‘A whirlwind of epic proportion’: Catching up with new Texas A&M football coach Mike Elko
-
Pete Thamel, ESPN
COLLEGE STATION, Texas — As Mike Elko settles in at Texas A&M, he’s familiar with all of the untapped potential. He saw the promise as the Aggies’ defensive coordinator on an Orange Bowl-winning team in 2020, and he has seen up close why unlocking that full potential remains tantalizing.
Not only has Texas A&M never reached the College Football Playoff, it has not won a conference title since 1998. It has failed to reach the SEC championship game since joining the conference in 2012.
In the wake of Elko’s remarkable revival of Duke in his two seasons there (17-9 after the team went 5-18 in the two years before his arrival), this question looms over College Station: Can Elko’s experience with both the power and the flaws of Texas A&M help unlock the potential?
He sat down with ESPN last month to discuss his tenure so far.
ESPN: What have the first few months been like?
Elko: A whirlwind of epic proportion. I don’t know that you can describe taking a job on the day that the portal window opens, two weeks before signing day with no staff, right? Trying to put all of that together into a puzzle, right? So yeah, I mean, it’s a lot, and you’ve got to be really patient and put it together the way you believe in and get it going where you want it to go.
ESPN: If you look back at the last two coaches at Texas A&M, there’s a case that neither built a solid foundation. There have been bursts of momentum but not a lot of consistency. What is it going to take to build a foundation here and go from there?
Elko: I think it starts with good people. That’s where every foundational program starts, is getting the right people, and so it starts with the right people on this floor of coaching. It starts with the right people in this building from a support staff, analytical role from the people in your strength and the conditioning department, and then you’ve got to build culture within your locker room. I think that’s a foundation that a lot of people lose sight of, right? This place has tremendous facility foundation, but within that, you still have to build a foundational core of who your program is going to be about.
ESPN: What lessons do you take from your last stint here?
Elko: The unique spot that I have sitting here for four years [as defensive coordinator] is I know all of the reasons why this place can win a national championship, and then I probably know some of the reasons why we failed, which I think gives me a unique perspective coming in. I come in with a lot more knowledge of what Texas A&M is all about. That can only help, and I just think we’ve got to be intelligent about how we go about building this place because it’s a place where it has high expectations and you have to win now for sure, but you’ve got to still focus on building it in a way that allows you to sustain the success that you have for long periods of time.
ESPN: We are a long way from kickoff, but what can we expect from Texas A&M this year?
Elko: I think you’re going to see a team that’s willing to play for each other and play for this university. I think you’re going to see a team that plays with an awful lot of grit and toughness. I think those have been what you’ve seen from any defense that I’ve coached in the last two years at Duke. It’s certainly what you saw, and I think we’re going to go to work to make that the product, and I think our fans are going to love coming out and supporting this team and how they conduct themselves and how they go about playing game.
ESPN: How much did you learn in those two years at Duke? You have been at a lot of places, obviously, and a lot of different types of places, but there’s nothing like being in the chair.
Elko: You just learn how to be the CEO of the football program. You can do all the preparation you want, until you get in the chair and you feel what it’s really like to have everything around the program involved in the decision-makings. You have to take part of understanding that you’re responsible for everything from overseeing ticket sales to everything. You got to have your hand in every piece of the program. You can’t quantify that when you’re a defensive coordinator. And so I think just getting an understanding of what it all looks like, how to put it all together. We certainly had a lot of success at Duke, but we certainly look back at two years and say there’s a lot of areas we could have done it better and we could have fixed some things or done some things different.
ESPN: You talked a little bit about some of the intangibles of what you want in your identity. What about on the field? You have an established quarterback in Conner Weigman, which is a big piece of that whole thing.
Elko: So Conner’s unique, so I actually recruited the Cypress (Texas) area, which is where Conner comes from. And then obviously everybody knows Conner was a phenomenal baseball player from out of high school, and he was always in the same organization as my son [who plays at Richmond]. And as the years went on, Michael actually kind of played with him a couple of times towards the end of the career, but it was just always a name. He always knew Conner. Conner was a kid that kind of was that big fish in Texas on the baseball field and on the football field. So it’s come full circle to get a chance to coach him for finally a year or two.
ESPN: One of your big gets is Collin Klein as offensive coordinator. Obviously he and Conner are going to be linked together at the hip this next year. Again, it’s very early, but what’s that been like so far?
Elko: I think first, it’s having Collin Klein, who is one of the brightest young minds in all of college football right now, and certainly a guy that played the position in an extremely high level and did it from a toughness standpoint at an extremely high level. And I think all of that commands a certain level of respect. And so you announced Collin as the OC and all of a sudden Conner’s up here 12 hours later and he wants to talk to him. And so you see those guys starting to meet and formulate those relationships. And we also have two other quarterbacks, Jaylen Henderson and Marcel Reed, who are also very talented and we started seeing those guys come around. And so that [quarterback] room means everything, right? Everybody knows this, from NFL to college football. Your ability to develop and play at a high level at quarterback is what helps win and lose football games. I think that’s going in a really good direction.
ESPN: A lot has been made about who has left this offseason. But one thing that was clear in the recruitment of a lot of those guys are the resources that are here. Walk me through a little bit of what you think is available here for you to potentially build an elite SEC roster.
Elko: I think you look at a place that’s spent almost a billion dollars in facilities renovations in the last 10 years. I think you look at a place that sits in the most talent-rich state in the entire country, kind of right in between two of the most talent-producing cities in the entire country in Dallas and Houston. So I think you have everything that you could ever want and need to build a championship-level program. I think we just, I told this to our team when I met with them the first time, we know what we’re capable of, but we also got to understand where we are and that there’s a lot of work to get from where we are to where we’re capable of being.
ESPN: This is familiar territory for the Elko crew. Where did you all go to eat when everyone came back?
Elko: First place we went to eat was the Walk-On’s. We kind of sneaked into a back corner of Walk-On’s and yeah, had a really good meal.
ESPN: Lot of new-coach optimism here. What can this place become?
Elko: I think in the modern day of college football, this is one of the places that has an opportunity to be at the top of the game, and there’s not many places that have all of the foundation and haven’t done it yet. And so I think to some degree there’s places uniquely special and that somebody’s going get in here, some group of players, some group of coaches, and do this right, really for the first time in the modern era of college football. I’m excited to be part of that for sure. And I think there’s going to be a lot of people that buy into that story.
ESPN: Lot of folks will be paying attention right away with Notre Dame coming as the opener.
Elko: Obviously, all of the ironies that come into that. Both from my time at Notre Dame, and obviously there’s a quarterback over there that I’m fairly familiar with. [Former Duke QB Riley Leonard transferred to Notre Dame this offseason.] But I think you come back to a place like this for those types of opportunities and those types of stages, and that’d obviously be a great opening game for us and certainly a challenge we look forward to.
Sports
NHL Power Rankings: Capitals retain the crown, plus each team’s most intriguing game before 4 Nations
NHL teams will be taking a break in the middle of February for the 4 Nations Face-Off tournament, featuring star players from each team playing for the United States, Canada, Sweden and Finland.
But before that event begins, which games are the most intriguing? As part of this week’s updated edition of the Power Rankings, we’ve identified the top captivating contest for all 32 teams — whether it’s a game against a rival, one that takes on added value in the playoff races, or something else entirely.
How we rank: A panel of ESPN hockey commentators, analysts, reporters and editors sends in a 1-32 poll based on the games through Wednesday, which generates our master list.
Note: Previous ranking for each team refers to the previous edition, published Jan. 17. Points percentages and paces are through Thursday’s games.
Previous ranking: 1
Points percentage: 73.96%
Feb. 1 vs. Jets. Not only is this a potential Stanley Cup Final preview — sponsored by the letter W? — but thanks to their heritage as the Southeast Division’s Atlanta Thrashers, the Jets franchise is the team against which Alex Ovechkin has scored the most goals in his career (55). How many will he get in this one?
Next eight days: @ VAN (Jan. 25), @ CGY (Jan. 28), @ OTT (Jan. 30)
Previous ranking: 2
Points percentage: 68.37%
Jan. 28 at Canadiens. Maybe this isn’t for the entire team, but just for a couple of Jets in particular: Connor Hellebuyck and Kyle Connor. Though this game against the Canadiens obviously counts in the NHL standings, Hellebuyck and Connor will hit this same ice at the Bell Centre on Feb. 15 as the U.S. takes on Canada in the 4 Nations Face-Off, the first best-on-best clash between these two countries since the semifinal round of the 2014 Olympics.
Next eight days: vs. UTA (Jan. 24), vs. CGY (Jan. 26), @ MTL (Jan. 28), @ BOS (Jan. 30)
Previous ranking: 3
Points percentage: 66.67%
Jan. 26 vs. Panthers. For any team that has its sights set on a long playoff run, games against the defending Cup champs take on extra meaning. The Knights lost a 4-3 overtime contest against the Cats on Oct. 19. How will this game end up?
Next eight days: @ DAL (Jan. 24), vs. FLA (Jan. 26), vs. DAL (Jan. 28), vs. CBJ (Jan. 30)
Previous ranking: 4
Points percentage: 65.63%
Feb. 1 vs. Maple Leafs. No Canadian team has won the Stanley Cup since the Canadiens in 1993, though the Oilers were just one win away in 2024. Along with the Jets, these two clubs represent the country’s best chance of breaking that streak, and the cross-continent clash will give us a preview of what a Cup Final between the two could look like.
Next eight days: vs. BUF (Jan. 25), vs. SEA (Jan. 27), vs. DET (Jan. 30)
Previous ranking: 9
Points percentage: 64.29%
Feb. 4 at Jets. A potential Stanley Cup Final preview? This matchup might not set any viewership records, but it would be superb hockey.
Next eight days: @ NYI (Jan. 25), @ NYR (Jan. 28), vs. CHI (Jan. 30)
Previous ranking: 8
Points percentage: 63.27%
Feb. 6 at Kraken. For years, Yanni Gourde tormented the Maple Leafs as a member of the Lightning. With the veteran center’s name being floated in trade rumors — and the Leafs always looking for ways to improve the team — could they be playing this game against a future teammate?
Next eight days: @ OTT (Jan. 25), vs. MIN (Jan. 29)
Previous ranking: 6
Points percentage: 62.50%
Jan. 30 at Canadiens. Future Hall of Famer Marc-Andre Fleury has announced he’ll retire at the end of this season, so — barring a Stanley Cup Final matchup between these teams — this will be his last visit as a pro to his home province.
Next eight days: vs. CGY (Jan. 25), @ CHI (Jan. 26), @ TOR (Jan. 29), @ MTL (Jan. 30)
Previous ranking: 5
Points percentage: 62.77%
Jan. 24 vs. Golden Knights; Jan. 28 at Golden Knights. The Stars have had some epic postseason showdowns with the Knights recently — and both appear playoff-bound again this season — so this pair of games will be a treat. Will the intensity match what we’ve seen in springs past?
Next eight days: vs. VGK (Jan. 24), @ STL (Jan. 25), @ VGK (Jan. 28)
Previous ranking: 12
Points percentage: 60.20%
Feb. 8 vs. Senators. There’s a possible future world in which the Panthers and Senators face off in the first round of the Stanley Cup playoffs — ensuring us at least four games of Tkachuk-on-Tkachuk combat. But let’s not get ahead of ourselves. Any game in which Brady and Matthew face off has the potential for viral highlights.
Next eight days: @ SJ (Jan. 25), @ VGK (Jan. 26), vs. LA (Jan. 29)
Previous ranking: 10
Points percentage: 63.33%
Feb. 7 vs. Stars. On some nights, the Kings look as if they could beat any team in the NHL; other nights, not so much. So this matchup against the perennial contender Stars will be a litmus test ahead of the 4 Nations break.
Next eight days: @ CBJ (Jan. 25), @ DET (Jan. 27), @ FLA (Jan. 29), @ TB (Jan. 30)
Previous ranking: 7
Points percentage: 60.00%
Feb. 6 vs. Golden Knights. Because of some wonkiness with the schedule, this is the first meeting between these two playoff-bound clubs (they’ll face off again in Vegas on March 2).
Next eight days: @ MTL (Jan. 25), @ PHI (Jan. 27), vs. PHI (Jan. 29)
Previous ranking: 11
Points percentage: 59.18%
Feb. 7 at Oilers. Once the 4 Nations Face-Off begins, Nathan MacKinnon and Cale Makar will be teammates of Connor McDavid’s for Canada. But on this night, they’ll be battling hard for two points as the Western Conference bracket remains tight.
Next eight days: @ BOS (Jan. 25), @ NYR (Jan. 26), @ NYI (Jan. 28)
Previous ranking: 13
Points percentage: 57.61%
Feb. 4, 6 vs. Senators. For the past few preseasons, there has been some thought that the Lightning would regress and one of the rising Atlantic teams would take their spot in the playoffs. So far, that hasn’t proven to be the case — but this back-to-back set against one of those rising teams will go a long way (one way or another).
Next eight days: @ CHI (Jan. 24), @ DET (Jan. 25), vs. CHI (Jan. 28), vs. LA (Jan. 30)
Previous ranking: 14
Points percentage: 57.61%
Jan. 26 at Jets. Every game is important for a team like the Flames on the cusp of a wild-card berth. But, we’ll circle this one as an old-school Smythe Division rivalry renewed, featuring two elite American goaltenders: leading Vezina Trophy candidate Connor Hellebuyck and Calder Trophy candidate Dustin Wolf.
Next eight days: @ MIN (Jan. 25), @ WPG (Jan. 26), vs. WSH (Jan. 28), vs. ANA (Jan. 30)
Previous ranking: 17
Points percentage: 54.17%
Jan. 25 vs. Maple Leafs. The Battle of Ontario continues! The Sens took Round 1 this season in Toronto, and the two clubs will face off again on March 15. These games are never boring, especially with both teams in the playoff hunt.
Next eight days: vs. TOR (Jan. 25), vs. UTA (Jan. 26), vs. WSH (Jan. 30)
Previous ranking: 19
Points percentage: 54.17%
Feb. 9 vs. Lightning. Despite modest expectations entering this season, the Canadiens remain within shouting distance of a wild-card berth. A win against their division rivals from central Florida would greatly aid in that quest.
Next eight days: vs. NJ (Jan. 25), vs. WPG (Jan. 28), vs. MIN (Jan. 30)
Previous ranking: 16
Points percentage: 54.08%
Feb. 8 vs. Rangers. For a team on the wild-card bubble, every point matters. But games against division rivals matter more — especially if a team can hand that rival a regulation loss. This game will make a statement (one way or another) for the Blue Jackets.
Next eight days: vs. LA (Jan. 25), @ VGK (Jan. 30)
Previous ranking: 18
Points percentage: 54.00%
Feb. 1 vs. Rangers. Have the Rangers turned a corner back to being a true contender after a midseason swoon? Perhaps. Whether the trend sticks or not, this is a pivotal game for the Bruins to use as a measuring stick (and the two teams will face off again four days later at MSG.)
Next eight days: vs. COL (Jan. 25), @ BUF (Jan. 28), vs. WPG (Jan. 30)
Previous ranking: 22
Points percentage: 54.17%
Jan. 28 vs. Hurricanes. Although the Rangers won their second-round playoff series against the Canes last spring, Carolina has beaten them in regulation in both matchups this season. A win here would really signal that the Blueshirts have turned around their fortunes.
Next eight days: vs. COL (Jan. 26), vs. CAR (Jan. 28)
Previous ranking: 15
Points percentage: 53.19%
Jan. 31 at Stars. If the various reports are true, the Canucks are seeking out the best new home for disgruntled center J.T. Miller. Well, on this night, they’ll be visiting one of those potential options, as the Stars are on the prowl for a veteran center to replace injured Tyler Seguin.
Next eight days: vs. WSH (Jan. 25), @ STL (Jan. 27), @ NSH (Jan. 29)
Previous ranking: 21
Points percentage: 51.02%
Feb. 4 vs. Oilers. There are some who considered Oilers goaltender Stuart Skinner a snub from Canada’s 4 Nations Face-Off roster. One of the netminders who did make it? The Blues’ Jordan Binnington. Perhaps Binnington will have extra motivation in this one to show that Hockey Canada made the right call.
Next eight days: vs. DAL (Jan. 25), vs. VAN (Jan. 27)
Previous ranking: 23
Points percentage: 51.02%
Feb. 8 vs. Penguins. Although the Keystone State battles are a little more captivating when the Flyers and Penguins are both in line for playoff berths, the matchups are typically enthralling; to wit, their matchup on Dec. 23 ended 7-3.
Next eight days: @ NYI (Jan. 24), vs. NJ (Jan. 27), @ NJ (Jan. 29), vs. NYI (Jan. 30)
Previous ranking: 24
Points percentage: 52.13%
Jan. 29 vs. Penguins. It’s a big deal any time a superstar comes to town, but Penguins games are particularly notable for UHC center Logan Cooley, who participated in Sidney Crosby‘s “Little Penguins” program as a youth player.
Next eight days: @ WPG (Jan. 24), @ OTT (Jan. 26), vs. PIT (Jan. 29)
Previous ranking: 20
Points percentage: 51.04%
Jan. 25, Feb. 8 vs. Lightning. Given the ties between the franchises — including current Detroit GM/former Tampa Bay GM Steve Yzerman — games between the two are always must-see affairs. And with the Red Wings currently chasing the Lightning in the standings, these will matter even more.
Next eight days: vs. TB (Jan. 25), vs. LA (Jan. 27), @ EDM (Jan. 30)
Previous ranking: 25
Points percentage: 48.00%
Feb. 8 at Flyers. A stretch in late January (at the Kraken, Sharks and Utah) might wield more influence on the Penguins’ playoff hopes, but a win here against the rival Flyers might mean more heading into the break.
Next eight days: @ SEA (Jan. 25), @ SJ (Jan. 27), @ UTA (Jan. 29)
Previous ranking: 26
Points percentage: 48.91%
Jan. 24 vs. Flyers, Jan. 30 at Flyers. The Islanders’ playoff hopes remain alive, and the Flyers are one of the teams over which they’ll have to climb if they want to extend their postseason streak.
Next eight days: vs. PHI (Jan. 24), vs. CAR (Jan. 25), vs. COL (Jan. 28), @ PHI (Jan. 30)
Previous ranking: 27
Points percentage: 45.92%
Jan. 28 vs. Ducks. Things haven’t gone as well as planned in Dan Bylsma’s first season behind the Kraken bench, and the team is closer to the bottom of the standings than the top. As a result, this matchup against another struggling Pacific Division club could have outsized impact on Seattle’s ultimate spot in the draft order.
Next eight days: vs. PIT (Jan. 25), @ EDM (Jan. 27), vs. ANA (Jan. 28), vs. SJ (Jan. 30)
Previous ranking: 30
Points percentage: 45.74%
Feb. 1 at Penguins. A rematch of the 2017 Stanley Cup Final! But as both GMs have continually been asked by reporters about their plans for the trade deadline, perhaps this will be a preview of some players who will find themselves skating elsewhere by March 7.
Next eight days: @ ANA (Jan. 25), vs. VAN (Jan. 29)
Previous ranking: 29
Points percentage: 42.71%
Jan. 31 vs. Predators. It’s looking more likely that the Sabres will miss the playoffs again, meaning that their rise up the draft lottery board is of no small amount of interest. Games against fellow struggling teams like the Preds will have an outsized impact.
Next eight days: @ EDM (Jan. 25), vs. BOS (Jan. 28)
Previous ranking: 28
Points percentage: 45.83%
Feb. 8 at Kings. The Ducks are mainly looking at their spot in the draft lottery standings at this point, but their final game before the break will be against the rival Kings, a matchup that always raises the proverbial temperature.
Next eight days: vs. NSH (Jan. 25), @ SEA (Jan. 28), @ CGY (Jan. 30)
Previous ranking: 32
Points percentage: 36.17%
Feb. 5 vs. Oilers. At one point, Connor McDavid was a generational star playing for a team that wasn’t winning a ton of games. Will this matchup be a look into the future for Connor Bedard?
Next eight days: vs. TB (Jan. 24), vs. MIN (Jan. 26), @ TB (Jan. 28), @ CAR (Jan. 30)
Previous ranking: 31
Points percentage: 33.33%
Jan. 30 at Kraken. At some point, these are going to be really great matchups given the wealth of young talent on both of these rosters (and in the pipelines). For now, it’s all about the nautical theming.
Next eight days: vs. FLA (Jan. 25), vs. PIT (Jan. 28), @ SEA (Jan. 30)
-
Sports2 years ago‘Storybook stuff’: Inside the night Bryce Harper sent the Phillies to the World Series
-
Sports10 months agoStory injured on diving stop, exits Red Sox game
-
Sports1 year agoGame 1 of WS least-watched in recorded history
-
Sports2 years agoMLB Rank 2023: Ranking baseball’s top 100 players
-
Sports3 years ago
Team Europe easily wins 4th straight Laver Cup
-
Environment2 years agoJapan and South Korea have a lot at stake in a free and open South China Sea
-
Environment2 years agoGame-changing Lectric XPedition launched as affordable electric cargo bike
-
Business2 years agoBank of England’s extraordinary response to government policy is almost unthinkable | Ed Conway