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'My choice was to dive in" Texas A&M HC Mike Elko his new defensive play-calling role
Texas A&M's defense will need to step up during the 2025 season, starting with a more consistent and impactful pass rush, followed by improvement in the secondary, which allowed too many big plays leading to several losses down the stretch during coach Mike Elko's inaugural season.
Just weeks into the 2025 offseason, Elko made several swift changes within the coaching staff, including demoting defensive coordinator Jay Bateman as the primary play-caller, a role Elko will now assume this season. Additionally, Elko hired one of his former Duke staff members, James Madison defensive coordinator Lyle Hemphill, to join the coaching staff.
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With all these changes, headlined by Elko taking over the defense, expectations are high, a point he continued to discuss during Wednesday's Dallas Coach's Night alongside new Aggie basketball coach Bucky McMillan. Elko's proven track record as an elite defensive coordinator dates back to his tenure as A&M's defensive coordinator from 2018 to 2021, during which he produced some of the best defensive fronts and solid secondaries in the country.
However, Elko isn't taking over the play-calling duties just on a whim. As he stated on Tuesday night, when a problem arises, the blame game doesn't solve problems, especially as the program's head coach. By providing his defensive knowledge, which should only lead to improvement, this was a win-win decision.
"I'm involved (more with the defense) because, when something doesn't meet the standard and you're the leader of the program, you have two choices: Point the finger or dive in to help fix it. My choice was to dive in."
Elko continued to recount his frustration with the team's defensive performance during the final five games of the 2024 season, knowing that two or three of said games could have resulted in victories if the defense had made an impact.
"The frustration at the end of the season is on me, and it's frustration in my ability to get the job done at the level it needs to get done."
"I was frustrated that we didn't play defense at the level we're capable of down the stretch."
With more of a hand in shaping the defense, Texas A&M's offense and starting quarterback Marcel Reed will continue to take center stage. However, if both units perform above average or better, the Aggies are poised to win at least nine games next season.
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This article originally appeared on Aggies Wire: Texas A&M HC Mike Elko his new defensive play-calling role
