Texas A&M's DC Elko Heads Back To ACC As Head Coach

Mike Elko is the next head coach at Duke

Texas A&M defensive coordinator Mike Elko was always destined to be a head coach one day. That day has officially arrived. 

Elko was named Duke's next head coach on Friday evening. The news was first reported by Pete Thamel of Yahoo Sports and later confirmed by the school's social media page. 

"We are absolutely thrilled to announce Mike Elko as our next head football coach," Duke athletic director Nina King said. "He has an innovative football mind and a natural ability to connect with both players and coaches around him. Mike has a proven track record of success and is deeply committed to the overall student-athlete experience. From our first conversations, I knew Mike, Michelle and their children would make phenomenal additions to the Duke family!"

The wait is over.

We're excited to announce @CoachMikeElko as our new head coach!#GoDuke 🔵😈 pic.twitter.com/aq40snOcqU

— Duke Football (@DukeFOOTBALL) December 11, 2021

Elko, 44, is a native of New Jersey and has waited for the past several seasons for his chance to become a head coach. As a player, Elko received his education from the University of Penn, where he played safety from 1995-98. 

Elko has slowly emerged as one of the country’s top defensive minds since arriving in Aggieland back in 2018. In 2021, he led the Aggies to the No. 3 scoring defense in the country (15.9 points per game). A&M also finished as the SEC’s top total defense in 2020 (317.3 yards per game). 

The Aggies thrived in 2020 in large part to their defense. A&M finished 9-1 on the year and closed out the season with an Orange Bowl victory over North Carolina, along with No. 4 finish in the AP poll — the highest since 1939 in program history.

Six defensive players have been drafted under Elko's watch since 2018, with several more expected to make the jump the NFL this April. Most notably, defensive tackle DeMarvin Leal is expected to be a top 10 pick come next spring. 

Elko has also been highly influential in the recruiting process for A&M during his time in College Station. Over the last three seasons, the Aggies have finished inside the top 10 of recruiting classes and should make it a fourth come Dec. 15 on Early Signing Day. 

A&M was able to land several top names on SI99's list, including defensive lineman Walter Nolen (No.2), defensive lineman Gabriel Brownlow-Dindy (No. 10), wide receiver Evan Stewart (No. 12), and quarterback Conner Weigman (No. 32). 

A&M is also expected to be in play linebacker Harold Perkins, offensive tackle Kelvin Banks, and defensive lineman Shemar Stewart, all of whom rank inside the top 50 of SI99's list. 

Elko has ties to the ACC, serving on Dave Clawson's staff at Wake Forest's defensive coordinator from 2014-16. He also has ties working with private institutions as he also served as Notre Dame's defensive coordinator under Brian Kelly in 2017. 

Throughout his coaching career, Elko has served as defensive coordinator for Hofstra (2006-08) and Bowling Green (2009-13). He also has coached at Fordham and Richmond, serving under Clawson for 12 seasons at four different programs. 

"Duke stands for excellence," Elko said in statement. "The university has excelled in everything they've ever tried to do, whether that'd be in academics or athletics. I'm excited to get to work."

Elko is set to take over Duke from David Cutcliffe, who brought the Blue Devils back to relevance during his 14 seasons at the helm. He posted a 77-97 record overall with the team including a period of five bowl appearances in six years. 

Duke finished 3-9 and 0-8 in conference play in Cutcliffe's final season. The two mutually agreed to part ways following the 2021 season. 

Elko was the third-highest paid assistant coach in the country, only behind since-departed Clemson assistants Brent Venables and Tony Elliott. He made $2.1 million last season at Texas A&M. 

Venables was named the head coach at Oklahoma on Sunday following a 10-year run at Clemson. Elliott, who also was in the running for the Duke job, was named the head coach at Virginia Friday morning. 

Texas A&M coach Jimbo Fisher has not yet said if Elko will coach with the No. 25 Aggies (8-4) against No. 17 Wake Forest (10-3) in the Gator Bowl on Dec. 31. 

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