In hiring Mike Elko, Texas A&M hopes blue-collar, no-nonsense approach finally leads Aggies to promised land

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COLLEGE STATION, Texas — When Texas A&M hired Jimbo Fisher in 2017, the Aggies hoped to make a statement. The program gave him a dateless national championship plaque in expectation that he would lead it to the promised land. As Fisher exited his private jet as coach for the first time that December, he was greeted with a maroon carpet and military band serenade. He was handed one of the most eye-popping contracts in college football history before coaching a game. 

In Mike Elko, the Aggies have hired Fisher’s foil. 

“My vision for the program is very simple,” Elko said at his introductory press conference. “We are going to build the premier football program in the country. We are not going to talk about it anymore, we are going to be about it.”

Elko arrived in Aggieland for the first time as part of Fisher’s initial staff in 2018. With Elko in the program, Texas A&M went 34-13, including an Orange Bowl victory in 2020. That success landed Elko the Duke job, which he immediately turned into a nine-win debut in 2022. That was followed by a 7-5 campaign in 2023 that, although disappointing in some respects with the injury to QB Riley Leonard, still represented achievement in Durham, North Carolina. 

As such, bringing Elko back to College Station made all the sense in the world, but the process wasn’t as cut and dry. He emerged from the morass following a kerfuffle over the weekend in which Kentucky coach Mark Stoops appeared to be Texas A&M’s top target … before he wasn’t. 

Regardless, Elko remains a familiar choice. Aggie higher-ups are hoping it’s the right one. 

Elko’s contract is one of the most unique in the SEC. He’ll earn a competitive base salary of $42 million over six years. The incentive numbers are off the charts,…

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Source link : https://www.cbssports.com/college-football/news/in-hiring-mike-elko-texas-a-m-hopes-blue-collar-no-nonsense-approach-finally-leads-aggies-to-promised-land/

Author : Shehan Jeyarajah

Publish date : 2023-11-28 03:35:34

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