Texas A&M Aggies Coach Mike Elko Named To Bear Bryant Coach Of The Year Watchlist

Mike Elko has made his presence felt in Aggieland through six games, with a 5-1 record and 3-0 conference record good enough to put him on the watch list for the Paul "Bear" Bryant Coach of the Year Award.

Aug 31, 2024; College Station, Texas, USA; Texas A&M Aggies head coach Mike Elko arrives prior to the game against the Notre Dame Fighting Irish at Kyle Field. Mandatory Credit: Maria Lysaker-USA TODAY Sp / Maria Lysaker-Imagn Images

It's only taken Texas A&M head football coach Mike Elko six games for him to grab the nation's attention as one of the top football coaches in the country.

After a disappointing season opener loss to Notre Dame, Elko has led the No. 14 Aggies to a five-game winning streak and a 3-0 record against SEC opponents this year, which sits atop the Southeastern Conference standings.

Elko's innovative defensive mind has also boosted the run defense to only allowing 114 yards on the ground, one of the best in the entire nation.

Elko has also had to bob and weave his way through injuries in his short tenure as coach, losing running back Rueben Owens before the season even started and quarterback Conner Weigman was forced to sit out for three games after being injured against Notre Dame. Of course, Elko is thankful for the skill that backup QB Marcel Reed possesses, and now has two quarterbacks worthy of carrying the Aggie team to the playoffs.

For his impact made in Aggieland in such a short amount of time, Elko was named to the watch list for the Paul "Bear" Bryant Coach of the Year Award, named after the legendary Alabama and Texas A&M coach himself.

Elko is no stranger to coaching accolades, though. He received the 2022 ACC Coach of the Year Award while he was the Duke Blue Devils' coach.

As we all know, Elko was the defensive coordinator at Texas A&M from 2018 to 2021, which would explain the eclectic defensive scheme that he's been heading in College Station.

After their impressive taming of the then-No. 9 ranked Missouri Tigers last week at Kyle Field, the Aggies make their second road SEC trip of the season as they head to Starkville to take on the Mississippi State Bulldogs, who were able to keep up with their fellow Bulldogs in Georgia in a 41-31 loss this past weekend, so the Aggies might have their hands a little fuller than they expect.