Mike Elko reveals if he has ever questioned his life choice to become a football coach

Mike Elko didn’t follow the well-paved path to becoming a successful college football coach. During an appearance on Bussin’ With The Boys, the Texas A&M head coach revealed if he ever questioned the life path he’d taken.

“I really haven’t,” Elko said. “I really have been fortunate. I’ve been fortunate that most of the time I’ve been part of programs that were ascending. Never really been up against the block where things were trending backwards or trending downhill. Knock on wood, I’ve been fortunate enough to never have been fired.

“I’ve had a blessed career if you can think about how many pitfalls there really are in football. So even though some of those names aren’t the most prestigious names of schools that I’ve been at, I have been fortunate to be part of a lot of really good seasons and a lot of really good situations.”

Elko didn’t play for a powerhouse program in college. He suited up at Penn, which played in the Ivy League. After he graduated from the prestigious university, he joined Stony Brook—an FCS program in New York—as a graduate assistant.

He only spent one year in the role before returning to his alma mater as a defensive backs coach. From there, Elko bounced around between several small schools, including the United States Merchant Marine Academy, Fordham and Richmond.

Elko finally found some stability when he was hired by Dave Clawson at Forham. Elko continued to coach alongside Clawson at Richmond, Bowling Green and Wake Forest. After his Demon Deacons thrived in the ACC, Elko was hired as Notre Dame‘s defensive coordinator.

Elko only spent a season with the Fighting Irish before joining Texas A&M as a DC. In 2022, Elko landed his first head coaching role, guiding Duke to a stunning 9-4 record. With starting quarterback Riley Leonard battling injuries, the Blue Devils weren’t nearly as successful in Elko’s second season.

However, that didn’t stop him from being hired as Texas A&M’s next head coach. Elko hasn’t looked back since accepting the offer, leading Texas A&M to an 8-5 record in 2024 and propelling the team to an 8-0 start this season.

It’s the first time the Aggies have started a season 8-0 since 1992. Now, Mike Elko is determined to make even more history with his team and bring home some hardware. Texas A&M will enjoy a bye this week before squaring off against Missouri on Nov. 8.