As the coaching search continues to turn and Penn State football looks for a new boss, one potential candidate addressed the links.
Texas A&M head coach Mike Elko called the chatter linking him to the Penn State job “an absolute waste of brain space.”
But he didn’t say “no, I won’t take the job.”
“I don’t discuss it with my players,” Elko said. “I think it’s absolutely hilarious how you guys cover coaches. Three weeks ago, I was getting fired. Now I’m getting hired. Now you don’t want me to stay, but I’m leaving. It’s just absolutely hilarious — it is a waste of brain space to spend any time talking or thinking about any of that stupidity.”
Elko took over at Texas A&M following the turbulent end of Jimbo Fisher’s six-year tenure. In 2025, he’s quickly turned things around — the Aggies are 7–0 and ranked No. 3 in the nation, their highest spot since 1995.
Before this season, there was speculation that Elko could be on the hot seat if Texas A&M didn’t deliver. Instead, he’s led the program to its best start in decades.
A South Brunswick, New Jersey native, Elko spent the first decade of his coaching career in the Mid-Atlantic and DMV (D.C., Maryland, Virginia) region — a connection that’s fueled talk of potential interest from Penn State.
While Elko took time to air his frustrations about the rumor mill, he notably did not deny any interest in the Penn State coaching search.
