If you want to identify the person solely responsible for Texas A&M's quick turnaround in the college football landscape, look no further than the Aggies' outstanding head coach Mike Elko. The former A&M defensive coordinator left College Station to take over at Duke. Not long after his former boss Jimbo Fisher failed, Elko returned to the SEC and gave the Aggies some new life almost immediately.
While appearing on Crain & Cone, ESPN's Paul Finebaum spoke glowingly about the A&M head coach.
"He gets a lot of credit, but he doesn't get enough, and I think that's Mike Elko at Texas A&M. You couldn't design a better coach for that program than Elko. He just picked a terrible time for his quarterback to lose perspective at the end of the Miami game..."
After a quick Marcel Reed jab, Finebaum continued with his praise of Elko being perfect for this team.
"I think when you consider the disaster that Jimbo Fisher was at that program with everything handed to him, and Mike Elko came in there seamlessly and built it back. It still has a Texas problem. We get that. But really, I think he's a masterclass in what a coach should look like."
Here is everything Finebaum said Elko being incredibly underrated while appearing on Crain & Cone.
@finebaum believes in Mike Elko!! @TexAgs @AggieFootball pic.twitter.com/5Kh6pbL9qA
— Blain Crain (@Blain_Crain) May 6, 2026
Elko is quickly become a man of the people, not just in College Station, but across the entire sport.
Paul Finebaum recognizes Texas A&M HC Mike Elko as being underrated
From afar, Elko seems to possess the perfect combination of people skills and coaching acumen. He keeps everything simple and so relatable. Elko connects with people, no matter where he is at. More importantly, he gets results, leaving any place better than he found it. Duke has had a great last five years or so, based on the foundation Elko put in place in Durham. He has done the same with A&M.
He is a tremendous recruiter and a savvy defensive mind. Elko also empowers his coordinators to make a difference. His trust and belief in Collin Klein allowed him to be confident enough to take over his alma mater of Kansas State in this ongoing offseason cycle. Clearly, Finebaum was not beating around the bush in his praise of Elko. Those who know ball know that this head coach is a real one.
Ultimately, the more trips to the playoff Elko can get under his belt at Texas A&M, the more people will realize that the Aggies have the perfect head coach for them. Because he had been Jimbo Fisher's elite defensive coordinator previously, Elko already has strong ties to the team and the region. With the financial resources Texas A&M has at its disposal, why would he ever want to leave this place?
At this time, Elko is slowly but surely climbing up the coaching ranks across all of college football.
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