Texas A&M Aggies head coach Mike Elko walks on the field prior to the game against the New Mexico State Aggies. Maria Lysaker-Imagn Images

Mike Elko Shares Bold Goal for Texas A&M Aggies

Originally posted on Texas A&M Aggies on SI
By Jon Alfano | Last updated Jun 6, 2025 9:12 AM ET

While the Texas A&M Aggies may not be a blue-blood team per se, they've never been shy about their championship ambitions.

The first step to fulfilling those ambitions is finding a coach who can bring them to the top of the mountain, and Mike Elko may just be the man for the job. Elko, who was previously the Aggies' defensive coordinator under Jimbo Fisher before returning to College Station last offseason, began his head-coaching tenure with a bang, leading A&M to a 7-1 start and a No. 10 ranking in the AP poll. The season unravelled from there, however, as the Aggies lost four of their final five games to finish the year unranked.

Despite the poor finish, Elko's confidence remains unshaken. Speaking at Houston Coach's Night, the 47-year-old coach shared his sky-high expectations for the Aggies in the future.

"I think this is really important. Our goal is to build the best program we are capable of being... When we do that, it won't matter who we play or who is in the SEC. No one will be able to stop us," Elko said, per TexAgs.

The Aggies only have won 10-win season since 2000, when they went 11-2 in 2012 with Johnny Manziel under center.

However, they have the makings of a sleeping giant. They have a ton of NIL money to work with, which is all but essential in the modern game, and they're consistently able to recruit at an incredibly high level, regularly bringing in top-10 and top-five classes.

Is Elko the man to lead the Aggies to the promised land, though? Well, he turned Duke, a team with a whopping one ranked finish in the past 60 years, into an ACC threat, so that's a pretty good point on his resume. Expectations are obvbiously higher at A&M, but he has the tools to succeed in College Station.

This article first appeared on Texas A&M Aggies on SI and was syndicated with permission.

More must-reads: