Elko aims to fulfill Aggies’ potential as top program
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Dave Wilson, ESPN Staff Writer
COLLEGE STATION, Texas — Mike Elko was introduced as Texas A&M’s new head coach on Monday, telling a group of fans gathered inside Kyle Field that he is ready for the big expectations facing him.
“We are going to build the premier football program in the country,” Elko said. “We are not going to talk about it anymore. We are going to be about it.”
Elko, 46, spent four years in College Station under Jimbo Fisher from 2018-2021 before leaving for his first head coaching opportunity at Duke, where he went 16-9 over the past two seasons and was named the ACC Coach of the Year in 2022.
Following Fisher’s dismissal on Nov. 12, Elko became a prime candidate to return to A&M, ultimately agreeing on a six-year contract that has a base salary of $7 million per year but with several College Football Playoff incentives: $1 million for a CFP appearance; $1.5 million for advancing to the CFP quarterfinals or winning the SEC; $2 million for a CFP semifinal appearance; $2.5 million for the CFP title game; $3.5 million for a national title. The contract includes an $11 million salary pool for assistants and support staff, which Bjork called “reasonable but competitive,” estimating it was in the top 10 nationally.
The contract still needs to be approved at a Nov. 30 meeting of the board of regents, but marks a departure from Fisher’s fully guaranteed contract that paid $9.5 million annually. In this case, if Elko led the Aggies to a national title, he’d make $10.5 million and any postseason incentive adds an additional year to his contract.
“We wanted to be fair in the market,” Texas A&M athletic director Ross Bjork said. “But we also wanted to say, hey, look, I think the landscape can change where you actually have to earn things. If somebody believes in themselves, believes in their plan, they have the right approach, they’ll earn it. And as you can see, you have a chance to be paid like a national championship-level coach.”
Both Elko and Bjork reiterated that they wanted interim coach Elijah Robinson, who will remain the acting head coach through a bowl game, to remain on staff as long as he wanted and that it was a priority to try to retain him.
Elko faces a daunting schedule in his first weeks on the job. Players are allowed to enter the transfer portal immediately due to the coaching change and he’ll have to hire a staff and put the finishing touches on the Aggies’ recruiting class for the December 20 signing day. But he has somewhat of a head start because he knows so many players on the current roster.
“There’s not many times when you go into the first team meeting and 50 of the players come up and give you a big hug and welcome you back,” Elko said. “But then I think when you get up in front of them, all of that has to go away, because it’s about new leadership. It’s about new direction. It’s about establishing a new identity.”
The Aggies turned to Elko in search of that identity. Under Fisher, they’d fallen into a cycle of underachievement, particularly in regards to Fisher’s offensive scheme — which struggled. With Elko on Fisher’s staff, the Aggies went 34-14 in four years. In the last two without him, they went 12-12.
Elko is Texas A&M’s first defensive head coach since the Aggies fired R.C. Slocum, the winningest head coach in school history, in 2002. Elko stopped to shake hands with Slocum, who Bjork said was a resource during the search along with multiple former A&M players, after his introductory speech to fans on his way to Monday’s news conference.
Elko believes a defensive coach can instill a blue-collar work ethic, but he said the “million-dollar question” will be how his offense looks, citing the recent trends among national championship programs like Alabama or Georgia.
“There’s a toughness that’s built within the program that obviously has to do with defense,” Elko said. “I think every one of those teams at some point in the season has had to dig deep on defense and find a way to win a really important game, but I think all of those teams have also been explosive on offense with really talented quarterback play. I do think there’s a blue-collar toughness that comes from having a great defense that stands the test of time. But if you can’t score points, you won’t win games enough to be where we want to be.”
Bjork said his search process included discussions with several former A&M players, including Heisman winner Johnny Manziel, who told Bjork that the Aggies needed to be “an intimidating bully.”
“He actually had another adjective, but I can’t say that,” Bjork said, adding that he found that powerful coming from an offensive player.
Elko arrived in College Station about 2 a.m. on Monday after a weekend of rumors linking Kentucky coach Mark Stoops to the Aggies job before the final selection of Elko. Bjork said that A&M’s process included conversations with about 30 coaches, including a final group of “more than five” on Saturday, so there were still a lot of moving parts.
“We wanted to make sure that we engaged with our final group of candidates as long as possible,” Bjork said. “So I don’t know how all of that got out. I respect Coach Stoops. He’s been in the SEC a long time. … The process was fluid until the very end, but that’s why we had to get it right. I think the process yielded the right result. And that’s why we’re here today.”
Elko said his wife and three children still have several ties in the area from their four-year stint in College Station, and got emotional talking about the sacrifices his family has made chasing his dreams, beginning with his first coordinator job at the Merchant Marine Academy in 2001 to now, his chance to become the head coach of an SEC program that Elko thinks can win a national championship.
“From the moment I came down here back in 2018, I’ve been blown away by this place,” Elko said. “[It’s] resourced as the premier football program in the country, supported by the 12th Man, the absolute best fan base in the country.”
Elko said he knows the talk about Texas A&M has always been about unfulfilled potential since it hasn’t won a conference title since 1998 or a national title since 1939, but he feels like he has the blueprint to change that.
“We’ve got to fulfill that potential,” Elko said. “I think that happens with work and I think that was the message I sent to the players. That was the message I tried to deliver to the crowd. We can’t just say we want to do something. We can’t just say we want to arrive somewhere. We’ve got to be committed to all the work that it’s going to take from today until we kick off next September.”
For teams that aren’t playing in their conference championship games, this is it — the final chance to make a lasting impression on the College Football Playoff selection committee.
For some contenders, like Ole Miss, their regular-season résumé is now complete, and what happens in the fifth ranking on Tuesday night should be a strong indicator of their final placement on Selection Day. Others, like Miami, are banking on hope and help — and most importantly, one more win. It all began with the Egg Bowl on Friday — a game that not only kept Ole Miss in the playoff, but also technically in the SEC race.
That’s right — this thing is far from over, so check back after each game to see how the results will impact the playoff as the day unfolds.
Texas 27, Texas A&M 17
Rivalry Week presented its first shakeup of the top four when No. 16 Texas beat No. 3 Texas A&M — but it might not be all that jarring in the fifth ranking. The Aggies will likely drop to the 4-6 range behind Georgia. The Bulldogs have better wins including a 35-10 drubbing of … Texas. Georgia also has a better loss (to No. 10 Alabama), and has now clinched a spot in the SEC title game. The question is just how far Texas A&M will fall now that it has joined No. 5 Texas Tech, No. 6 Oregon and No. 7 Ole Miss in the one-loss club. The Aggies entered the weekend with a noticeable edge over Texas Tech in both strength of record (23 to 56) and strength of schedule (1 to 10). It’s possible the committee only drops the Aggies one spot, flipping them with Georgia, which means they’d still be in position to earn a first-round bye as the No. 4 seed. There would be a strong debate, though, about whether the Aggies, Texas Tech or Oregon, the latter which has impressed the committee lately by ranking in the top five in both offensive and defensive efficiency, deserves the highest seeding. The Aggies’ problem now is that they’d have to finish in the top four as an at-large team because they just got knocked out of the SEC title game.
While Texas now has arguably the best win in the country, it probably won’t be enough to catapult it into the top-10 as a three-loss team. Even with some upsets above them, it’s unlikely Texas would get higher than No. 12.
Indiana 56, Purdue 3
Indiana clinched a spot in the Big Ten championship game with its win against rival Purdue, locking in a CFP bid and beefing up its chances at keeping a first-round bye on Selection Day. The Hoosiers, who have been the committee’s No. 2 team in each of the first four rankings, still have a chance of grabbing the No. 1 spot in Tuesday’s ranking if Ohio State loses to Michigan. If the Buckeyes lose and Oregon wins Indiana will face Oregon in the Big Ten title game. If Michigan wins and Oregon loses the Hoosiers will face Michigan for the conference title.
The question is whether IU can maintain a top-four seed and a first-round bye as the Big Ten runner-up. If Indiana lost the title game, the committee would consider where their opponent was ranked and how close the game was. The Hoosiers would also be compared with other top one-loss teams, but playing a ranked opponent in the conference championship game — win or lose — would boost IU’s record strength by the committee’s metric.
Georgia 16, Georgia Tech 9
Georgia should keep its place as the committee’s top one-loss team following its win against rival Georgia Tech. Georgia’s Oct. 18 win against Ole Miss, along with their win at Tennessee and drubbing of Texas, impressed the committee. The Bulldogs’ consistency on offense and defense has also played well with the committee. Georgia’s first-round bye would only be in question at this point if it finishes as a two-loss SEC runner-up.
Barring an unusual combination of ACC results, No. 23 Georgia Tech will be out of the playoff at 9-3. The only way the Yellow Jackets can extend their playoff hope is through the ACC championship game. They entered the weekend with a 1.5% chance of making the game, according to ESPN Analytics.
Ole Miss 38, Mississippi State 19
With its win against rival Mississippi State on Friday, Ole Miss likely locked up a playoff spot and remains in a strong position to host a first-round home game. If Alabama loses to Auburn on Saturday, Ole Miss will clinch a spot in the SEC championship game. Even if it doesn’t, though, the one-loss Rebels should still be a CFP lock.
As for the uncertainty still looming around coach Lane Kiffin, if Ole Miss turns to an interim head coach for the playoff, the selection committee could consider that. CFP protocol states the group will consider “other relevant factors such as unavailability of key players and coaches that may have affected a team’s performance during the season or likely will affect its postseason performance.” Ole Miss won’t miss the playoff because Kiffin left for another job, but it could get dinged a spot or two if the committee thinks the team won’t be the same without him.
Utah 31, Kansas 21
No. 13 Utah punctuated its résumé with a win against 5-7 Kansas, but it’s still unlikely to reach the playoff without multiple upsets of teams above it — especially after just being leapfrogged by No. 12 Miami in the latest CFP ranking. Even with a win, to reach the Big 12 championship game, Utah still needs Texas Tech to lose and for both BYU and Arizona State to win. The Utes’ best hope to reach the CFP is still as an at-large team.
Getting that bid isn’t inconceivable if a combination of two-loss teams above them lose. If Oklahoma, Alabama and Miami lose, it would be difficult for any of them to stay in the top 12 as three-loss teams. Utah would need at least two of them to lose to move into the top 10, which is where it would need to be to actually be seeded in the field. The No. 11 and No. 12 teams this year will be excluded during the seeding process to make room for the fourth- and fifth-highest ranked conference champions.
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Mark Schlabach
STARKVILLE, Miss. — Lane Kiffin said he’ll decide Saturday whether he will return as Ole Miss‘ coach in 2026 or take another job, presumably at LSU, which is trying to poach him from its SEC rival with a lucrative contract offer that will make him one of the highest-paid coaches in college football.
Kiffin, while speaking to reporters after the No. 7 Rebels’ 38-19 victory at Mississippi State in Friday’s Egg Bowl at Davis Wade Stadium, would only say that he’ll have to make a decision one way or the other, after Ole Miss athletics director Keith Carter and chancellor Glenn Boyce said they needed an answer by Saturday.
“I feel like I’ve got to,” Kiffin said.
When Kiffin was asked if he had made up his mind about where he’ll be coaching next season, he said, “Yeah, I haven’t. Maybe that surprises you. But, you know, I’ve got to do some praying and figure this thing out.”
Kiffin said he planned to attend his son’s high school playoff game in Tupelo, Mississippi, on Friday night. Knox Kiffin is Oxford High’s starting quarterback.
“Tonight, I’m going to go be a dad and watch a more important game to me,” Kiffin said.
Kiffin wasn’t sure what time he would make a decision Saturday.
“There’s a lot [that goes] into it,” Kiffin said. “It’s a hard decision. You guys have them all the time. You’ve got to make decisions about jobs you take and where you move, and we get paid a lot so I understand we’re under a lot of spotlight and scrutiny.”
Kiffin said he regretted not being able to speak to his father, Monte Kiffin, while trying to make one of the most important decisions of his career. The longtime NFL defensive coordinator died in July 2024. He was 84.
Kiffin, 50, has sought the advice of former Alabama coach Nick Saban and Las Vegas Raiders coach Pete Carroll, his former boss at USC, the past few weeks.
ESPN reported earlier Friday that Florida, which was also courting Kiffin, is now focused on other candidates in its search because the Gators believe he’s more interested in other opportunities.
Carter and Boyce met with Kiffin a week ago in Oxford, Mississippi, and the sides came to an understanding that Kiffin would make up his mind the day after the Egg Bowl.
If the Egg Bowl was Kiffin’s last game as Ole Miss’ coach, it was a fitting end to one of the most successful tenures in school history.
As speculation about Kiffin’s future continued to swirl over the past two weeks, the Rebels rolled past their rivals for their fifth win in the past six meetings in the heated series. The Rebels had 545 yards of offense, as quarterback Trinidad Chambliss passed for 359 yards with four touchdowns.
The Rebels (11-1, 7-1 SEC) all but secured a spot in the 12-team College Football Playoff. They’ll have to wait another day to find out whether they’ll play in next week’s SEC championship game in Atlanta.
No. 3 Texas A&M would have to fall at No. 16 Texas on Friday night (7:30 p.m. ET, ABC) and No. 10 Alabama would have to lose at Auburn in Saturday’s Iron Bowl (7:30 p.m. ET/ABC) for the Rebels to clinch a spot in the SEC championship game.
And, of course, Ole Miss fans will be waiting Saturday to find out which coaches will be on the sideline for the CFP, which might begin with a first-round game at home on Dec. 19 or 20.
If Kiffin decides to leave for LSU, former New York Giants coach Joe Judge would likely serve as the Rebels’ interim coach in the CFP, sources told ESPN.
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