Nov 25, 2023; Durham, North Carolina, USA; Duke Blue Devils head coach Mike Elko looks on before the first half of the game against Pittsburgh Panthers at Wallace Wade Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jaylynn Nash-USA TODAY Sports

Duke made bid to retain Mike Elko, names Trooper Taylor interim coach

Duke bargained with head coach Mike Elko “into the late hours” on Monday morning before he opted to accept a new job at Texas A&M.

Trooper Taylor was named interim head coach following the formal announcement by Texas A&M of Elko’s hiring.

“I met with the current student-athletes this morning as well as the staff,” athletic director Nina King said Monday.

Taylor, 53, has been on the Duke coaching staff since 2019 in multiple roles and held the title of associate head coach and RBs coach in 2023.

King said a national search headed by Parker Executive Search was underway Monday.

“Our goal is to find an exceptional head coach to come in and lead this group of elite student-athletes. We will be thorough in our process and we will act swiftly,” King said.

Taylor’s stints as an assistant coach include major programs Baylor (1993-97), Tennessee (2004-07), Oklahoma State (2008) and Auburn (2009-12).

–Field Level Media

Oct 14, 2023; Durham, North Carolina, USA; Duke Blue Devils head coach Mike Elko before the first half of the game against North Carolina State Wolfpack at Wallace Wade Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jaylynn Nash-USA TODAY Sports

Reports: Texas A&M expected to hire Duke’s Mike Elko as coach

Texas A&M is expected to hire Duke coach Mike Elko as its next head coach, according to multiple reports.

An official announcement is expected in the next 24 hours, ESPN reported Sunday afternoon, citing sources.

Elko served as defensive coordinator at Texas A&M for four seasons before leaving to become Duke’s head coach. He is 16-9 in two seasons with the Blue Devils, including 7-5 this season.

Texas A&M is looking for a head coach after firing Jimbo Fisher after nearly six seasons. Ironically, Fisher brought Elko to College Station on his original coaching staff after the 2017 season.

Elko, 46, was named Atlantic Coast Conference Coach of the Year in 2022, when the Blue Devils went 9-4.

This season, Duke opened the season with an impressive 28-7 takedown of Clemson.

The Blue Devils were 4-0 before quarterback Riley Leonard injured an ankle in a 21-14 loss to Notre Dame. Leonard later sustained a toe injury against Louisville on Oct. 28 and hasn’t played since.

Duke is 3-5 since the 4-0 start. The Blue Devils closed the regular season with a 30-19 win over Pitt on Saturday.

Fisher went 45-25 with the Aggies before being fired with two games remaining this season.

–Field Level Media

Sep 9, 2023; Durham, North Carolina, USA;  Duke Blue Devils head coach Mike Elko looks on before the game against the Lafayette Leopards at Wallace Wade Stadium. Mandatory Credit: James Guillory-USA TODAY Sports

Take 5: Ranking Michigan State’s top options to replace Mel Tucker

Chaos is in full swing in East Lansing, Mich., before the calendar hits October.

Michigan State is a double-digit underdog at Iowa on Saturday after officially firing coach Mel Tucker this week. While Tucker was on administrative leave, the Spartans lost their first two games against Power 5 schools this season by a combined score of 72-16.

If there’s a silver lining — and you have to look deep with Tucker planning to file a wrongful termination lawsuit — it’s that athletic director Alan Haller can get a head start on finding his replacement.

Here are five candidates the Spartans might put at the top of their wish list:

5. Charles Huff (Marshall head coach)
Huff made national headlines when the Thundering Herd upset Notre Dame last season when the Irish were ranked No. 8. He has a 19-10 record at Marshall in his third season, but also boasts ties to Nick Saban, having served as Alabama’s running backs coach from 2019-20. Just 40 years old, Huff spent four seasons on James Franklin’s staff at Penn State and is considered an up-and-coming coach who is likely to land a Power 5 gig sooner than later.

4. Sean Lewis (Colorado offensive coordinator)
The former Kent State head coach is only 37 years old and has received plenty of national attention while running Deion Sanders’ offense in Boulder. Though the Spartans have a reputation for preferring defensive-minded coaches, the game is changing with the transfer portal and several more powerhouse programs set to join the Big Ten next year. Lewis would bring recruiting credibility – especially in the transfer portal if the Spartans are seeking a quick turnaround.

3. Lance Leipold (Kansas head coach)
Leipold built a Division III powerhouse at Wisconsin-Whitewater, where he won six national titles, before moving on to Buffalo and winning two MAC Coach of the Year awards. The 59-year-old got his first crack with a Power 5 program at lowly Kansas, where he is in the midst of performing another remarkable turnaround with the Jayhawks off to a 4-0 start after the program’s first bowl game appearance last year since 2008. The Spartans would face a few significant hurdles if they choose to pursue Leipold — beginning with a buyout of more than $12 million. Leipold, whose contract runs through 2029, said this week that he has work left to do at Kansas.

2. Mike Tressel (Wisconsin defensive coordinator)
For an embattled program like MSU, a respected connection to the past could be very appealing. Tressel, the nephew of former Ohio State coach Jim Tressel, was on the Spartans’ defensive staff for 14 years and took over as the interim head coach after Mark Dantonio’s retirement. He stayed on when Tucker was hired before leaving to join Luke Fickell’s staff with Cincinnati in 2021. Tressel followed him to Wisconsin this year.

1. Mike Elko (Duke head coach)
Elko is one of the hottest names in coaching circles as he continues to guide the Blue Devils to remarkable success after earning ACC Coach of the Year honors in his debut season in 2022. Duke is 13-4 under Elko after going a combined 10-25 in the three seasons before he arrived. Duke upset Clemson to open this season and Elko’s status will continue to rise if the Blue Devils can knock off Notre Dame, where he served as the Irish’s defensive coordinator in 2017, on Saturday. The quick success is a tribute to Elko’s ability to work the transfer portal, and Michigan State could find plenty of competition for the 46-year-old — if Elko is even open to leaving Raleigh after just two seasons.

There are numerous potential candidates for the Spartans to assess. Tops among them could be Oregon State’s Jonathan Smith and Washington State’s Jake Dickert, who both have their teams ranked in the top 25 for programs that face an uncertain future as the lone remaining members of the Pac-12 in 2024 as of now.

One coach who apparently won’t be under consideration for Haller is Kansas State’s Chris Klieman, who said in an interview with Sirius XM this week that he “will not be a candidate for that job” when asked about Michigan State.

–Field Level Media

Sep 4, 2021;  College Station, Texas, USA;  Texas A&M Aggies head coach Jimbo Fisher and defensive coordinator Mike Elko prior to the game against the Kent State Golden Flashes at Kyle Field. Mandatory Credit: Maria Lysaker-USA TODAY Sports

Duke tabs Mike Elko as new coach

Texas A&M defensive coordinator Mike Elko has been hired as the new coach at Duke.

The 44-year-old Elko has never been a head coach. He has been a defensive coordinator at five schools, including Notre Dame in 2017 prior to his four-year stint at Texas A&M.

“We are absolutely thrilled to announce Mike Elko as our next head football coach,” Duke athletic director Nina King said in a statement. “He has an innovative football mind and a natural ability to connect with both players and coaches around him. Mike has a proven track record of success and is deeply committed to the overall student-athlete experience.”

Elko was a semifinalist for the Frank Broyles Award this season, which goes to the nation’s top assistant. He also was a semifinalist in 2017.

Elko replaces David Cutcliffe, who went 77-97 in 14 seasons at Duke. The Blue Devils were 3-9 this season.

Former Dallas Cowboys head coach Jason Garrett was also among the reported candidates.

–Field Level Media