Texas A&M fans all breathed a huge sigh of relief when they heard that Mike Elko had signed a contract extension with the Aggies, rebuffing advances of Penn State and other programs jealous of what the Ags are building down in College Station. Locking him up for the long term was a priority given how well these first two years have gone so far, and the Aggies finally got it done.
Looking at the final number, though, at 11.5 million per year, I think there are a lot of Aggie fans that feel as though Elko could have commanded more. There were reports that Penn State was coming at him with at least 13 million per year— so was Texas A&M unwilling to match?
Not at all. Reporting on the situation and Elko's own answer at his presser yesterday have shown Aggie fans that Elko took a selfless route in order to accomplish something amazing for this program, further showing just how committed he is to winning here.
Mike Elko's selflessness give Aggie fans exactly what they want for their program
The Aggies were clearly determined to remunerate Elko according to the value he has created in such a short time here in College Station, but a chunk of that investment didn't even go to the head man's salary. Instead, reportedly at Elko's behest, it went to a pool to increase assistant's pay and bonus structure, as well as investment in NIL.
That shows that Elko prizes having the best staff and the best players over getting himself paid the maximum amount. That's selflessness and a commitment to winning at the highest level— and it will no doubt pay off.
It also sends a huge signal to his current staff that will go a long way when it comes to retention. Collin Klein in particular has been a hot name when it comes to assistants who will get a hard look this offseason from the many coaching openings around the country, but this shows him that he doesn't need to be in any rush— he can wait around and be choosy, as this is a place and a coach that will take care of him.
This is exactly what Aggie fans have always wanted: an elite coach who is committed to winning above all else. Elko has put his money where his mouth is on that front in a real way, and it's encouraging to the Texas A&M faithful everywhere.