Texas A&M’s coaching situation has started to look a lot less comfortable, and the price tag on any move would be massive.
Mike Elko has the Aggies sitting at 3-3 after a rough 27-6 loss to No. 13 Missouri, a team Texas A&M handled last season. That result only sharpened the questions around an offense that has taken a clear step backward.
The biggest problem has been at quarterback. Marcel Reed has thrown two interceptions in multiple games against SEC opponents, and the fallback option behind him is first-year student Brady Hart, who has seen limited action. That leaves the Aggies thin at the most important spot on the field.
The issues don’t stop there. Texas A&M’s offensive line has also struggled, allowing 12 sacks in six games, including three against Missouri.
The run game, too, has fallen off from last season. The Aggies are averaging 3.89 yards per carry, down from 4.8 a year ago, and their rushing production has dropped from 184.7 yards per game last season to 144 this year.
If Texas A&M were to move on from Elko, it would come at a steep cost. He signed a six-year, $69 million contract extension in February that runs through the 2031 season. His base salary starts at $10.75 million and rises by $300,000 each year.
There’s also an extra year built into the deal if Elko wins nine games or gets the Aggies into the College Football Playoff.
His base salary by contract year is set at $10.75 million in Year 1, $11.05 million in Year 2, $11.35 million in Year 3, $11.65 million in Year 4, $11.95 million in Year 5 and $12.25 million in Year 6.
The buyout language gets especially expensive if he’s fired without cause. If Texas A&M somehow won a national championship under Elko’s current contract, he would be owed 100% of his remaining salary.
Otherwise, according to 247 Sports, he would receive 100% of any remaining annual base salary from the effective date of termination through the third-to-last contract year of the then-current term, plus 85% of any remaining annual base salary from the last two contract years. Payments would be made monthly starting on the first day of the month after his termination until he is paid in full.
Elko is 22-10 in College Station.
Texas A&M will try to get back above .500 when it hosts the Citadel on Saturday, October 17 at 1 p.m. ET.
In Other News...
Mike Elko Just Made A Defensive Change Aggies Needed To See
Texas A&M is making a notable adjustment on defense, with Mike Elko handing play-calling duties to defensive coordinator Lyle Hemphill so he can stay more focused on the broader game-management side of things. It is the kind of midseason shift that usually says something about urgency, and in this case it comes after the Aggies have struggled in recent games and needed a clearer path toward steadier play.
Hemphill already held the coordinator title, but now he will have more control during games after working in previous stops at James Madison, Duke and Wake Forest. For Elko, the move is about sharpening the operation on game day and giving the defense a different kind of leadership touch, with Texas A&M hoping the change helps reset a unit that has not been where it needs to be. [Read more 🡒]
Texas A&M Faces A QB Decision That Could Shift The Offense
Texas A&M heads into its final non-conference game against The Citadel with the most important question on the roster centered under center. Marcel Reed has struggled to find his rhythm, and the Aggies are now weighing whether Brady Hart deserves a chance to guide the offense as the calendar turns toward a more demanding stretch.
Mike Elko has not tipped his hand on any quarterback switch, which leaves Saturday feeling like a proving ground as much as a tune-up. For a team still searching for offensive stability, the game offers a chance to see whether sticking with Reed makes sense or whether a change could give the Aggies a different spark before the schedule stiffens. [Read more 🡒]
Mike Elko Faces A Marcel Reed Decision Aggies Fans Dread
Texas A&Ms 3-3 start has put Marcel Reed squarely in the crosshairs, with plenty of Aggies fans already pushing for a change under center. The frustration is easy to understand after a rocky opening stretch, but the quarterback picture behind Reed is not built to make a quick move feel clean or simple.
Mike Elko has a decision to manage, and it is about more than just one struggling performance. With no experienced backup waiting in the wings, pulling Reed now could do more harm than good, especially to a young quarterback who still needs confidence and reps to grow into the job. For that reason, the bye week looms as the safer checkpoint, giving the staff time to reset before deciding whether to keep Reed in place or make a change. [Read more 🡒]