Mike Elko
Current position | |
---|---|
Title | Head coach |
Team | Duke |
Conference | ACC |
Record | 0–0 |
Biographical details | |
Born | July 28, 1977 |
Playing career | |
1995–1998 | Penn |
Position(s) | Safety |
Coaching career (HC unless noted) | |
1999 | Stony Brook (GA/ILB) |
2000 | Penn (DB) |
2001 | Merchant Marine (DC/DB) |
2002–2003 | Fordham (co-DC / LB) |
2004–2005 | Richmond (LB/RC) |
2006–2008 | Hofstra (AHC/DC/DB/LB) |
2009–2013 | Bowling Green (DC/LB) |
2014–2016 | Wake Forest (DC/S) |
2017 | Notre Dame (DC) |
2018–2021 | Texas A&M (DC/S) |
2022–present | Duke |
Head coaching record | |
Overall | 0–0 |
Michael Elko (born July 28, 1977) is an American college football coach who is currently the head coach at Duke University. He was previously the defensive coordinator for Texas A&M from 2018 until his hiring by Duke on December 10, 2021.[1]
Early life[]
Raised in South Brunswick, New Jersey, Elko graduated in 1995 from South Brunswick High School, where he played baseball, basketball and was the quarterback for the school's football team.[2] He was recognized by the coaches of the Greater Middlesex Conference as the league's top quarterback in 1994 and was inducted into the school's athletic hall of fame in 2012.[3] He graduated from the University of Pennsylvania, where he played for the Penn Quakers football team that won the Ivy league championship in 1998.[2]
Career[]
Prior to being named defensive coordinator at Notre Dame, Elko had coached under Dave Clawson for 12 seasons. He spent two seasons with Clawson at both Fordham and Richmond, five seasons with him at Bowling Green, and three seasons with Clawson at Wake Forest.[2] During the 2016 season, Elko's Wake Forest defense ranked in the top 20 for NCAA Division I Football Bowl Subdivision (FBS) in defensive touchdowns scored, turnovers, red zone defense, sacks, and scoring defense. Alabama, Clemson and Washington, the three other FBS teams to accomplish this on defense, were among the four teams selected to compete in that season's College Football Playoff postseason tournament.[4] The Fighting Irish fired DC Brian VanGorder the prior September after Notre Dame started the season with a 1–3 record and a defense ranked third from the bottom of the FBS.[5] On January 4, 2018, Elko was hired by Jimbo Fisher as the defensive coordinator at Texas A&M inking a three-year deal averaging $1.8M/year.[6][7]
Statistics as defensive coordinator[]
Total defense | Passing defense | Rushing defense | Ref | ||
---|---|---|---|---|---|
2009 | Bowling Green | 87th | 38th | 103rd | [8] |
2010 | Bowling Green | 102nd | 69th | 111th | [9] |
2011 | Bowling Green | 79th | 34th | 104th | [10] |
2012 | Bowling Green | 6th | 13th | 12th | [11] |
2013 | Bowling Green | 10th | 6th | 47th | [12] |
2014 | Wake Forest | 41st | 12th | 83rd | [13] |
2015 | Wake Forest | 38th | 32nd | 52nd | [14] |
2016 | Wake Forest | 40th | 66th | 33rd | [15] |
2017 | Notre Dame | 46th | 53rd | 51st | [16] |
2018 | Texas A&M | 34th | 107th | 2nd | [17] |
2019 | Texas A&M | 31st | 47th | 29th | [18] |
2020 | Texas A&M | 9th | 56th | 2nd | [19] |
2021 | Texas A&M | 20th | 19th | 41st | [20] |
References[]
- ^ "Mike Elko Named Head Football Coach". Duke University. Retrieved 2021-12-11.
- ^ a b c Sargeant, Keith. "Defensive coordinator with N.J. roots reportedly headed to Notre Dame | Who is Mike Elko?", NJ Advance Media for NJ.com, December 16, 2016. Accessed January 15, 2017. "Mike Elko, 39, grew up in South Brunswick, starring as the high school's quarterback before heading to play linebacker at the University of Pennsylvania and then beginning a collegiate coaching career that is now in its second decade. The 1995 South Brunswick High School graduate is set to be named the defensive coordinator at Notre Dame, according to SI.com and other published reports."
- ^ Viking Athletic Club Hall of Fame Class of 2012, South Brunswick High School. Accessed January 15, 2017.
- ^ Mike Elko Named Notre Dame Defensive Coordinator, Notre Dame Fighting Irish football. Accessed January 15, 2017. "In 2016 at Wake Forest, Elko coordinated one of the two FBS defenses to rank in the top-20 in turnovers forced, sacks, red zone defense and scoring defense.... Wake Forest was one of four schools in the FBS to rank in the top-20 in turnovers forced, sacks and scoring defense in 2016. The other three schools -- Alabama, Clemson and Washington -- qualified for the College Football Playoff."
- ^ via Associated Press. "Notre Dame hires Wake Forest's Elko as defensive coordinator", Chicago Tribune, December 21, 2016. Accessed January 15, 2017. "Notre Dame has hired Mike Elko as its defensive coordinator, hoping he can turn around a unit that struggled at the beginning of last season and was blamed in part for a down year for the Fighting Irish.... Brian VanGorder was fired as defensive coordinator on Sept. 25, the day after a 38-35 loss to Duke dropped Notre Dame to 1-3 in what ended up being a 4-8 season. The Irish were ranked 103rd out of 128 teams in total defense at the time, giving up 456 yards a game."
- ^ Thamel, Pete (4 Jan 2018). "Source: Mike Elko's deal at Texas A&M is three years at an average of $1.8 million per year". @PeteThamel. Retrieved 2018-01-04.
- ^ "Texas A&M hires Notre Dame's Mike Elko as defensive coordinator". 4 January 2018.
- ^ "2009 College Football Team Total Offense Stats".
- ^ "2010 College Football Team Total Offense Stats".
- ^ "2011 College Football Team Total Offense Stats".
- ^ "2012 College Football Team Total Offense Stats".
- ^ "2013 College Football Team Total Offense Stats".
- ^ "2014 College Football Team Total Offense Stats".
- ^ "2015 College Football Team Total Offense Stats".
- ^ "2016 College Football Team Total Offense Stats".
- ^ "2017 College Football Team Total Offense Stats".
- ^ "2018 College Football Team Total Offense Stats".
- ^ "2019 College Football Team Total Offense Stats".
- ^ "2020 College Football Team Total Offense Stats".
- ^ "NCAA College Football FBS current team Stats | NCAA.com". www.ncaa.com. Retrieved 2021-12-11.
- 1977 births
- Living people
- Bowling Green Falcons football coaches
- Duke Blue Devils football coaches
- Fordham Rams football coaches
- Hofstra Pride football coaches
- Merchant Marine Mariners football coaches
- Notre Dame Fighting Irish football coaches
- Penn Quakers football players
- Penn Quakers football coaches
- Richmond Spiders football coaches
- Stony Brook Seawolves football coaches
- Texas A&M Aggies football coaches
- Wake Forest Demon Deacons football coaches
- South Brunswick High School (New Jersey) alumni
- People from South Brunswick, New Jersey