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The Aggies have found their new head coach. Former Texas A&M defensive coordinator Mike Elko was finally named as the successor to Jimbo Fisher this week after an exhaustive, and at times confusing, search.
Every Aggies fan had his or her own opinion of who the "next guy" should be, including alum and former players.
Heisman Trophy winner and former Aggies quarterback Johnny Manziel is no exception. And while he didn't give a name, according to A&M athletic director Ross Bjork, he had one specific quality in mind.
"Johnny Manziel’s the one that said we need to be an intimidating bully," said Bjork.
“He actually had another adjective. I can’t say that, but he said, that’s what we got to be. And I’m like, ‘Okay, that’s pretty powerful coming from an offensive guy.’ So, it just matched all the things that you’re seeing unfold here in the last couple of hours with Coach Elko.”
The Aggies were ready to announce Kentucky coach Mark Stoops as the new head coach until backlash was received from alum and boosters before the official announcement could be made.
Elko is about as close to a hiring from within as one could get, just two seasons removed from his time in College Station.
"We are going to build the premier football program in the country," Elko said to a crowd of fans and distinguished alumni Monday afternoon inside the hall of Kyle Field's Ford Hall of Champions. "We are not going to talk about it anymore. We are going to be about it."
Elko, 46, understands what it takes to win in College Station since he's been here before. His arrival in Aggieland early Monday morning was more of a "welcome home" than a "welcome here" feel.
Manziel is one of just two Aggies to ever win the coveted Heisman Trophy as college football's best player, so his word carries weight in Aggieland. Is Elko the "intimidating bully" that Manziel had in mind when he made his statement?
Only time will tell.
But players and alum seem to be fired up about his hiring and the immediate future of the program.
More must-reads:
- Georgia makes Kirby Smart the highest-paid coach in college football
- Deion Sanders enters social media fray after criticism from former player
- The 'AP First-Team All-Pro tight ends' quiz
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