"Mike Elko is the smartest coach I've dealt with in a long time": Paul Finebaum makes eye-catching remarks about Texas A&M coach at SEC Media Days

Mike Elko will enter his second year as Texas A&M's coach in the 2025 season. Although many feel that he is still early into his reign with the Aggies, Southeastern Conference analyst Paul Finebaum has heaped praise on the coach.

Before Elko spoke at his team's SEC Media Days on Thursday, Finebaum labeled him the "smartest coach" he has come across in quite some time.

"Mike Elko is the smartest coach I've dealt with in a long time" Finebaum said. "He's a thoughtful guy, He's always available. None of these things have to do with his coaching ability, but they matter."

Elko got his first coaching job at Duke in December 2021. He posted a 9-4 (5-3 ACC) record in his first year with the Blue Devils and was named the ACC Coach of the Year. Elko led the program to a 16-9 (9-7) record across two years.

In November 2023, Texas A&M hired Elko as its coach. He guided the Aggies to an 8-5 (5-3 SEC) record in his first season at the helm, losing the Las Vegas Bowl to USC.

It will be interesting to see if Elko can lead Texas A&M to double-digit wins in the 2025 season.

Mike Elko responds to claims that he took a jibe at Texas after being hired by Texas A&M

Texas A&M HC Mike Elko - Source: Imagn

When Texas A&M hired Mike Elko, he referred to the Aggies as the state’s flagship program. Many believed that he to took a jibe at crosstown rivals, the Texas Longhorns.

However, Elko cleared the air on Thursday.

“I don’t think I was considering anything else,” Elko said. “I wasn’t comparing anything else, I was making a statement in regards to our role in impacting high school coaches in our state. So, I think, maybe like a lot of things, that maybe got misinterpreted.”

Elko's Texas A&M will open the 2025 season at home against UTSA on Aug. 30.

Edited by Victor Ramon Galvez