THE ELKO FILE

PERSONAL

Born: July 28, 1977
Hometown: South Brunswick, N.J.
Wife: Michelle
Children: Michael, Andrew, Kaitlyn
College: Penn, 1999

PLAYING EXPERIENCE

1995-98: Penn

COACHING EXPERIENCE

1999: Stony Brook (GA/Inside Linebackers)
2000: Penn (Defensive Backs)
2001: U.S. Merchant Marine Academy (DC/DBs)
2002: Fordham (Linebackers)
2003: Fordham (co-DC/Linebackers)
2004: Richmond (LBs/Recruiting Coordinator)
2005: Richmond (ST/Recruiting Coordinator)
2006: Hofstra (DC/DBs)
2007: Hofstra (DC/Linebackers)
2008: Hofstra (AHC/DC/Linebackers)
2009-11: Bowling Green (DC/Linebackers)
2012-13: Bowling Green (DC/Safeties)
2014-16: Wake Forest (DC/Safeties)
2017: Notre Dame (DC)
2018-21: Texas A&M (DC/Safeties)
2022-23: Duke (Head Coach)
2023-: Texas A&M (Head Coach)

POSTSEASON EXPERIENCE

2002: NCAA Division I-AA Quarterfinals (Fordham)
2005: NCAA Division I-AA Quarterfinals (Richmond)
2009: Humanitarian (Bowling Green)
2012: Military (Bowling Green)
2013: Little Caesars (Bowling Green)
2016: Military (Wake Forest)
2017: Citrus (Notre Dame)
2018: Gator (Texas A&M)
2019: Texas (Texas A&M)
2020: Orange (Texas A&M)
2021: Gator (Texas A&M - DNC)
2022: Military (Duke)
2024: Las Vegas Bowl (Texas A&M)

COACHING HONORS

2022: ACC Coach of the Year (Duke)

Mike Elko was named the head football coach at Texas A&M University on Nov. 27, 2023, returning to Aggieland after spending two seasons as the head coach at Duke. The former Texas A&M defensive coordinator also made stops at Notre Dame and Wake Forest prior to his time with the Maroon & White.

In Elko's first season at the helm at Texas A&M, Aggie football established a definitive culture, as well as battled for a spot in the SEC Championship game entering the final week of the regular season. A first for Texas A&M since the school joined the league prior to the 2012 season.

In addition to beating two top-10 opponents at Kyle Field (No. 9 Missouri and No. 8 LSU) and playing in the SRS Distribution Las Vegas Bowl, Elko's team posted the best cumulative grade point average since records were kept and the squad had 100-percent participation in The Big Event, a student-run community service project.

The players embraced the culture of grit, relentless effort, integrity, now and dependability.

In his first season as a head coach, Elko was named the 2022 ACC Coach of the Year as Duke finished 9-4 complete with a bowl victory over UCF in the Military Bowl, the program’s first bowl game appearance since 2018. The Blue Devils boasted one of the best rushing defenses and offensive lines in the country that season. On defense, they gave up just 120.9 yards per game and 10 touchdowns on the ground, standing as the only school in the ACC to allow 10-or-fewer rushing touchdowns on the year. The offensive line kept its quarterback protected, ranking 12^th among Power 5 schools allowing just 1.31 sacks per game and was tied for seventh nationally giving up just 51.0 tackles for loss on the season.

Elko guided Duke to back-to-back bowl games in year two, capping the year off at the Birmingham Bowl. The 2023 season saw the Blue Devils get off to a 4-0 start, including a 28-7 victory over then-No. 9 Clemson to start the year before injuries took their toll and Duke finished the regular season 7-5. The Blue Devils again boasted an offensive line that ranked in the top-18 among Power 5 schools in sacks and tackles for loss allowed, while also sitting in 16^th nationally as a defense, giving up just 19.0 points per game.

Prior to his time in Durham, Elko served as the defensive coordinator and safeties coach in Aggieland from 2018-21, helping Texas A&M finish with four straight bowl trips and an overall record of 34-14 (.708).

The 2021 season saw Elko’s defense rank 14^th in the nation giving up just 327.5 yards of offense per game, while also boasting the No. 3 scoring defense and allowing opponents to score just six rushing touchdowns all year, which was good for second in the country. Texas A&M also registered a final ranking of No. 9 in pass efficiency defense, No. 7 in red zone defense and No. 12 in total sacks. By season’s end, Elko was a semifinalist for the Frank Broyles Award, the nation’s top assistant coach.

In 2020, the Aggies finished 9-1 following an SEC-only regular season slate with an Orange Bowl victory. Elko guided a veteran defense that led the SEC and was top-10 in the nation in total defense, also boasting a top-three ranking in the country in rushing defense.

Before arriving at Texas A&M, Elko was the defensive coordinator at Notre Dame in 2017 and was a semifinalist for the Broyles Award as the Fighting Irish finished 10-3 with a win over LSU in the Citrus Bowl.

Elko served three seasons (2014-16) as the defensive coordinator and safeties coach at Wake Forest under head coach Dave Clawson. His 2016 defensive unit finished in the top 20 in turnovers forced, sacks and scoring defense, as only four schools in the country could claim that honor and the other three teams all qualified for the College Football Playoff (Alabama, Clemson, Washington).

Elko served as the defensive coordinator for head coach Clawson at Bowling Green from 2009-13. He coached linebackers from 2009-11 and then safeties in 2012 and 2013.

Prior to his stint at Bowling Green, Elko was the defensive coordinator at Hofstra from 2006-08, also working on Clawson’s staffs at Richmond in 2004-05 and Fordham from 2002-03.

Elko first coordinated defense at the U.S. Merchant Marine Academy (2001) and he spent one season (2000) coaching defensive backs at his alma mater, Penn. Elko started his coaching career as a graduate assistant, coaching inside linebackers at Stony Brook (1999) and defensive backs in the spring of 2000.

A native of South Brunswick, New Jersey, Elko graduated from Penn with a bachelor’s degree in history in 1999. As a safety, he helped the Quakers to the 1998 Ivy League championship.

Elko is married to the former Michelle Madison and they are the parents of three children: Michael, Andrew and Kaitlyn.