Mike Elko explains why he sees Texas A&M as the top school in the state

Freshly minted Texas A&M Aggies leader Mike Elko believes fully in his program as he enters his first season as the team’s head coach.

Elko is in a unique position, as this isn’t his first go-round in College Station. Although he returns to Texas A&M after a few seasons as a Duke Head coach Elko spent the majority of his career as defensive coordinator, a position he held at Texas A&M from 2018 to 2021.

However, in his first time leading a program, he did not disappoint, which brought him back to College Station and as the Aggies’ next head coach. It is clear that he holds the Aggies in high regard and believes they can become the face of college football in Texas.

“I think that statement was made in terms of our role as far as high school coaches in the state, rather than comparing us to other schools in the state,” Elko said, regarding his statement declaring Texas A&M the state’s flagship school in February via SEC Media Days. “I just think — and I followed it up by saying it’s one of the two. It’s not about — we have two great brands in this state. And the great thing is we’re in the same conference now and we play each other. Those things get resolved in recruiting battles and on the field.

“We believe that we have the infrastructure and the resources at Texas A&M to be the best football program in the country. We’re not the only school that thinks that. I think our focus is on trying to be the best version of ourselves. If we do that, the success will follow.”

It really comes down to which school performs best in the SEC, and of course which school wins when the Aggies take on the Longhorns again. Still, Elko knows what this place can be, having been present for some of the most memorable moments of the Jimbo Fisher era.

From 2018-2021, Elko served as the defensive coordinator for the Aggies’ most successful tenure under Fisher, with two eight-win seasons and two nine-win seasons, including one year that saw Texas A&M finish No. 5 in the College Football Playoff rankings.

Mike Elko believes Texas A&M can return to what made them successful during his first try with the Aggies. Time will tell if he can pull it off, but the belief is strong that College Station is entering a new era.

Barkley Truax of On3 contributed to this article.