'I tried to go up to the press box' HC Mike Elko is ready to call defensive plays

USA Today

a day ago

'I tried to go up to the press box' HC Mike Elko is ready to call defensive plays
One of the primary reasons for Texas A&M's poor play during the final weeks of the 2024 season was the defense, mainly the lack of pass rush, while the secondary allowed too many big plays that resulted in the 1-4 finish, including consecutive losses to Texas and USC in the Las Vegas Bowl.
This immediately led to most of the Aggie fan base calling for a change at defensive coordinator, as Jay Bateman became a popular name to be let go. Still, head coach Mike Elko had other plans after deciding to keep Bateman on the 2025 staff and add James Madison DC Lyle Hemphill to the staff, who served under Elko during his two-year head coaching stint at Duke.
However, Elko's early lack of clarity regarding the future of defensive playcalling was finally addressed before the start of the spring football season, stating that he would become the primary play-caller in 2025 but would still rely on Bateman and now Hemphill for pre-game preparation and in-game strategy.
On Wednesday, during the annual Austin Coaches' Night, Elko once again discussed his transition as the full-time playcaller, as his quote from the night provided a perfect illustration of why the veteran playcaller needs to get back in the saddle.
"I tried to go up into the press box, but they wouldn't let me."
"I've called plays from the sideline at different times in my career. I've done it as a head coach. … It's not something that's new or that I'm worried about. It'll be a collaborative effort."
This is potentially great news for a defense that never lived up to its potential, given the talent it had last year. With 14 new additions from the transfer portal, including five players on the defensive line, I fully expect the defense to resemble Texas A&M's 2021 season performance during Elko's last year as the program's defensive coordinator.
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