Mike Elko’s hire of Lyle Hemphill before the previous season ended up being a stroke of genius, as though Jay Bateman finished out the year as the defensive coordinator, Hemphill turned out to be the key piece to help fix the A&M defense. Now, that certainly looks to be the case, as he was promoted upon Bateman’s departure.
When the Aggie coaches met with the media yesterday, it was A&M fans’ first opportunity to hear from the former JMU defensive coordinator and DB mastermind, and he did not disappoint. The Aggies are in heady territory as of late, with Elko looking to get A&M to the promised land soon— and it doesn’t appear that Hemphill is going to shy away from the expectations that accord that kind of territory.
Lyle Hemphill makes no bones about national championship goals with Texas A&M as defensive coordinator
Hemphill shared this in response to being asked about his goals with Texas A&M, showing that he’s not afraid to dream big:
Lyle Hemphill: "My goal now is to be the defensive coordinator for a national championship team. (Mike Elko) is very aware of that, and I think this is a place you can do it at."
— TexAgs (@TexAgs) March 17, 2026
If the Aggies are indeed going to get there, Hemphill has some improvements he needs to make in the wake of Bateman and former DL coach Sean Spencer’s departures. With Elijah Robinson now coaching DL, there’s some hope for an improved defense against the run, but that will ultimately fall on Hemphill’s shoulders as the man in charge.
It was that susceptibility to the big play on the ground that ended up burning the Aggies against both Texas and Miami. Patch up that one hole— as well as adding a little more consistency on the offensive side of the ball— and it could have been A&M facing off with Indiana for the national championship rather than Miami.
Hemphill hopes to get the Aggies to that game before his time is up in College Station, and he’s not afraid to say it. With the recruiting and portal work that this staff is doing, as well as the status of the program at the current moment, you’d be hard-pressed to say that goal is unrealistic.