Texas A&M AD reveals program's different approach to finding next head coach

The clock is ticking for Texas A&M to find its next head coach.

Several names have been floated as potential candidates, most notably Duke head coach Mike Elko and Ole Miss head coach Lane Kiffin, but others, including Washington's Kalen DeBoer, Arizona's Jedd Fisch and UTSA's Jeff Traylor, have also been mentioned.

If it seems like the Aggies have cast a wide net in their search, that's by design.

Athletic director Ross Bjork discussed the university's plans during an appearance on a radio show over the weekend, per 247Sports, and revealed the school is taking a different approach to finding its head coach than during previous searches.

When explaining the program's inconsistencies, Bjork said, "Part of that is how we have done coaching searches here... We have always focused on one or two folks and then made a hire. That has not really worked. So let's get the right person, because we are talking to a lot of people."

Things should intensify soon. Per 247Sports, "Bjork said he would like to have clarity before the portal opens" on Monday, Dec. 4.

With the regular season coming to an end for most programs after Week 13 this Saturday, it will make it easier for coaches under consideration to schedule an interview.

As 247Sports notes, the early signing period for high school recruits begins on Dec. 20, making it even more critical that the university get its next head coach in the building. When the team hired Jimbo Fisher, the move was announced on Dec. 1, 2017, which aligns with this year's timeline.

While much remains unclear about the direction the search is headed, indications are the program will once again seek a coach with prior head-coaching experience.

"I want to know, do they have a program identity?" noted Bjork. "Do they see the value of what Texas A&M has, and do they think they can capitalize on that?"

Among the coaches rumored to be considered, Elko and Traylor might fit the criteria best. Elko was A&M's former defensive coordinator from 2018-21, so he already knows what the environment is like in College Station and what is expected of the program. 

Traylor has spent most of his football career in Texas, including playing at Stephen F. Austin and coaching collegiately at Texas and SMU after a successful stint as head coach at Gilmer High School. If anyone understands how important football is in the state, it's Traylor.

Following the Fisher fiasco, Bjork must get the program's next hire right. Casting a wider net is a refreshing change of pace from the university's traditional hiring practices, but the time is fast approaching for it to whittle the candidates down to one.