Former A&M Players Share Thoughts On Mike Elko's New Role At Duke
Texas A&M's former defensive coordinator Mike Elko has his hands full these days. Last season, he commanded the Aggies' defense as a top 10 unit in College Station. Now, he's taking over a full program as the next head coach for Duke.
Elko, 44, replaced long-time Blues Devils coach David Cutcliffe this offseason. An east coast native with experience coaching at private institutions, Duke hopes to find itself once more under his direction on both sides of the football.
A&M players knew eventually Elko would receive the phone call to lead a program. In several eyes, he's more than qualified to help a team flourish at the collegiate ranks.
"He's fitting to be a problem," former A&M safety Leon O'Neal said in an exclusive interview with AllAggies.com. "Coach Elko is different. Like, he's so different that was you expect. And he's a mastermind on both sides of the football."
Hired from Notre Dame in 2018, Elko was the first defensive coordinator on Jimbo Fisher's staff. Since the duo's arrival in College Station, the offense has seen its fair shares of mixed results.
The defense, however, has been a staple of the program's success. In 2020, the Aggies finished ninth in total defense (317.3 yards per game) and second in run defense (92 yards per game) on the way to a 9-1 finish.
In Elko's final season with A&M, the Aggies finished third in scoring defense (15.92 points per game), ninth in pass efficiency (112.0), seventh in red-zone defense (.710). A&M also posted a 34–14 overall record with Eklo on staff and finished top 50 in both pass and run defense.
"He was a great defensive coordinator," former A&M linebacker Aaron Hansford said. "I knew he was going to be a head coach somewhere. It was a matter of time because to see what he can do for a program, not just for a defense, was just hard to come by."
O'Neal believes Elko's knowledge of the game would have allowed him to transition to the offensive side of A&M's offensive coordinator should he like. That will be a learning curve at the next level since Elko has only coached defense since starting his career in 1999.
Both future NFL players praised Eklo on his personality, calling him someone players can relate toward. After three consecutive losing seasons in Durham, the Blue Devils need a name who can sell the program but also get the best out of the current roster.
Both O'Neal and Hansford believe Elko is the right fit for Duke. The program will be better off for hiring him in the long term.
"Teams need great defenses to be successful," Hansford said. "Duke said 'hey, we need a great defensive mind. We need to hire Mike Elko.'
"He's going to change that program around and I look forward to seeing that happen."
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