Texas A&M to hire Mike Elko: Aggies bring back former defensive boss after successful run at Duke, per report

Texas A&M is poised to hire Duke’s Mike Elko as its next football coach, according to the Houston Chronicle. Elko emerged as the top choice after the Aggies moved on from Mark Stoops on Saturday shortly after the Aggies tapped the Kentucky coach as their top target. 

Elko quickly became a favorite among Texas A&M faithful after a highly successful run with the Aggies as defensive coordinator under former coach Jimbo Fisher. The Aggies went 34-14 with Elko at the defensive helm, including a 9-1 Orange Bowl campaign in the 2020 season. 

The longtime defensive coordinator left to take over at Duke in 2022. In his first season, Elko led the Blue Devils to an impressive 9-4 campaign, its best mark since 2014. He followed it up with a 7-5 record in 2023 despite dealing with major issues at the quarterback position. 

After Elko left Texas A&M, the Aggies went just 12-12 over the next two seasons. Fisher was fired just 10 games into his sixth season. 

CBS Sports will have more on this story shortly.