Aggie AM: Wednesday, August 19

Think you’ve got a busy day ahead of you? Mike Elko’s began with a 4:30 a.m. wakeup call and won’t finish until after midnight. We pulled the curtain back on the head ball coach’s Wednesday schedule, and it’s a grind, with every hour of it mapped out below.

It’s August 19 — here’s what you need to know to start your day.

The Big 3

1. Soccer closes its road swing tonight: The Aggies wrap their season-opening road swing Wednesday night, traveling to San Marcos for a 7:30 date with Texas State. A&M sits at 1-1 after a win at Rice and a loss at Baylor, and Bobby Shuttleworth’s young group wants a bounce-back before Saturday’s home opener. The match streams on the Pac-12 YouTube page. Link
2. The staff breaks down the first scrimmage: Mike Elko and offensive coordinator Holmon Wiggins gave their takeaways from camp’s first scrimmage over the weekend. “Both sides of the ball functioned operationally at a really, really good level,” Elko said. “There was inconsistency on both sides, that’s naturally what happens in a first scrimmage, and now you’ve got two weeks to really grind through to get everything where you need it to be.” Watch Elko here and Wiggins here.
3. Built to Believe: Jamie Morrison’s path to the pinnacle of college volleyball did not follow a traditional script. It’s the story of how he turned adversity, belief and opportunity into a national championship at Texas A&M. The latest feature from our own Sam Thornton is worth a read. Link

Featured Content

From Sunup to Sundown: A Day in the Life of Mike Elko

The players aren’t the only ones logging serious hours in camp. Elko’s Wednesday packs in Practice #12 at midday, four separate film-review blocks, install meetings, and a 7 p.m. walk-thru, with country music bookending both commutes.

Here’s the full run of show:

4:30 a.m.	Wake up
5–5:30 a.m.	Drive to the office (country music)
5:30–7 a.m.	Watch film
7–7:30 a.m.	Staff meeting
7:30–8 a.m.	Desk time
8–8:10 a.m.	Team meeting (film review)
8:10–8:30 a.m.	Special teams meeting (film review)
8:35–9:30 a.m.	Training camp organizational meetings
9:30–9:50 a.m.	Last-minute review of practice plans
10 a.m.–12:30 p.m.	Practice #12
12:30–1:30 p.m.	Lunch
1:30–3:30 p.m.	Practice film review with the offensive staff
3:30–4 p.m.	Practice film review with the special teams staff
4–4:30 p.m.	Desk time
4:30–5:15 p.m.	Team meeting (install / team bonding)
5:15–5:35 p.m.	Special teams meeting (practice film review)
5:40–6:45 p.m.	Offensive / defensive positional meetings (install)
7–8 p.m.	Walk-thru (install)
8:15–8:30 p.m.	Dinner
8:30–10:30 p.m.	Practice film review with the defensive staff
10:30–11:30 p.m.	Watch film
11:30 p.m.–12 a.m.	Drive home (country music)

The Rundown

EQUESTRIAN: A First Look at the New Locker Room
Equestrian unveiled its new locker room at the Hildebrand Equine Complex, the latest upgrade to the team’s home base. Check out the new digs. Link

FOOTBALL: Grab Your Shirt for the Red, White and Blue Game
Have your red, white or blue shirt yet for the Arizona State game? Sept. 12 is the Red, White and Blue Game, honoring the 250th anniversary of the United States and the 25th anniversary of 9/11. The plan is to fill Kyle Field in red, white and blue by deck, so grab your Standing for America shirt and check the section map to see which color you’re wearing. Link

MEDIA: ‘Untold with Andrew Monaco’ Premieres Aug. 25
A teaser is out for Untold with Andrew Monaco, a new flagship long-form series. The first episode, dropping Aug. 25, sits down with Mike Elko on the road that brought him to Aggieland and how he builds a culture. Catch it on the Aggies’ YouTube channel and the 12th Man App. Link