What’s the secret behind Mike Elko‘s success at Texas A&M? The Aggies are making an epic comeback from last year’s 7-5 season. With 7-1, they’re 1st in the SEC and No. 10 in the AP Poll ranking after their most recent victory against No. 8 LSU. Perhaps it’s Elko’s secret interest in cards that has bolstered his ability to adapt, assess risk, and think analytically. At least that’s what an ESPN analyst thinks. 

In a new YouTube episode on ESPN College Football on October 29, Pete Thamel blurted out a less-known fact about Mike Elko and his poker-playing skills. He said, “Mike Elko is a poker player… He would go and play in underground poker tournaments. And he has made all the right all-in calls so far this year. These are not easy, right? You go all in the wrong time here and you could end up broke. But he’s kept the team.”

The last game against LSU on Saturday at Kyle Field looked grim in the beginning for the emerging SEC powerhouse trailing 17-7 at halftime. But the magic happened in the second half when the Aggies scored four of their five touchdowns of the game, ultimately winning 38-23. Following the win, Elko was named The Dodd Trophy Coach of the Week.

As of now, Mike Elko has a win-loss record of 23-10 in his three seasons as a head coach. He started coaching the Aggies this season leading them to a lucrative season after spending two years coaching at Duke where he won the ACC Coach of the Year in 2022. The honeymoon phase is going well for Elko who has led the program to their best SEC play in their history and defeating two top-10 opponents at home – Missouri and LSU for the first time since 1989. 

Texas A&M is thriving under Mike Elko

After defeating the Tigers, Texas A&M now stands as the only undefeated SEC team boasting 5-0. Their last game also gave birth to stars in Marcel Reed and Tyler White who received SEC weekly honors as SEC Freshman of the Week and SEC Special Teams Player of the Week, respectively. And we know who to credit. 

Mike Elko is bringing a lot of good things to Texas A&M. As Peach Bowl, Inc CEO and President Gary Stokan said, “Coach Elko is already making a statement in his first year in the SEC. Taking down two top-10 teams in the last month is an impressive accomplishment. We’re looking forward to seeing what other milestones he’s able to achieve during his time in College Station.” With his $76 million contract, Elko has exceeded everyone’s expectations and is on the verge of winning the Aggies a playoff appearance in his first year.