Texas A&M Aggies Coach Opens Up About 'Respect' For Texas Longhorns' Steve Sarkisian

Texas A&M Aggies head coach Mike Elko says he has "respect" for Texas Longhorns Steve Sarkisian.

Texas A&M Aggies head coach Mike Elko makes his way off the field after the game as Auburn Tigers take on Texas A&M Aggies at Jordan-Hare Stadium in Auburn, Ala., on Saturday, Sept. 7, 2024. Auburn Tigers defeated Texas A&M Aggies 43-41 in fourth overtime. / Jake Crandall/ Advertiser / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

Texas A&M Aggies head coach Mike Elko opened up about what kind of relationship he has with Texas Longhorns coach Steve Sarkisian.

Unlike other coaches in the SEC, like Georgia's Kirby Smart, Elko and Sarkisian's paths only crossed twice, when Elko was the defensive coordinator at Texas A&M and Sarkisian was the offensive coordinator at Alabama in 2019 and 2020.

Elko worked as a defensive coordinator at Bowling Green, Wake Forest, and Notre Dame while Sarkisian was at USC and Alabama. The two only took head coaching positions in the Lone Star State programs years after Texas and Texas A&M stopped playing each other.

Elko and Sarkisian haven't played each other since 2020, and have never played as head coaches or in a matchup of this intensity.

"Just having gone against him, (I have) respect for him and what he's done on offense, respect obviously for what he's put together over there and the team and the program that they're running," Elko said. "I don't have a personal relationship with him."

Sarkisian also had praise for his rival.

"Coach Elko is a good coach," Sarkisian said. "He's been around the block, he's been in College Football Playoffs, he's done all that stuff. So they'll be okay."

The winner of the Lone Star Showdown will be heading to Atlanta to face Georgia in the SEC Championship, and whichever team wins will be heading to the title decider for the first time. Sarkisian could take the Longhorns to the championship in their first year in the conference, though he worked as an offensive coordinator under Nick Saban at Alabama.

The Aggies, despite being in the SEC for over a decade, have yet to make it to the championship, and Elko could do it in his maiden year as the team's head coach.

The game will kick off at 6:30 p.m., with College GameDay starting the celebrations in the morning live from College Station.

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