A large facet of Duke University football players do not plan to attend Monday’s Zoom meeting with former head coach Mike Elko. They feel betrayed and lied to.
The feelings are valid. Especially after a new report from Adam Rowe of The Devils Den.
Elko, who left his role as defensive coordinator at Texas A&M in 2021 to prove himself as a head coach, led a basketball school to back-to-back bowl games with nine and seven wins in 2022 and 2023. There was a lot of speculation that the Aggies may look at their former coordinator to fill Jimbo Fisher’s former seat.
However, as of Saturday night — Mark Stoops was the hire. And then, after a lot of public outcry against the move, the pendulum swung back the other direction. Elko was offered the job on Sunday.
While there was an expectation that he would accept, the 46-year-old took the day to decide.
According to Rowe, Elko was still telling Duke recruits, players and parents that there was still a decision to be made. They went to bed thinking that he was “50/50” on whether or not he would accept the job.
Just a few hours later, under the cover of darkness, Elko hopped on a plane to Texas.
Just like that, he was gone.
Many Blue Devils players woke up to the news. They rolled over, grabbed their phones, opened X, and saw the video of their soon-to-be former head coach arriving in College Station.
Elko did not inform his players of the decision in person. There is no plan to do so.
A Zoom meeting is scheduled for 10:00 a.m. ET on Monday morning. Elko is expected to inform his players that he took the job at A&M.
Rowe says that “a number of players have indicated they are not planning to attend.”
Elko apparently double-crossed a number of Duke players and recruits on Sunday after informing players as recently as last week that he planned to stay in Durham. Why would they show up to a meeting in which he will tell them that he is leaving them behind?!
College football is a business. Texas A&M offered Elko a lot more money after the whole Stoops thing fell apart. It’s a bigger opportunity. This is going to happen.
With that being said, for Elko to tell his team that he was “50/50” before getting on a private jet later that night is unfortunate. The next time that someone complains about players leaving in the transfer portal, point to this unfortunate saga.