When Texas A&M jogged out of the tunnel at Kyle Field for the program's first College Football Playoff appearance and 104,122 fans roared with "POWER" blaring over the loudspeaker, it signaled a turning point in Bryan-College Station.
It marked a shift for the football program, giving Aggieland something it has been craving for years. The dream of reaching the pinnacle of college football and taking the next step toward becoming a national contender was made possible due to Mike Elko.
"For a place that who has been starved of that level of success, yeah, it was awesome," Elko said of the scene at Kyle Field against Miami.
Elko was named the head coach after the firing of Jimbo Fisher in the fall of 2023. Since then, he has posted back-to-back eight-win seasons, including the program's first 11-0 start since 1992, which led to the Aggies hosting a home playoff game.
This new era of football in College Station has been driven by the culture Elko has built — one that relies on toughness, grit and determination to push Texas A&M forward. Elko will be the first to admit that he is not a native Texan, but he has a theory on why he fits with the Maroon and White.
"I just think maybe the program we're trying to build is a little different, and maybe people appreciate the program I'm building."
That appreciation stretches across the Aggie fanbase. Since joining the SEC in 2012, Texas A&M has lacked consistent opportunities to vie for a national title. Former head coach Kevin Sumlin had one 11-win season, when former Heisman Trophy winner Johnny Manziel burst onto the scene and led the Aggies to historic success in their first year in the conference. Fisher did not meet the expectations set by the administration, but there is something different about Elko.
It shows in the way his teams perform on the field. For Elko, the goal is to prove Texas A&M belongs among the nation's elite programs.
"We haven't been consistently a top-10 program," Elko said. "We were a one-in-five-years top-10 program. So, we have to elevate to that, and that's what we are in the process of doing."
Further evidence of his impact can be seen in player development. In his first season in 2024, Elko had three players selected in the first two rounds of the 2025 NFL Draft: Shemar Stewart, Nic Scourton and Shemar Turner. This year, a school-record 13 players were invited to the NFL Scouting Combine, while the program tied its record with 11 players selected in the draft.
In an interview with USA Today, Elko outlined the approach that has helped shape the program. That is, a culture built on grit and resilience. With the fan base, administration and donors behind what Elko is building, the sky is the limit for success at Texas A&M.
"We have the resources, the fanbase, the facilities, the location to be anything we want to be," Elko said.
He doesn't hunt, he doesn't have a ranch, he doesn't have a deer fridge or gun safe, but Elko does have what it takes to be the head coach of Texas A&M.
This article originally appeared on Aggies Wire: Mike Elko works at Texas A&M like few others could
