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Elko, Lanning, Kiffin, and Other Top Candidates to Replace Jimbo Fisher at Texas A&M

Mike Huesmann Looks at 5 Possibilities at Head Coach for the Aggies

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Oct 22
Oct 22

By: Mike Huesmann

Now that the dye is cast and Jimbo won’t return, we can focus on who will lead the Aggies in 2024. This is a unique job and will be extremely coveted. There are enormous resources, great facilities, and one of the most talented rosters in America. There also isn’t much history of winning titles. As Jimbo was, this candidate will be paid handsomely and be expected to win big SEC games. Jimbo was 45-25 overall but only 7-12 in his last 19 against P5 opponents.

This search will also have very few limitations. They will identify a candidate and give him the full-court press. It will also be an exclusive list of candidates. No one will become a first-time head coach with this job, and I don’t even believe anyone who hasn’t been a successful P5 coach will be considered. With all of these, here are my early 5 for Texas A&M.

Mike Elko, Duke

The list has to start with the former Aggies DC. Elko is doing wonders in his short time at Duke. His defenses have always been stout, having previously served as DC at Notre Dame, Texas A&M, Wake Forest, and Bowling Green. Elko is another guy who is lining himself up for an elite payday soon and would be near the top of my call list. He won’t leave Duke unless it’s for a blue-blood job, but if I were A&M, he’d certainly be one of my first options. Much of the roster will know him, he’s familiar with the landscape, and he’s done well with Duke’s limited resources.

Dan Lanning, Oregon

Over two years in Eugene, Lanning has only four losses. That’s impressive, considering the gauntlet the Pac-12 is right now. I wrote earlier this Fall that he’d be in the mix for the next big job in the SEC, and here we are. The former Nick Saban and Kirby Smart assistant checks all the boxes and would be a home run. Oregon will do what it can to keep him, but the pull to return to the SEC and Texas may be too much.

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Lane Kiffin, Ole Miss

Kiffin has revitalized the Ole Miss program in his four years, going 31-14. A veteran of the SEC conference, he turns teams around and runs the ball well. I wonder if he will feel like he’s reached the ceiling for Ole Miss and want to go somewhere where he feels a title may be possible. He has modernized quicker and more efficiently to the NIL and transfer portal era. This will be appealing to the boosters in College Station.

Kalen DeBoer, Washington

I have long said DeBoer would be one of my first calls if I was any elite program, and I stand by that statement. He did wonders at Fresno State and in his first year at Washington. Not to mention his domination at NAIA Sioux Falls, including three national titles. His tutelage of Michael Penix, high-powered offense, and proven track record will put him on most lists of elite programs looking for a job. He is making north of $4 million a year. This will easily be doubled by Texas A&M. He has Washington at 10-0. Could a possible playoff run be a deterrent to him leaving in the short term?

Jeff Traylor, UTSA

I am not sure if a non-P5 head coach gets this job, but if anyone does, it will be a Texas native. If you want a coach with roots and connections in the Lone Star state, then look no further than Traylor. He had tremendous success as a high school coach in TX before jumping to SMU and later Arkansas as a Chad Morris lieutenant. At UTSA, he has proven adept in all areas of running a program. 36-13 over three years, and a bowl game every year speaks for itself. The P5 will come calling soon for Jeff Traylor.

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