COLLEGE STATION, Texas — On Thursday morning, the Texas A&M Board of Regents officially approved head football coach Mike Elko's contract with the university and team. The contract will be a six-year, $7 million per year contract with results-related incentives built in.
Since the departure of former head coach Jimbo Fisher, Elko's name has appeared in an overwhelming majority of lists of who would fill in the head coaching vacancy with the Aggies in 2024. It was forecasted that he would be the new head coach for A&M on Sunday, with official announcements coming the day afterward to make him the 30th head coach in the program's history.
Elko had previously served under Fisher from 2018 to 2021 as the team's defensive coordinator, and was known for building stout defenses that made an impact against even the best in the Southeastern Conference. In 2022, he took a head coaching position at Duke, and quickly had an impact on the program, even earning ACC coach of the year in his first year at the helm of the Blue Devils football program.
"Regents are excited to welcome back Mike Elko as the new head coach," Chairman Bill Mahomes said in an announcement on the Texas A&M University System website. "Like Aggie fans everywhere, we admire his accomplishments as our defensive coordinator, 2018-2021, and at Duke as the 2022 ACC coach of the year. He is world class. We are delighted to welcome Coach Elko and his family back to Aggieland."
President Mark Welsh III shared similar sentiments to Chairman Mahomes.
"Aggies everywhere have welcomed Coach Elko and his family back with open arms," he said in an announcement on the Texas A&M University System website. "He has talent, experience, tremendous leadership skills and the trust and admiration of our student athletes. I can't wait to see how he and the team excel both on and off the field."
As a part of his six-year, $7 million annual contract, there are also a number of performance-based incentives that can be earned for what Elko achieves with the Aggies beginning in 2024.
Some of the incentives include:
- $1 million for making the College Football Playoff (CFP)
- $1.5 million for advancing to the CFP quarterfinals and/or winning the SEC title
- $2 million for advancing to the CFP semi-finals
- $2.5 million for advancing to the CFP championship game
- $3.5 million for winning the national championship
- $100,000 for appearing in the SEC title game
- $50,000 for being named SEC Coach of the Year
- $100,000 for being named National Coach of the Year
- $50,000 for achieving NCAA academic improvement in student eligibility and retention over multiple years
Click here to read the full announcement on the Texas A&M University System website.
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