Last November, Texas A&M fired head coach Jimbo Fisher after six seasons. One name to fill the role that entered the rumor mill was Kentucky head coach Mark Stoops, who has been with the Wildcats since 2013. However, the Aggies ultimately hired former Duke head coach Mike Elko. At SEC Media Days, Stoops addressed the elephant in the room — not Big Al.
Kentucky’s Mark Stoops Says Texas A&M Pursued Him for Head Coach Role
Kentucky is largely known for its great basketball teams under John Calipari, but Stoops has bridged the gap between the two men’s programs. In the last eight seasons, the Wildcats have suffered just one losing record and have made eight bowl games.
To put that into perspective, Kentucky made only 15 other bowl games in the school’s 98 years before Stoops.
Yet, the Wildcats almost lost one of the most successful coaches in their history this offseason. At Media Days, Stoops said he was “pursued pretty aggressively” by Texas A&M but didn’t provide further details out of respect for all involved.
The Aggies paid Fisher the remaining $76 million on his fully guaranteed contract to leave College Station, by far the biggest buyout in the history of college football.
A week later, a report from TexAgs stated that Texas A&M was closing in on its next head coach: Stoops. However, Aggies fans shared their displeasure on social media and online forums, reportedly causing the program’s Board of Regents to nix whatever deal was in place.
The next day, Stoops put out the following statement on X:
“I know there’s been much speculation about me and my job situation the last couple of days. It’s true I was contacted about a potential opportunity this weekend, but after celebrating a big win against our rivals with players I love like family, I knew in my heart I couldn’t leave the University of Kentucky right now. I have a great job at a place I love, and I get to work with the best administration and greatest fan base in college football right where I’m at. I’m excited to say I’m a Wildcat!”
He may not have name-dropped Texas A&M, but fans knew who he was talking about.
The Aggies went on to hire Elko, who was their defensive coordinator just two years prior. He orchestrated a defense that helped the program to a 9-1 campaign and an Orange Bowl victory in 2020.
At Duke, Elko inherited a team that limped to a 3-9 record. All he did in his first season at the helm was lead the Blue Devils to a 9-4 finish and their first bowl win in four years. In 2023, Elko established himself as a candidate for a higher-profile job by opening the year 4-0, including a 28-7 win over No. 9 Clemson.
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Unfortunately, during a loss to Notre Dame, QB Riley Leonard suffered a season-ending ankle injury, altering the course of the season. Duke still concluded the year with more wins (seven) than losses (five) and even made another bowl game, but Elko’s time with the program was up.
He now takes the reins at a Texas A&M program that has struggled to maximize its resources, as the Aggies haven’t won a league title since 1998 and haven’t played in the conference championship since joining the SEC in 2012.
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