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Mike Elko reportedly has significant buyout in his current Duke contract
Mike Elko reportedly has a significant buyout in his current contract with Duke.
Texas A&M would be responsible for paying “in the neighborhood” of $5 million if the Aggies want to hire Elko away from Duke, according to a report. That’s per 247Sports’ Adam Rowe, whose report notes that Mark Stoops’ buyout would have been slightly-less at $4.5 million.
Rowe also reports that Elko has been offered the job, but hasn’t made a decision. ESPN’s Pete Thamel reported earlier in the day that Elko is expected to make a decision at some point in the next 24 hours.
Duke is a private school, so Elko’s exact contract details are not publicly known. Elko received a contract extension from Duke before the 2023 season began that runs through 2029.
Elko served as Texas A&M’s defensive coordinator prior to taking the Duke head coaching job. In 2021, Elko’s last year as A&M’s defensive coordinator, the Aggies gave up just 4.66 yards per play. That ranked 2nd amongst all SEC teams for that season.
Elko has led Duke to a 16-9 record over the past two seasons.
Spenser is a news editor for Saturday Down South and covers college football across all Saturday Football brands.