Texas A&M to hire Duke's Mike Elko as head football coach

Mike Elko, the current Duke head coach and former Texas A&M defensive coordinator, will become the next head football coach at Texas A&M.

TexAgs' co-owner and executive editor Billy Liucci reported the news on X, the social media platform previously known as Twitter.

Elko, 46, was 16-9 in his two seasons in Durham. Seven of those nine defeats have come by one score or less. Prior to his arrival, Duke's last winning season was an 8-5 campaign in 2018 that culminated in an Independence Bowl victory.

This year, the Blue Devils broke into the AP top 25 following a 4-0 start, but after losing starting quarterback Riley Leonard to injury, Duke slumped to a 7-5 record -- including one-score losses to then-No. 11 Notre Dame and at then-No. 24 North Carolina.

Though a defensive coach by trade, Elko’s offense averaged 32.8 points to rank 32nd in the nation in scoring in 2022. This season the Blue Devils averaged 27.5 points to rank 67th in the nation. Again, Duke was without Leonard most of the season.

Prior to earning his first head coaching job at Duke, Elko spent four seasons guiding A&M's defense after joining Jimbo Fisher's staff in 2018. His defenses finished ranked No. 9 (317.3) and No. 14 (328.6) nationally in yards allowed in 2020 and 2021, respectively. Elko's 2020 unit assisted the Aggies in winning the 2021 Capital One Orange Bowl and a No. 4 finish in the AP poll.

A native of South Brunswick, New Jersey, Elko played safety at the University of Penn and helped the Quakers win the Ivy League crown as a senior in 1998.

After his playing career, Elko became a graduate assistant at Stony Brook in 1999 before returning to his alma mater to coach defensive backs in 2000. Stints at the United States Merchant Marine Academy (2001), Fordham (2002-2003), Richmond (2004-2005) and Hofstra (2006-2008) followed.

Elko got his first Division I FBS coaching experience when he joined Dave Clawson's staff at Bowling Green in 2009. When Clawson departed for Wake Forest after the 2013 campaign, Elko joined his staff in Winston-Salem.

In three seasons at Wake Forest, Elko's defenses ranked inside the top 50 twice, including a no. 24 standing in 2016. Off of that success, Elko had a one-year stop at Notre Dame under Brian Kelly in 2017 before coming to College Station ahead of the 2018 campaign.

Elko will have access to better athletes at A&M. A major reason for that is he’ll be reunited with ace recruiter Elijah Robinson, who has served as A&M’s interim head coach since Fisher’s dismissal. Robinson was the defensive tackles coach on Elko’s defensive staff.

Following a 42-30 loss to LSU on Saturday, Robinson expressed his desire to remain at A&M in some capacity. He figures to be retained by Elko.

Set to become the 30th head coach in A&M history, Elko is expected to be introduced as early as Monday, and the terms of his contract have yet to be released.