Mike Elko is Building a Real Program at A&M and has the Aggies on Top

Oct 28, 2024 2:46 pm

Coach -

Mike Elko made a strong statement in his post game press conference after defeating #7 LSU. He said,

"This is a real program.It’s not fake, it’s not a politician running this program talking fast and BS'ing everybody. This is a real program and for all the recruits out there, this is a real place and if you want to be really good at football, this is a really good place to be.”

I am sure we all have been completely worn out by political ads with claims of fake news and disinformation.

And I’m not quite sure who Coach Elko directed this at, but the message is clear, Mike Elko is building a program that is aiming to be the best and is here to stay.

And for now, they are at the top of the SEC with a win over LSU. They are ranked 10th in the country.

Coach Elko has put together a top-level coaching staff. He brought a wealth of experience to College Station. Let’s take a look at the philosophy, methods, and techniques that the Aggies’ staff preaches.

Consistency is the Hallmark of Greatness

In his presentation for LFGF, Aggies’ OL Coach/Run Game Coordinator Adam Cushing established that consistency is the hallmark of greatness.

The beginning of his talk focused on delivering a consistent message to your players to help cut through a noisy world that delivers an abundance of different messages. He pointed out that while the message may not hit home immediately, eventually your consistency will make your point come across clearly.

A great takeaway from this talk was what he calls “homework.” He talked to all of the offensive line coaches he knows to put this together for his offensive line. It is a daily list of things that the players focus on each week on their own.

The way he does it is collaborative amongst his players giving them each a section to focus on. He shows the template and explains it in this video:

Video: Homework

Championship Defense

Prior to becoming A&M’s Head Coach, Coach Elko made his mark as a defensive coordinator. There’s no doubt that defense is the backbone of his team. He brings an aggressive philosophy built on sound fundamentals. The Aggies created an aggressive mentality and more turnovers on defense.

Coach Elko explains his philosophy on what makes a great defense here:

(click on image for video)

Video: Defensive Philosophy

Coach Elko knows another opportunity for turnover exists when getting to the QB. The QB is in a vulnerable position for losing the ball. He explains how they teach the Tomahawk to create a turnover (click on image for video):

Video: Tomahawk

Play with an Edge

Being a champions begins with teaching a mindset that will win in all situations. Holomon Wiggins, WR Coach, uses the acronym EDGE to give those players keys to a winning mindset (click on image for video):

Video: Play with an edge

3rd Down Defense

The name of the game is getting off the field and having the confidence to execute within any defense that you call. Obviously you will construct your call sheet and menu but, there should be a mentality around the situation.

Defensive Coordinator and Linebackers Coach Jay Bateman believes in having multiple packages built to handle third down. He builds it around the five defensive backs.

He builds it around the understanding that coverage is hard, but blitz patterns are easy. He explains his philosophy in this video:

Video: Multiple Packages