COLLEGE STATION, Texas — At 2 a.m. on Monday morning, Mike Elko flew into Easterwood Airport in College Station following rumors and reports on Sunday that he would be confirmed as the new head coach for the Texas A&M Aggies starting in 2024.
Later that morning, Texas A&M Athletics announced that Elko had been named the new head football coach by Athletics Director Ross Bjork.
"Coach Elko has a vision for Aggie football, and a specific plan for innovation and greatness which is exactly what our program needs right now to compete in the modern era of college athletics," Bjork said in an announcement article on 12thman.com.
It was also revealed that a welcome celebration would be held for Elko at Kyle Field Monday afternoon at 3 p.m., and is open to the public. The doors will open half an hour before the celebration is set to begin, at 2:30 p.m. Parking is available at the Stallings Garage and West Campus Garage, near the Texas A&M Hotel and Conference Center across from Kyle Field.
Elko is no stranger to Aggieland, as he coached the team as their defensive coordinator from 2018 to 2021, and joined from Notre Dame when current LSU head coach Brian Kelly was at the helm in South Bend. The news that he would be returning to Aggieland for the 2024 season was also well-received, which was a stark contrast to how rumors that surfaced late Saturday night that Kentucky coach Mark Stoops was the frontrunner for the position.
The overwhelmingly negative reaction eventually saw the nearly-closed deal to be walked back over the course of several hours, with further reports coming out late into the night that Stoops would not be departing the Bluegrass State for College Station.
However, once reports that Mike Elko would be returning to Aggieland, the attitude around the future of the program completely changed, with recruits, fans, and former players elated to see a familiar face likely to return to Texas A&M.
The coaching structure of the A&M football program will likely see some changes with Elko now at the helm. Rumors of a promotion for current interim head coach Elijah Robinson for his work in the past few weeks of the season as well as how much he has brought the players together following the departure of Jimbo Fisher are in the works.
There are also many questions about how the offense will look going forward. With offensive coordinator Bobby Petrino flexing his full offensive playbook in the Aggies' final regular season game against LSU, with one of the highlights including a rushing touchdown by freshman offensive lineman Mark Nabou Jr.
In 2024, Texas A&M will open their season against Notre Dame at home on Aug. 31.
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