Mike Elko - Defensive Coordinator

FDNYIrish1

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Great coach who seems to be a great fit at schools with high academics. Hated losing him but he did a heck of a job at Duke last year.
 

IRISHDODGER

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Great coach who seems to be a great fit at schools with high academics. Hated losing him but he did a heck of a job at Duke last year.
assuming he keeps showing promise as a P5 HC, imagine what he can do when the recruitment pool opens up at a program w/ lower academic requirements. Listening to some of the ND beat writers comment on him, they seem to like him as a real down-to-earth guy who just wants to be a “ball coach”.
 

KPENN

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He would have been perfect for the Stanford job, IMO
 

zelezo vlk

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It'd get bought out in a heartbeat if the Aggies want him. He made a great great impression on Aggie fans. I'd love to see him stay at Duke long term though.
 

Pops Freshenmeyer

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Great news. I very much like the idea of Elko being locked into a very poachable situation if Freeman winds up being a shorter term coach than anticipated.
Unfortunately, there might be some bad blood. Elko's story was that the contract ND presented to him didn't match what they had discussed and agreed to.

I suppose the retirement of JS might make it easier for Elko.
 

Reaper97

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Unfortunately, there might be some bad blood. Elko's story was that the contract ND presented to him didn't match what they had discussed and agreed to.

I suppose the retirement of JS might make it easier for Elko.
That’s not true.

It’s the opposite.

He contacted ND about the A&M offer & told ND he would stay if they matched it. ND agreed & matched the A&M offer.
Then Elko went back with that to A&M & they offered him more. So Elko told ND & they wouldn’t match the second offer.
ND was mad because they felt Elko was using them to get more from A&M & that he was never going to stay anyways. Elko tries to blame ND & say they offered to match, (which they did the first time), but he feels they didn’t (because of the second time).
 

stlnd01

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That’s not true.

It’s the opposite.

He contacted ND about the A&M offer & told ND he would stay if they matched it. ND agreed & matched the A&M offer.
Then Elko went back with that to A&M & they offered him more. So Elko told ND & they wouldn’t match the second offer.
ND was mad because they felt Elko was using them to get more from A&M & that he was never going to stay anyways. Elko tries to blame ND & say they offered to match, (which they did the first time), but he feels they didn’t (because of the second time).
I've no inside knowledge at all but that's the version of the story I recall hearing (from Notre Dame reporters and/or here). Elko may have a different version.
Either way, if someone makes you a (good) offer to be the head football coach at Notre Dame, you're not likely to turn it down just because another school outbid Notre Dame for your services as an assistant six or eight years ago.
 

Pops Freshenmeyer

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I've no inside knowledge at all but that's the version of the story I recall hearing (from Notre Dame reporters and/or here). Elko may have a different version.
Either way, if someone makes you a (good) offer to be the head football coach at Notre Dame, you're not likely to turn it down just because another school outbid Notre Dame for your services as an assistant six or eight years ago.
It was the story at the time here, yes.
 

T-Boone

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I would say there is a lot of demand for Elko next year. Where does he end up?
 

Pops Freshenmeyer

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Are you telling me we were duped? Please explain.
A long time ago, Sampson implied (without taking sides about what’s true) that Elko’s side of the story is that the contract ND put in front of him was for fewer years than the parties had discussed in their negotiations.

Or it could just be a misunderstanding between them.
 

ulukinatme

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Elko was going to leave regardless, he was on the way up. The question is who got the best deal as a result of a buyout from his new employers. Probably A&M.
 

stlnd01

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Elko was going to leave regardless, he was on the way up. The question is who got the best deal as a result of a buyout from his new employers. Probably A&M.
He was, but A&M is not really “up” in any way other than his paycheck. And he probably needed a couple more seasons as a DC before he was ready for a HC job.

It’s ok. We did fine and so did he. And yes A&M too probably.
 

PutuporShutup

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Elko has Duke at 10-4 since 2022. He has been a great hire so far. I'd say he probably has A&M as his destination but not until Fisher is gone....so I agree Flordia would be dumb not to grab him next year.
IMO if he goes to florida and does well he'll get the same funds he would at A&M. A&M got jimbo because FSU was done with him and he was done with FSU for a multitude of reasons.
 

Jiggafini19Deux

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Elko has Duke at 10-4 since 2022. He has been a great hire so far. I'd say he probably has A&M as his destination but not until Fisher is gone....so I agree Flordia would be dumb not to grab him next year.
This is all a lot to process predicated on Elko having coached 14 games at Duke and Napier having coached 14 games at Florida. Florida has a top five recruiting class verballed as of now.

Call me old fashioned but you need to give a guy more than two years to build a program unless there are very serious issues there. Elko has proven he can coach, but a Jersey guy with an Ivy League degree going to Gainesville, FL is a lot of culture shock. They're all just jobs to these guys, and if he comes in with his own way of doing it and they don't like it, it's going to end quick.

This hypothetical situation is being prompted by Duke beating what might be a finally wobbled Clemson program. I'm going to assess after Thanksgiving what this all looks like.

I hope to be whistling a far different tune when Notre Dame kicks Duke's ass in a few weeks, but for now there is other business to attend to.
 

Ndaccountant

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If Elko gets duke to 8 or 9 wins, which is a very real scenario with their schedule, he will have a ticket to wherever he wants. Florida is staring at a 7-5 record, at best, after finishing last regular season at .500 with a top 5 NFL draft pick at QB. Meanwhile, FSU is trending up, Florida is at best #3 in the SEC east and maybe #3 in their state ( behind FSU and Miami). Recruiting means nothing at this point with the portal and I am guessing FOMO will push UF to act sooner rather than later.
 

Jiggafini19Deux

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If Elko gets duke to 8 or 9 wins, which is a very real scenario with their schedule, he will have a ticket to wherever he wants. Florida is staring at a 7-5 record, at best, after finishing last regular season at .500 with a top 5 NFL draft pick at QB. Meanwhile, FSU is trending up, Florida is at best #3 in the SEC east and maybe #3 in their state ( behind FSU and Miami). Recruiting means nothing at this point with the portal and I am guessing FOMO will push UF to act sooner rather than later.
On this I agree with you. It's all guessing. In addition to being the Thursday after Labor Day.

I feel like FSU will trend up when they get to play in January again.

I don't have to tell anyone here that college football can throw wild unexpected shit at us on a week to week basis. We'll see where it goes from here.
 
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