formby, who started 14 games for the Crimson Tide last season. Elko has already announced plans to slide him back to right tackle. The Aggies also poached wide receiver Isaiah Horton away from the Crimson Tide. He collected 42 passes for 511 yards and eight scores in 2025.

Former Alabama Crimson Tide offensive lineman Wilkin Formby (75) is one of the top portal additions for Mike Elko and the Aggies. | Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images

Returning quarterback Marcel Reed anchors the offense alongside wideout Mario Craver and veteran cornerback Dezz Ricks. New offensive coordinator Collin Klein and an internally promoted defensive staff add layers of intrigue.

Elko himself has tempered expectations, telling reporters that three practices into spring, "it's not there yet" compared to playoff-caliber benchmarks. That kind of measured tone is exactly what Finebaum was praising.