Jimbo Fisher v. Mike Elko’s Contract Comparison: Texas A&M Learns From $76 Million Howler Yet Pays New HC Handsomely

Texas A&M Aggies made the grandest headlines of the year with the dusk of their Jimbo Fisher era. As they marked the dawn of a new era, they are expected to make even massive headlines. As Mike Elko is settling into his new role as one of the most talked about positions in the country, his earnings have piqued the curiosity of people around the world.

However, the fact that Elko won’t be getting as hefty of a deal as Fisher did might disappoint some. Even if the pay wasn’t as handsome as the coach before him, Elko would still earn pretty well. As per the contract released on Monday, the day when the head coach was appointed, here is the breakdown of Elko’s payment. 

Mike Elko: Salary breakdown at Texas A&M

As per the contract, Elko will earn a total salary of $7 million per annum through January 2030. Along with this, Elko will also get a chance to hike his salary with some performance-related incentives. Moreover, Texas continued its tradition of giving the best offers, money-wise, to their coaches. As Elko will receive 75% of his annual $7 million salary, in case he is terminated before 2023. As compared to Fisher’s, whose contract was guaranteed throughout. Well, for many it might seem a huge wager by the A&M as the coach has zero 10-win seasons and zero College Football Playoff appearances after the Florida National title.

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Elko has a history with Texas A&M as their defensive coordinator till 2018, and as the head coach of Duke till Monday. At Duke, he guided his team through a nine-win campaign during the 2023 season, whereas raked in a Bowl win in 2022. He also served as the defensive coordinator of Notre Dame briefly. 

Bringing in Elko after a 7-5 rocky season will possibly prove to be a smart move by Texas, as it will give them some stability. As of now, the A&M ended their season with a loss against LSU. Moreover, they rank 4th at the SEC West conference. Keeping up these statistics despite the ‘debacle of the decade’ is commendable by Max Johnson and Co. Even the Athletic director at Texas A&M Ross Bjork agrees with this. “He is known amongst coaching circles as one of the best defensive minds in the country,” commented Elko. Will the onset of the Elko era bring about a change in the history of Texas A&M, or will they face yet another unsatisfactory coach? Safe to say, the question will be answered by the next season’s records. 

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