Mike Elko Reveals Why He Hired Collin Klein To Lead Texas A&M's Offense

Mike Elko raved about Collin Klein in a recent appearance at the Fort Worth Touchdown Club.

The Texas A&M Aggies have a new-look coaching staff under first-year head coach Mike Elko, and by all accounts, it is one of the most impressive in the SEC.

That said, one member of that staff might have more pressure on his shoulders than anyone else - offensive coordinator Collin Klein, who he brought over from Kansas State as one of his first hires.

Klein comes to College Station hoping to fix an offense that has struggled with its consistency and explosive plays over the last few seasons, and lost a handful of key playmakers this offseason.

However, Elko is confident in Klein's ability to do just that.

And as he revealed to the Fort Worth Touchdown Club last week, it was an easy choice to pick Klein, and put him in charge of the offense.

“What I did was, I locked myself in an office and started analyzing three different candidates, and Collin (Klein) was one of them," Elko said at the Fort Worth Touchdown Club. "I fell in love with what I saw from his offense... They found ways to be extremely successful and score a lot of points.”

So what set Klein apart from the rest of the candidates?

Last season under Klein, the Wildcats ranked No. 10 in the nation in scoring, No. No. 12 in rushing and No. 23 in total offense. They were an extremely efficient team through the air, averaging 241 yards per game, with 30 touchdowns through the air to just 10 interceptions.

But on top of everything else, Elko was impressed with Klein's intelligence and his belief in his ability to adapt to the personnel the Aggies have in place.

“What I love about Collin is that he’s extremely intelligent," Elko said. "He’s extremely bright. He knows how to move kids around to allow them to be successful.”

As it stands, it is still unclear exactly what the new Aggies offense will look like. Starting quarterback Conner Weigman was limited throughout the spring, and the Aggies were still in the process of installing the new scheme.

That said, Mike Elko has a vision, and he believes Klein is fully capable of implementing it.

“We’ll be physical. We’ll be tough," Elko said. "Our kids will get behind him and rally around him.”

Fans will get their first real look at the offense on August 31 when Notre Dame comes to Kyle Field for the season opener.