Nearly a week after Texas A&M’s 10-3 loss to Miami in the opening round of the College Football Playoff, the ripple effects are starting to take shape in College Station. What was supposed to be a postseason run under new head coach Mike Elko has quickly transitioned into a period of reshuffling and recalibration for the Aggies-especially on the coaching front.
The most immediate shakeup: both coordinators are on the move. Offensive coordinator Collin Klein has accepted the head coaching job at Kansas State, while defensive coordinator Jay Bateman is heading to Kentucky for a similar role. That’s a lot of brainpower walking out the door, and it puts Elko in the position of having to retool a staff that was already expected to carry a veteran-laden roster into 2026 with high expectations.
But there’s some good news for the Aggies, and it starts in the trenches. Elijah Robinson, a familiar and respected figure in the Texas A&M locker room, is coming back.
Robinson, who previously coached the defensive line in College Station, will return as co-defensive coordinator and co-defensive line coach. His return brings continuity and leadership to a defense that’s already facing a transition at the top.
On the offensive side, the situation around offensive line coach Adam Cushing had started to raise eyebrows. With his ties to Pat Fitzgerald from their time together at Northwestern (2009-2018), Cushing’s name surfaced as a potential target for Fitzgerald’s new staff at Michigan State.
The connection made sense-Cushing’s been a steady hand for A&M’s offensive line and has deep roots with Fitzgerald. Had he made the jump, it likely would’ve come with a bump in title-possibly a co-offensive coordinator role with added responsibilities in the run game.
But that door appears to have closed. On Wednesday, it was reported that Fitzgerald is hiring Wake Forest’s Nick Tabacca as his offensive line coach. That move likely takes Cushing off the board for Michigan State, which is a quiet win for Texas A&M.
And make no mistake, keeping Cushing is significant. The Aggies are already facing a major rebuild up front.
Three starters are departing, including both bookend tackles-Trey Zuhn and Dametreous Crownover. Those two were foundational pieces in A&M’s pass protection, and their absence leaves a major void.
The offensive line will need to be retooled, likely with help from the transfer portal, and having Cushing in place to oversee that transition is critical.
This is the kind of offseason that tests a program’s depth-not just on the roster, but in the coaching room. For Mike Elko, the honeymoon is over.
The challenge now is to keep the ship steady, make smart hires, and reload a team that still believes it can compete at the highest level. Retaining key staff like Cushing and bringing back trusted voices like Robinson is a good place to start.