Texas A&M head coach Jimbo Fisher officially hired Notre Dame’s Mike Elko to be the Aggies new defensive coordinator Thursday afternoon.
“I am excited to bring one of the top defensive minds in the nation onto our staff here at Texas A&M,” Fisher said in a statement. “No matter where Mike has worked, he has consistently produced defenses that have been among the nation’s best.”
Yahoo Sports’ Pete Thamel reported that Elko’s deal is for three years with a starting salary of $1.8 million.
Before the official announcement from A&M, Notre Dame head coach Brian Kelly confirmed via Twitter that Elko had accepted the position with the Aggies.
Elko, 40, leaves after just one season in South Bend where he led the Irish to an exceptional turnaround on defense. He previously served as the DC at Wake Forest for three seasons.
Elko’s defenses are tailored to its personnel, mixing schemes and fronts to create the best matchups for each player on the field.
The hiring of Elko ends a drawn out search by Fisher and the Aggies to get a defensive coordinator after A&M was unable to lure away LSU’s Dave Aranda. Multiple pursuits from the Aggies caused the Tigers to go all in to keep their current DC, ultimately securing Aranda to stay in Baton Rouge for a four-year deal worth $2.5 million annually that is fully guaranteed.
With a defensive coordinator hired, the Aggies can now shift their focus on hiring defensive assistants with four spots left as Fisher officially announced his offensive staff on Wednesday. Current defensive line coach Terry Price is the only defensive assistant expected to be retained on the new staff.