Texas A&M has already made it clear that money is not a significant obstacle when it comes to football.
The Aggies handed Jimbo Fisher a lucrative contract to pry him away from Florida State in 2017, raised his salary with a 2021 extension, and then agreed to pay his gargantuan $76 million buyout when he was fired on Nov. 12.
Two weeks later, Texas A&M lasered in on Fisher’s replacement, bringing back former defensive coordinator and Duke head coach Mike Elko to lead the program. Elko was brought in as Fisher’s defensive play-caller in 2018 and spent four seasons in College Station before landing the job in Durham.
One of the best leaders and coaches in college football has been named the next head football coach at Texas A&M.
Welcome back to Aggieland, @CoachMikeElko!
🔗 » https://t.co/ARPmQHOTX1 | #GigEm pic.twitter.com/x89fVDfnzw
— Texas A&M Football (@AggieFootball) November 27, 2023
Elko isn’t necessarily a flashy name for a program that has tried to position itself as a powerhouse rich with resources, but he knows the area and exceeded expectations at Duke with back-to-back winning seasons and an upset win over Clemson. Elko also didn’t come cheap, though he’s not quite making Fisher money.
MORE: Why rumors of Mark Stoops to Texas A&M didn’t come to fruition
Here’s a closer look at the contract Elko received to become Texas A&M’s head coach.
Mike Elko contract details
Texas A&M gave Elko a Updated bowl projections ahead of championship weekend
Highest-paid college football coaches
Elko has the opportunity to make significant money through incentives, but his $7 million annual salary doesn’t rank among the top 10 in the nation. As of now, Elko is tied with Iowa’s Kirk Ferentz for the 18th-highest annual salary in college football.
Here’s a look at the 10 highest-paid college football coaches, a group led by Alabama’s Nick Saban.
| Coach | Annual salary | School |
| Nick Saban | $11.4 million | Alabama |
| Dabo Swinney | $10.9 million | Clemson |
| Kirby Smart | $10.7 million | Georgia |
| Ryan Day | $10.3 million | Ohio State |
| Lincoln Riley | $10 million* | USC |
| Brian Kelly | $9.9 million | LSU |
| Mark Stoops | $9.01 million | Kentucky |
| Josh Heupel | $9 million | Tennessee |
| Lane Kiffin | $9 million | Ole Miss |
| James Franklin | $8.5 million | Penn State |
* — Because USC is a private university, Riley’s salary isn’t publicly disclosed. His estimated salary $10 million is based on media reports.