The Jimbo Fisher era provided plenty of headaches for Texas A&M fans for five of his six seasons at the helm, while former athletic director Ross Bjork deserves plenty of blame for granting him a lengthy extension, resulting in Fisher’s now famous $76 million buyout after his dismissal last November.
After a decade of overhyped, loud, often ridiculous offseasons under Fisher and former head coach Kevin Sumlin before him, Bjork, before departing for Ohio State, made what will soon be considered his best hire in Mike Elko, who spent nearly four seasons as Texas A&M’s defensive coordinator (2018-2021).
It will obviously take a couple of years to accurately grade Elko’s success in College Station. His resume as a coordinator is now matched with his last two seasons in Durham, where he won 16 games and two bowl games while utilizing the transfer portal year after year.
Nationally, most college football analysts applaud Elko’s hiring and feel he is a perfect fit for a program needing a culture change post-Fisher. During this week’s SEC Media Days, every media member, including CBS Sports’ Shehan Jeyarajah, noticed the drastic change in Elko’s approach to previewing the 2024 season.
Stepping up to the podium for his first SEC Media Days appearance, Elko’s blue-collar, workman-like approach to the game has already made its mark, providing a realistic view of Texas A&M’s stagnant trajectory over the past two seasons after he left the program.
“We had to have some real, honest conversations when I took over about where we were as a program,” Elko stated. “We can’t verbalize what we are; facts tell us who we are. We were a 12-13 football program the last two years. The only way to change that is to work.”
He is returning to a roster that features several of his recruits from the Aggies’ historic 2022 recruiting class, led by redshirt sophomore quarterback Conner Weigman; he brings familiarity to his tactics, which were embraced by all three player representatives, including starting defensive tackle Shemar Turner:
That’s one thing that Coach Elko prides himself on: work,” Turner stated “If you work, he’s going to love you.”
As we have seen in years past from various programs, quiet offseasons usually breed in-season success as team unity is built in the weight room during the offseason, especially under new strength and condition coach Tommy Moffit. However, Elko knows that no matter how talented his team is on paper, the proof is in the pudding once they hit the ground running.
“You earn the right to have success in the game of football,” Elko stated. “I think that’s a recipe that has stood the test of time. The offseason is about being in places where nobody’s watching, where no one’s following you on Instagram, where nobody’s posting about what you’re doing. It’s about getting up every day and going to get better so you can have success in the fall.”
Something I stick to in my life is that any outside “noise” prevents us from reaching our daily goals of getting better at our chosen profession. Texas A&M will experience a plethora of highs and lows this coming season. Still, I can guarantee that under Elko’s guidance, a lack of discipline, toughness, and consistent work ethic will keep the Aggies in every game till the final whistle blows.
Texas A&M will kick off the 2024 season vs. Notre Dame in prime time on Saturday, August 31 at 6:30 p.m. CT.
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