News broke via TexAgs on Thursday morning that Texas A&M is in the process of hiring Florida’s assistant coach Jay Bateman to be the new defensive coordinator for the Aggies.
After coach Mike Elko mentioned in his press conference on Wednesday that we could expect a hire soon, rumors started to swirl. The name that came up the most was the former Aggie linebacker coach and current Duke defensive coordinator Tyler Santucci.
We know how the internet can be, and the Santucci hate was abundant and unwarranted. Now, with the Bateman, some of the same people are still complaining.
With Elko being a defensive coach, the thought behind the hire really came down to how good of a fit Bateman would be within Elko’s system and the staff. Granted, Bateman has been up and down with his success, but he is known mainly for turning around a struggling Army defense and being named as a 2018 Broyles Award finalist.
It’s not the splash hire fans might have wanted, but Elko seemed more interested in building a grounded staff that can recruit and will jell with the university. But like everything in life, not everyone will agree with everything that someone does, and social media gave us a taste of both sides.