Mike Elko rises 15 spots in Sporting News' CFB head coach rankings
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Texas A&M’s 2026 season will serve as coach Mike Elko’s third year at the helm, and after leading the Aggies to the College Football Playoff for the first time in program history, the former Duke coach and long-time Aggie defensive coordinator has further proven that he is building a blue-blood program, starting and ending with recruiting, and landing elite high school prospects with NFL potential.
Texas A&M’s historic 11-0 start last fall, coupled with starting quarterback Marcel Reed throwing for 3,169 yards and 25 touchdowns, were just two of the accomplishments Elko and his staff set out to accomplish before the season, while senior edge Cashius Howell’s SEC-leading 11.5 sacks earned him unanimous All-American status, making him the 11th Aggie to earn the prestigious honor.
Coupled with star transfer KC Concepcion leading the Aggies in receiving, a record 10 players were selected in the 2026 NFL Draft, which Mike Elko predicted during the early parts of the 2025 offseason. Thanks to a strong culture aided by S&C coach Tommy Moffitt, Texas A&M returns the bulk of its 2025 roster while adding 17 transfer portal additions to help replace more than 20 players who departed.
Nationally known as one of the top defensive minds with a third-down package that has continued to frustrate offensive coordinators for the past decade, Mike Elko should be considered one of the top 10 or 15 coaches in all of college football, and Sporting News agrees in their latest rankings, placing the Aggie head coach at No. 11 compared to sitting at No. 26 this time last year.
“Elko continues to move up each season. He’s won at multiple stops with Duke and Texas A&M – and the Aggies are looking to build off their first CFP appearance in 2025. Elko is 6-4 against top-25 teams – and a 0-2 record against Texas will invite more scrutiny if Texas A&M cannot flip the script on that renewed rivalry. Still, Elko has emerged as a common-sense voice on the college-football landscape. This is the right spot.”
Texas A&M’s winless record against the Texas Longhorns is an issue that needs to be remedied this season, hosting their rivals in Kyle Field, and in agreement with writer Bill Bender, Elko’s recent quote regarding the potential CFP expansion is just more proof that he, among several other prominent coaches, aren’t about sound bites, but common sense when it comes to the game we all cherish.
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This article originally appeared on Aggies Wire: Mike Elko ranked No. 11 in Sporting News’ CFB head coach rankings
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