Texas A&M Head Coach Mike Elko Discusses What Brian Kelly Has Done For His Career

The pair of head coaches will battle it out in College Station on Saturday night for the top spot in the SEC.

Aug 31, 2024; College Station, Texas, USA; Texas A&M Aggies head coach Mike Elko high fives players as they exit the field during the second quarter against the Notre Dame Fighting Irish at Kyle Field. Mandatory Credit: Maria Lysaker-Imagn Images / Maria Lysaker-Imagn Images

LSU head coach Brian Kelly and Texas A&M shot caller Mike Elko go way back to their time on the Notre Dame coaching staff in 2017.

With Kelly at the helm, he brought in Elko as the defensive coordinator to elevate his unit while competing in South Bend.

A one-year working relationship had the two become friends, but Saturday night will put friendship aside for a battle in College Station.

Elko dove into what he learned from Kelly during his time on staff and what Kelly has provided college football during his decades as a head coach.

“I learned a lot,” Elko said. “Brian’s a really, really successful head coach that maybe isn’t into the huge self-promotion business. He’s the winningest coach in Notre Dame football history, I don’t know that that’s something that rolls off of everyone’s tongue. He’s been successful everywhere he’s been.

“My defensive coordinator path kind of married his head coach path, started D2, worked its way all the way up through. He had success kind of everywhere he went and so a ton of respect for him, who he is. Certainly appreciate him giving me the opportunity he did to be the defensive coordinator at Notre Dame and he’s a really good coach. He does a really good job getting the best out of his team.”

Why depart Notre Dame after just one season? Elko explained:

“I just think it was the opportunity to get into the SEC and start something new,” Elko said during Wednesday’s SEC Coaches Teleconference. “Brian was great to me, I’ll be forever grateful for him giving me that opportunity. We spoke after I left through the year about different things. Certainly had nothing to do with that, just the opportunity to come down here to be a part of something new in the SEC. That was exciting for me.”

Elko departed Notre Dame after one season in South Bend to take the defensive coordinator role at Texas A&M.

A players coach, the decision ultimately paid dividends once former Aggies head coach Jimbo Fisher departed College Station with the current roster advocating for Elko to take over as the head coach.

Now, he's the leader of the Aggies while seemingly over achieving in year one as the program's shot caller.

Elko currently has the Aggies as the No. 1 team in the Southeastern Conference Standings with the back half of the 2024 schedule beginning this weekend against the LSU Tigers.

The SEC Standings Through Week 8:

1. Texas A&M Aggies (6-1, 4-0)
2. LSU Tigers (6-1, 3-0)
3. Georgia Bulldogs (6-1, 4-1)
4. Tennessee Volunteers (6-1, 3-1)
5. Missouri Tigers (6-1, 2-1)
6. Texas Longhorns (6-1, 2-1)
7. Vanderbilt Commodores (5-2, 2-1)
8. Alabama Crimson Tide (5-2, 2-2)
9. Arkansas Razorbacks (4-3, 2-2)
10. Florida Gators (3-2, 1-1)
11. South Carolina Gamecocks (4-3, 2-3)
12. Ole Miss Rebels (5-2, 1-2)
13. Oklahoma Sooners (4-3, 1-3)
14. Kentucky Wildcats (3-4, 1-4)
15. Auburn Tigers (2-5, 0-4)
16. Mississippi State Bulldogs (1-6, 0-4)

It'll be a matchup on Saturday night between a pair of old colleagues battling it out for the top spot in the SEC standings with kickoff slated for 6:30 p.m. CT in Kyle Field.

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