When LSU coach [autotag]Brian Kelly[/autotag] takes the field in College Station to face the Texas A&M Aggies in a top-15 matchup, he will find a familiar face on the opposite sideline.
Aggies head coach Mike Elko, hired away from Duke this past offseason, is a former Kelly assistant, working under him as the defensive coordinator at Notre Dame.
At his press conference on Monday, Elko was asked about his relationship with Kelly and what he has learned from him over the years.
“Oh yeah, I learned a lot,” Elko said. “Brian’s a really, really successful head coach that maybe isn’t into the huge self-promotion business. He’s the winningest coach in Notre Dame football history, I don’t know that that’s something that rolls off of everyone’s tongue. He’s been successful everywhere he’s been.
“My defensive coordinator path kind of married his head coach path, started D2, worked its way all the way up through. He had success kind of everywhere he went, and so a ton of respect for him, who he is. Certainly appreciate him giving me the opportunity he did to be the defensive coordinator at Notre Dame, and he’s a really good coach. He does a really good job getting the best out of his team.”
Kelly also offered praise of his former assistant on Monday.
“We just talked about Blake Baker and his ability to relate, Mike does a great job with the players,” Kelly said. “He’s demanding but never demeaning. He has a standard of what he expects but has always been able to build great relationships with his players. So when you have that standard, and he’s a very bright mind when it comes to defense and defensive structures… so you’ve got a guy who has great experience, and he’s done it at a lot of different levels.
“I’ve always respected those coaches because that’s where I’ve come from. I started as a Division II head coach, he’s worked his way up. And any time you can hire an Ivy League grad, it makes me smarter. So that worked out well for me.”
It will certainly be an interesting reunion, and it’s a matchup we’re likely to see quite a bit in the coming years as Kelly faces his former right-hand man.
Contact/Follow us @LSUTigersWire on Twitter, and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Louisiana State news, notes, and opinions.
Follow Tyler to continue the conversation on Twitter: @TylerNettuno