Mike Elko hired as Duke's football coach

Texas A&M’s defensive coordinator and the school reached a deal for Elko to become the program’s new coach. It’s the first head coaching job for Elko, who’s 44.

""I want to thank (athletics director) Nina King and President (Vincent E.) Price for this great opportunity," Elko said through a news release. "Duke stands for excellence. The university has excelled in everything they've ever tried to do, whether that'd be in academics or athletics. I'm excited to get to work."

Elko has been at Texas A&M for four seasons with Jimbo Fisher; before that, he spent one season at Notre Dame after spending three seasons on Dave Clawson’s staff at Wake Forest. Elko was with Clawson at three other stops – Fordham, Richmond and Bowling Green.

"We are absolutely thrilled to announce Mike Elko as our next head football coach," King said through a news release. "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 replaces David Cutcliffe, who reached an mutual agreement with the school to separate following the final game of the season. Cutcliffe was 77-97 over a 14-year tenure at Duke, guiding the Blue Devils to six bowl games in a seven-year span and to the ACC championship game in 2013.

Duke’s momentum from those seasons was extinguished with a combined 5-18 record over the past two years, including a 1-17 mark in ACC games.

Duke is coming off of a 3-9 season in which it lost its last eight games, all of them in the ACC. It was the first time since 2007 – the year before Cutcliffe took over in Durham.

Elko takes over a roster that took some hits in the days after Cutcliffe’s announced departure. Starting quarterback Gunnar Holmberg and leading receiver Jake Bobo both entered the transfer portal, as did defensive lineman Gary Smith III and safety Lummie Young IV.

This is an interesting time to be taking over an ACC Coastal Division team. Duke will be one of four teams in the division with a new coach next season – Miami hired Mario Cristobal from Oregon, Virginia Tech hired Brent Pry, and Virginia tagged Tony Elliott as its new coach.

Of the remaining coaches in the division, Pat Narduzzi won the ACC championship with Pittsburgh this season, while Mack Brown and Geoff Collins will enter their fourth seasons of rebuilds – to varying degrees – at UNC and Georgia Tech, respectively.