The program stated before the start of the 2018 season for the Texas A&M Aggies, then led by head coach Jimbo Fisher, that Mike Elko, the defensive coordinator for the Notre Dame Fighting Irish, will be taking over the same responsibilities for the Aggies.
And that’s how a relationship began. Not only between the two head coaches, but also between the city of College Station and the new defensive coordinator’s whole family.
Because the connection was so strong, the same defensive coordinator returned to take Fisher’s place two years after he was fired in 2023.
Why Did the Elko Family Like College Station?
During an interview at the NFL Combine in Indianapolis, Elko discussed how much he and his family loved College Station when they first moved to Brazos County in 2018.
In 2018, we fell in love with Texas A&M, Elko said. We were moved by everything about it, including the pageantry, the enthusiasm, the fan base, and the sense of community. My family and I grew very fond of it. We adored College Station.
When the coach was hired to be the Blue Devils’ head coach, Elko went on to discuss the family’s move up to Duke, the doubt that they would ever return to Aggieland, and the effects that it had on them when they eventually made it back down to the Bryan-College Station region.
Honestly, the head coach stated, when we left for the chance to go to Duke, we were unsure if we would ever have the opportunity to return. It means a great deal to return and establish the future, knowing that the students here think you are the leader of this football team for the foreseeable future.
Elko and his family’s affection for the community has surely carried over to the Texas A&M football team, particularly this previous season, when the squad attempted to put an end to the Battered Aggie Syndrome phenomenon and won its first 11 games.
The season was highlighted by huge road victories over the Notre Dame and LSU Tigers, as well as the team’s biggest comeback in history against the South Carolina Gamecocks. However, the Maroon and White would experience another brief collapse at the end of November, losing their first game of the regular season finale against the Texas Longhorns and then their first game of the College Football Playoff against the Miami Hurricanes.
Elko’s third season as head coach of the Aggies begins at Kyle Field on September 5 with a game against the Missouri State Bears as he looks forward to helping Texas A&M return to the 12-team field.
