'Elko understands A&M' Anonymous coaches sound off on Texas A&M HC Mike Elko
This story was updated to correct misspellings/typos.
In college football, results are everything. In order to win and win consistently, however, requires a solid foundation and a culture of honesty, toughness and dedication to improvement. That was evident during Alabama 's historic run under coach Nick Saban, who led to the Crimson Tide to six national championships.
Right now, Notre Dame, Ohio State , Clemson, Texas and several other power conference programs embody a similar culture. Texas A&M , under second-year coach Mike Elko is rebuilding a program that was crumbling under former coach Jimbo Fisher, who was fired in November 2023 after nearly six seasons.
After finishing 8-5, including a disappointing 1-4 ending to last season, Elko's immediate action this offseason included landing 14 players from the transfer portal and adding James Madison defensive coordinator Lyle Hemphill to the coaching staff to help fix issues in the secondary.
This week, Athlon released its annual coaching comments: SEC coaches around the conference provided anonymous opinions on each program's coach as well as their progress, or lack thereof, heading into the 2025 season. Here is what they had to say about Mike Elko and Texas A&M's potential in 2025.
Concerning culture, which can be vague on its face, Elko is apparently the right man for the job. The consensus expectation: He is on his way to turning the Aggies into consistent contenders.
“They didn’t finish strong, but the turnaround here was remarkable. As coaches, we talked about the culture at this place really falling to rock-bottom under Jimbo [Fisher]. You turn on the tape from [Mike] Elko, and those kids are playing harder, playing smarter. That’s coaching, but it’s culture. It’s the want-to.”
This is another accurate take regarding Texas A&M's offense and the various unknowns. With Le'Veon Moss returning in the backfield, coupled with a veteran offensive line, it's up to starting quarterback Marcel Reed to show growth in the pocket and become a dependable passer, especially facing SEC teams on the road.
“They have a great run game, and the entire offensive line should be back. [Marcel] Reed’s ceiling is still to be determined; he showed a lot of good and some bad last season.”
This offseason, Elko told reporters he will take a much larger role in defensive play calling after Jay Bateman's struggles down the stretch, which should result in earlier adjustments and fewer busted plays, especially in the secondary.
“Elko is going to be more involved on the defense, I think. The need position in the offseason was defensive line, so watch for that.”
Physicality and aggressiveness is one of the main reasons Texas A&M hired Elko, and the anonymous coach hit the nail on the head when stating Elko "understands" the Aggies to the fullest extent, especially the fan base's expectations.
“Elko understands A&M, and eventually this could be the most physical, aggressive team in the league.”
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This article originally appeared on Aggies Wire: Anonymous coaches sound off on Texas A&M HC Mike Elko ahead of 2025
