Texas A&M's 2026 season will finally come to a close after facing South Carolina on the road, Tennessee at home, Oklahoma in Norman, and Texas at home after the bye week, as third-year coach Mike Elko is under immense pressure amid the Aggies' 4-4 record and 1-4 standing in SEC play.
It's hard to blame anything other than Mike Elko's offseason decision to elevate Holmon Wiggins, Lyle Hemphill, and Joey Lynch as the program's offensive and defensive coordinator, and quarterbacks coach, especially after watching redshirt junior quarterback Marcel Reed's surprising regression after throwing for a career-high 3,169 yards and 25 touchdowns last season.
Last Saturday, Texas A&M had a chance to defeat Alabama on the road, leading 20-17 just minutes before
the fourth quarter, before a miscommunication by center Mark Nabou and Marcel Reed on fourth-and-one led to a botched snap and a turnover on downs. Falling 31-20 after giving up consecutive touchdowns, it became even clearer that the Aggies are just a bad football team with little to no discipline.
During this week's bye, Mike Elko will not speak to the media in any capacity, so the focus will be on reflection until Texas A&M takes on South Carolina in Columbia next Saturday. With Elko's current winning percentage at .676 and a 23-11 record after losing to Alabama, Aggie fans have a right to worry when you compare that to the four previous coaching regimes.
Texas A&M HC winning percentages pre-Mike Elko
- Dennis Franchione (2003-2007) — 32-28, .533 winning percentage, 0-3 bowl game record
- Mike Sherman (2008-2011) — 25-25, .500 winning percentage, 1-2 bowl game record
- Kevin Sumlin (2012-2017) — 51-26, .662 winning percentage, 3-3 bowl game record
- Jimbo Fisher (2018-2023) — 45-25, .643 winning percentage, 3-0 bowl game record
Kevin Sumlin having the second-highest winning percentage isn't shocking given the program's 20 wins in two seasons thanks to Heisman-winning quarterback Johnny Manziel, while Jimbo Fisher failed to capitalize on the 2020 season's 9-1 finish and Orange Bowl victory over North Carolina, which also led to his disastrous extension that the Aggies are still paying off after his dismissal.
Blaming the Texas A&M Board of Regents is also fair game, as five head coaches since 2003 isn't stable, while offering several massive extensions, coupled with Mike Elko's potential buyout if things don't turn around over the next two seasons, is both a monetary and cultural issue.
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This article originally appeared on Aggies Wire: Mike Elko's winning percentage compared to last four Texas A&M coaches
