Pete Thamel hints at possible looming contract extension for Mike Elko

This weekend, Texas A&M head coach Mike Elko will look to lead the Aggies to their first 8-0 start to a season since 1992. If Texas A&M downs LSU on Saturday, ESPN’s Pete Thamel believes Elko may receive a lucrative contract extension.

“If they do win, don’t be surprised if the beeping you hear is the Brinks truck backing up to the A&M football facility for Mike Elko,” Thamel said. “Again, he’s handsomely compensated, and he’s done a very nice job there, stabilizing that ship and pushing it forward.

“But, what we’re about to see in this coaching carousel, Rece, is the flurry of… preventative moves. Then, the market is going to get smaller and smaller and smaller and smaller of where you can go for established head coaches, because there are only so many established, successful head coaches.”

Elko is currently on a six-year contract with Texas A&M. He is earning $7 million this year and is eligible for bonuses. His $7 million salary ranks 32nd in all of college football, per USA Today.

For reference, Georgia head coach Kirby Smart is currently the highest-paid head coach in the country, earning just shy of $13.3 million per season. Elko is in his second season at the helm of Texas A&M.

He led the team to an 8-5 record in his debut campaign as head coach. Now, the Aggies have a chance to tie their win total from last season with a victory this weekend. Elko wouldn’t be the first coach to be rewarded for his success with a contract extension.

On Oct. 16, Indiana signed head coach Curt Cignetti to a new eight-year contract with an average annual compensation of approximately $11.6 million. Cignetti is also currently in his second season as Indiana’s head coach.

In his debut campaign at the helm of the Hoosiers, he led the program to an 11-2 overall record, an 8-1 mark in conference play and its first-ever College Football Playoff appearance. Indiana has only built on its momentum this season, also jumping out to a 7-0 start.

Cignetti’s new salary of $11.6 million is the third-highest in the country. Perhaps Mike Elko could be rivaling the Indiana head man soon if he picks up a win against LSU.

Texas A&M will square off against No. 20 LSU at 6:30 p.m. CT on Saturday. The pivotal SEC matchup will air live on ABC.