One of the most prominent names linked to the Penn State coaching search is Texas A&M’s Mike Elko.
The reason Penn State should go after Elko is obvious: He’s kicking ass at a top-flight SEC program.
The reason Elko might not take the Penn State job is obvious: He’s kicking ass at a top-flight SEC program.
Elko has led the 9-0 record and a No. 3 ranking in 2025, so he’d be a pretty easy sell for Penn State fans.
But because he’s been so successful at A&M, many feel that his leaving for Penn State just isn’t realistic.
This article isn’t predicting that Mike Elko will go to Penn State, but here are three reasons the idea isn’t as crazy as some would think.
GEOGRAPHY
BLOOMINGTON, IN – NOVEMBER 26: Purdue Boilermakers head coach Jeff Brohm walks across the field during the college football game between the Purdue Boilermakers and the Indiana Hoosiers on November 26, 2022, at Memorial Stadium in Bloomington, Indiana. (Photo by Michael Allio/Icon Sportswire)
Geography is a disadvantage for some candidates at Penn State. Georgia Tech’s Brent Key grew up in Alabama and is currently coaching at his alma mater. Louisville’s Jeff Brohm and Vanderbilt’s Clark Lea are also coaching at their alma maters, and both grew up in the cities where their schools are located.
With Elko, geography would be an advantage in Penn State’s pursuit.
Although there’s no evidence of Elko being a Penn State fan growing up, he’s from New Jersey and went to college at Penn in Philadelphia.
Returning to the Northeast probably wouldn’t be Elko’s main motivation for taking the Penn State job, but it might be a bonus.
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Photo by Matt Lynch, Nittany Sports Now
Penn State’s AD is a guy who gets what he wants. When he said Penn State needed receivers, they got Trebor Pena later in the offseason. When he decided it was time to move on from James Franklin, Penn State moved on. Even beyond football, it’s hard to think Kraft’s aggressiveness wasn’t a factor in Penn State hockey landing Gavin McKenna.
Kraft is charismatic, persuasive and knows Penn State is a top-tier job.
Those are the qualities needed to land a guy like Elko, and while that doesn’t guarantee that Penn State will get that type of “big fish,” it’s a factor that can’t be ruled out.
HE ISN’T LOCKED UP YET
Elko is having just as good a season as Curt Cignetti, who got extended four days after the Penn State job opened, and a much better season than Matt Rhule, who got extended in late October. Yet, A&M hasn’t locked him up.
There are a million possible reasons for this, but two of them are:
- A&M is dragging its feet
- Elko isn’t all that interested in signing.
To paraphrase Forrest Gump, Texas A&M “has more money than Davy Crockett,” so if A&M wants Elko to be the coach, it will be hard to stop that from happening.
But with the coaching carousel being as crazy as it is and Elko having addressed the topic multiple times, you’d think it’d make sense to get a deal done so A&M can focus on continuing this magical season without worrying about who is going to coach it in 2026.
Often, schools lose coaches because they didn’t move fast enough, or a coach leaves because he found a better fit.
In any case, the fact that Elko isn’t extended is worth keeping an eye on for this coaching search, and until that happens, we can’t rule Penn State out of the picture.
