Mike Elko clears the air on 'talking fast and BSing everybody' postgame comment, restates appreciation for Jimbo Fisher
Mike Elko says his postgame comments about running a “real program” were not directed at his former boss and predecessor.
Following Texas A&M’s thrilling win over LSU, Elko used his postgame press conference to make a strong statement about the way he runs his program.
“This is a real program,” Elko said. “It’s not fake. It’s not a politician running this program, talking fast and BSing everybody. This is a real program. And for all the recruits out there, this is a real place. And if you want to be really good at football, this is a really good place to be.”
Elko’s comments got the attention of the college football community. Elko’s choice of words, including fast-talking, led many to speculate he was taking a shot at Jimbo Fisher. On Monday, Elko cleared the air that he wasn’t talking about Fisher.
“This is comical that I actually have to do this, but it’s necessary,” Elko said. “In the postgame I was kind of asked to give a synopsis on how we sell culture to our program. In doing so, I made a statement that seemed like a very benign statement that somehow managed to be taken as a shot directly at people.
“You guys gave me multiple opportunities in nine months to take shots at people, and I’ve never done it. I have nothing but respect for Coach Fisher. I’ve said nothing but positive things about Coach Fisher. I’m the head coach at Texas A&M because of Coach Fisher. I appreciate who he is, everything I’ve done.
“And for anybody in the media to think that what I was doing post-LSU is asinine. And for it to be about any other head coach who gave me an opportunity and hired me, that’s not who I am. I’ve never been that person. It’s ridiculous, but it is what it is. I wanted to make sure everybody knows I wasn’t talking to anybody directly.”
Elko has been coaching since 1999. In 2017, current LSU coach Brian Kelly hired Elko to his Notre Dame staff as defensive coordinator. The following season, Fisher poached Kelly to be the defensive coordinator on his first Texas A&M staff. Kelly served under Fisher at A&M through the 2021 season before taking the head coaching job at Duke.
Mike Elko clarifying his postgame comment about not being a fast-talking politician spewing BS:
“I’m the head coach at Texas A&M because of Jimbo Fisher… For anybody in the media to think that that was what I was doing post-LSU is asinine.”@BrentZwerneman with the zinger https://t.co/rkVHdRLXzy pic.twitter.com/Rm5jU2TJZR
— Ben Peck – KCEN/KAGS (@TheBenPeck) October 28, 2024
Andrew pay freaking attention to what you are doing and at least give the impression you give a rat’s @ss. You called Elko, Kelly, not just once, but once in each of the last two sentences. This article is probably not even on a 5th grade level. Just how long would it have taken you to actually proofread it?
In his defense, the names do share 3 similar letters…almost like he did a reverse pig latin…
Dumb as he looks.
I don’t know who hires these people, but they are obviously no qualified. That is why nobody takes SDS seriously. How they survive is a mystery .
Perhaps it was incidental, but Jimbo was elite at talking fast and BSing.
Elko going to get stuck with his tail between his legs Sat night
Playing Beamer’s South Carolina always makes me nervous. If there’s a trap game, it would be this one. Very tough team coming off a bye week in their home stadium that’s going to be very loud. It will be a good test to see how locked in Elko can keep the players after tasing a bit of success.
Ri-g-gh-ght…
Would have respected him more had he just owned his comments. Now he just sounds like a politician.
Jimbo hired him, so I doubt he’d target him by saying that out loud on purpose. He was asked for an impromptu comment, so maybe it was a subliminal message and he didn’t recognize what he’d said until it came out. It sure fits Jimbo, though, doesn’t it?
Actually, it really does. Elko is doing a terrific job this year. Reminds me a lot of Sam Pittman at Arkansas, and I mean that as a compliment.
I don’t know who hires these people, but they are obviously not qualified. That is why nobody takes SDS seriously. How they survive is a mystery .
I’m thinking the gambling sites that every other article refers to.
“The following season, Fisher poached Kelly to be the defensive coordinator on his first Texas A&M staff. Kelly served under Fisher at A&M through the 2021 season before taking the head coaching job at Duke.”
Hey, SDS aren’t politicians typing fast and Bee ESSing everybody…
Drinking & typing don’t mix.
Does Andrew Olson know the difference between Mike Elko and Brian Kelly. That they are indeed two different people. His articles take shots at coaches all the time. Time to look in the mirror Olson…you are the Chad Morris of sportswriters.