Is Mike Elko the Dark Horse in the SEC Coaching Race? Here’s Where He Stands Now.
Kirby Smart is the only SEC head coach to secure a National Championship, while Brian Kelly is the closest to earning a title during his time with Notre Dame. On paper, Eli Drinkwitz has led Missouri to double-digit wins in back-to-back seasons, but he never made it past six victories during his first three seasons. Beamer’s 9-4 finish with South Carolina was impressive, but one season does not automatically make him a better coach compared to Elko. Here’s what Marler had to say regarding Elko’s ranking:
Texas A&M head coach Mike Elko is entering his second season at the helm. By all accounts, he is on the right track after ending his inaugural campaign with an 8-5 record, including a disappointing 1-4 finish, which was primarily due to defensive breakdowns and the loss of star running back Le’Veon Moss.Contact/Follow us @AggiesWire on X (formerly Twitter) and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Texas A&M news, notes and opinions. Follow Cameron on X: @CameronOhnysty.Now, if you’re basing Texas A&M’s poor finish on the play of starting quarterback Marcel Reed, the redshirt sophomore has put in the work this offseason to refine his passing skill set to go along with his elite running ability. You can be sure that he will take the pressure head-on going into the start of fall camp next month.
This spring/summer, head coach rankings, both nationally and conference-based, have continued to flood social media, as Mike Elko was recently tabbed as the 29th best head coach by CBS Sports, and, on Thursday, 104.5 ESPN Social Media Manager Chris Marler released his SEC head coach rankings, placing Elko at No. 9 below several names that could be tied for ranked lower. Here is the complete list:
- Kirby Smart — Georgia
- Steve Sarkisian — Texas
- Kalen DeBoer — Alabama
- Brian Kelly — LSU
- Josh Heupel — Tennessee
- Lane Kiffin — Ole Miss
- Eli Drinkwitz — Missouri
- Shane Beamer — South Carolina
- Mike Elko — Texas A&M
- Mark Stoops — Kentucky
- Billy Napier — Florida
- Hugh Freeze — Auburn
- Sam Pittman — Arkansas
- Brett Venables — Oklahoma
- Clark Lea — Vanderbilt
- Jeff Lebby — Mississippi State
Even more so, Elko’s ability to recruit at an elite level while attracting top talent from the transfer portal should translate to more victories on the field. Again, after just one season, it’s a challenging task to rank Elko among the rest of the SEC coaches accurately. If the Aggies win nine or ten games and finally make it to the College Football Playoff, you can be sure he’ll shoot up future lists next offseason.
Grading Elko’s job performance strictly on Reed’s performance is unfair, but after taking over as the defensive play caller this offseason, judging him on how the 2025 Aggie defense improves is highly fair, based on his succesful background as a defensive coordinator, which included his four-year stint with the Aggies before taking his first head coaching job with Duke.”Not a ton on the resumé for Elko yet, and the way the Aggies finished last season was not great. Still, Elko inherited a Duke team that went 5-18 with just one ACC win over the previous two seasons. In his first year, he led them to nine wins and a winning record in conference play.
Mike Elko is stepping back into the Texas A&M saddle for his sophomore season as head coach, and let me tell you, the early signs are promising. After wrapping up his first year with an 8-5 ledger, the Aggies stumbled out of the gate late last season — a 1-4 tailspin mainly fueled by defensive slips and the absence of their star back Le’Veon Moss. But pinning all those woes on the starting quarterback, Marcel Reed, wouldn’t be the full story. Reed, a redshirt sophomore, has been grinding this offseason, sharpening his aerial game to complement that already electric running style. So when fall camp kicks off next month, expect him to face the heat squarely. Now, Elko’s worth can’t be measured solely by Reed’s throws. Taking over as the defensive play caller, Elko’s proven pedigree as a defensive guru, honed during four years with Texas A&M and his prior head coaching stint at Duke, sets the stage for a potential defensive renaissance in 2025. And speaking of credentials, this summer’s coach rankings have been buzzing, with CBS Sports slotting Elko as the 29th best head coach nationally, and 104.5 ESPN’s Chris Marler ranking him ninth in the SEC — impressive given the tough climb ahead and the company he keeps. If Elko’s recruiting hustle and transfer portal savvy lead to a breakout season and a playoff berth, watch out — those rankings will spike next offseason without a doubt. LEARN MORE
Texas A&M was in the same boat before Elko took over, and all he did was start 7-1 and match Jimbo Fisher’s total wins against top-25 teams from the previous three seasons, all in his first year.”
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