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: Who do you think will call the plays for the bowl game? (PilotAg)
A: James Coley has experience and is still on the staff, so I’d bet on him.
Q: What's on your Christmas list (football related)? (Hogtide)
A: Two corners, a linebacker, two wideouts and a coaching staff.
Q: Let me preface this by saying, Elko was the guy that I thought of as soon as Jimbo was fired, but I was curious as to whether Fisch was contacted after the Stoops debacle? (12thFan)
A: I don’t think he was.
Q: On Saturday you had incredible reporting that Fisch was the approved choice and Bjork went rogue and pivoted to Stoops causing a pretty massive meltdown.
Im curious why you didn’t ask Bjork about that when he fielded questions at the press conference on Monday. Seemed like you had good sourcing and then had a chance to have Bjork on record explaining what happened. (Aggiewoo)
A: I didn’t have to. Someone else did before I got a chance to ask.
Q: Coaching in the bowl game seems to be a new paradigm with the releases of coaches and players entering the portal, so you think A&M will use this as an opportunity to evaluate upcoming coaches and assistants on play calling and minor scheme tweaks? (BC93) A: No, because it’ll be different coaches and a different scheme in 2024.
Q: Your impression of how Elko has been doing since he came back to Aggieland, seems like everyone is praising his performance so far.
A: You can put me in that category. I think he’s done a good job of laying out his vision and getting people on board.
Do you think ERob will be the DC? I'm surprised that he hasn't been given that title yet.
A: I wouldn’t worry about it. I feel very strongly he’ll be around.
Why didn't DeBoer get talked about more? Is it really that stupid 12/4/23 deadline that Bjork set that ruled him out? (Kyling)
A: He was a hard guy to get regardless, and the timeframe essentially ruled him out.
Q: The current scheduling conflicts between: end-of-season coaching changes (mid-late Nov), opening of the xfer portal (early Dec), early signing day (week before xmas), spring classes starting (early Jan), and the CFP (1st two weeks of Jan) are just awful, and it's going to get worse with more teams in the playoff. Has anyone at the NCAA or in the big conferences talked about addressing it? We will have coaches who abandon their team before freaking playoff games in the near future. (Phastman)
A: Sure, it’s been discussed. But it hasn’t gone past that.
Q: Wondering if you have any insight as to what plans Jake Johnson may have. (Barseven7)
A: I think he’s sticking around. There is someone on the board very close to the Johnson family and they haven’t heard anything differently. Honestly, it makes far more sense for him to stay than go.
Q: Do you expect they will name a new OC before Dec 4?
A: That’s five days, so they’d have to hustle. But it would be good.
Durkin is still technically the DC, do you expect him to be replaced before either Dec 4, or the bowl game? (Maddog83)
A: I think he will be allowed to look for other jobs, but if he’s here, he’ll be the DC for the game.
Q: Hearing any new names for OC? Will Stein perhaps? *fingers crossed* (Ag_2000)
A: Nope, they’re keeping it pretty quiet. Which is fine. Maybe I can get some info tonight.
Q: We know ERob is well liked, fantastic on the recruiting trail, and based on results on the field he seems to be a good DL coach.
Is he 100% ready to be a Defensive Coordinator? Would he likely leave for another school if we offer to retain him as DL coach only? (DoubleJ_Ag)
A: You can never say with absolute certainty that someone’s ready, but he’s been more than just a DL coach for a couple of seasons. He’s had additional roles. But if you want to lose him, just try to leave him as the DL coach.
Q: bottom line, who’s coaching what for the bowl game prep (aside from ER ).? (dad_in_tx)
A: I don’t know yet. The defensive staff is intact, but only Marquell Blackwell (RBs) and James Coley (TEs) remain on the offensive side of the ball. And more changes could occur at any time.
Q: Who are the seniors who can come back next year? (Jerryh670)
A: It would be easier to say the ones that can’t: Chris Russell, Layden Robinson, Demani Richardson, Earnest Crownover and Josh DeBerry. All the rest, including Ainias Smith, can return.
Q: Who are some of the best o-line coaches and receiver's coaches out there? (X-Ray Ag)
A: I don’t think it’s that simple. It’s the best coaches that mesh with the new OC’s scheme. When they don’t work together, it’s a disaster, as we saw in Dave Christiansen’s only year at A&M.
Q: I'm getting a little confused here regarding pre-bowl practices and the bowl game. Will newly hired offensive coaches use Petrino's playbook to prepare? Will current analysts assume interim coaching roles? (Pebbycree)
A: This is real simple. The new staff will not play a role in the bowl game. They’re going to be busy on other stuff. They will use the playbook the team is used to. Analysts and GAs will assume interim roles.
Q: Who are the top 4 offensive coordinator candidates? How much better are the top 1 or 2 versus options 3 and 4? (ChampKindKHOU11)
A: That really depends on what Elko wants to do. I know he wants to get modern and aggressive, but does that mean Air Raid? Does that mean a more regular scheme? What’s he want to do?
Q: What are the two things that excite you most about Coach Elko? Two areas you’re unsure of or would like to see him improve? (Colt_Seavers)
A: I really like his commitment to uniform discipline and his outreach to Texas coaches. I’m not sure what he wants to do offensively yet, so I guess that makes me unsure. But that’s about it.
Q: Seems the SEC also has a rule against live animals down on the field although Rev has been part of the game day even after entering the SEC. Someone back then said Bevo would be a no on the field. Is that still an issue? (DentonAg80)
A: Lots of teams have their mascots on the field. Reveille is on the field all the time. So is Uga. So is Auburn’s bald eagle. So is Cocky. But they’re not a bleeping cow. LSU doesn’t have Mike the Tiger on the sideline, and Florida sure doesn’t have a gator. I think some common sense has to prevail here, and dangerous mascots are a no.
Q: So, all of the offensive coaches except Coley were terminated and nothing on the defensive side. Curious about reasoning.
A: I think this is very simple as well. He wanted Petrino to get an early shot at another job and he wanted the other two gone. And Marquel Blackwell is still around on offense.
Do you think Santucci will be on the coaching staff? What about Durkin?
A: Santucci? Probably. Durkin? No.
Given the horrible play from our DBs, do you think our current coaches will be replaced?
A: Disappointingly, coach Elko has not share this info with me.
When do you expect timing of other coaches given that early signing period is approaching? (Haas89)
A: I have no expectations. But I doubt he will have a full staff, or maybe any new staff, by Monday.
Q: What Duke coaches do you expect Elko will bring to A&M? (Ag20)
A: During his interview with Pat McAfee yesterday, he mentioned several guys “in Durham” he thinks could fill positions on the A&M staff. If I had to guess, his offensive line coach, his running backs coach and his cornerbacks coach are candidates. Santucci could be, but you have to juggle his role with E-Rob’s. And, bluntly, E-Rob is much more important.
Q: We all know how bad the locker room was last season. I thought it was better, this season, but watching the elation of players after Jimbo was let go surprised me. Was he really disliked as much as it, now, seems? Or, was it just a few misfits? (Aggdoc)
A: I think you can like someone and also get tired of them, and that’s where the players were with Jimbo. They got tired of the constant negativity and the unequal discipline. Sometimes, people tune out and you need a new voice. I’ll give A&M credit for biting that bullet and doing what it had to.
Q: How’s the buzz extension going to age? If you don’t want to answer that, would you have extended buzz for one NCAA win? Y/N only (JeffMc)
A: I think it will age well. They’re adding talent while remaining tenacious. As for your second question, yes. If they hadn’t, someone would have jumped at landing the two-time SEC coach of the year.
Q: Will we ever know why the mid-week Bjork pivot from Fisch to Stoops? (Oldarmy72)
A: Probably not.
Q: What do you think about replacing (Bjork) with Condoleezza Rice as Athletics Director? (Spart2cus)
A: I had to chuckle at this one. First, I think Condi is very happy with her role out at Stanford. Second, I don’t think she wants to deal with the day-to-day crap of running an athletic department. Being the point diplomat for the War on Terror was probably bad enough for her.
Q: Did the SEC for sure change to a pods alignment instead of east and west divisions? If so are tu, LSU and MSU in our pod? Do you think this will be advantageous to us over the east west divisions? Anything less beneficial about it?
A: They did not go to pods. It’s just on huge conference with no divisions.
What's your opinion of having a defensive coach to go against our pod which is all offensive guys? Do you like having a guy who can try to stop their offenses? Or would it be better to have an offensive guy to keep up with their scoring? And both is not an option. Give me an either or. (I kinda like defense)
A: Irrelevant, since there’s no pods.
Do you think Elko is a better hire than Stoops would have been and why?
A: I do. I think he’s more motivated, he’s unquestionably younger, he knows Texas already and has a rapport with much of the current team. They have a lot of the same coaching characteristics and both turned around very bad programs, but Stoops is 56 and has a bourbon distillery. Elko is 46 and doesn’t have decorations in his office.
Is the lack of movement on the OC hire an indication that they are looking at someone playing in the championship games this weekend?
A: That’s possible, but assistant coaching searches are always much quieter than head coaching ones. He could have someone lined up and nobody knows yet.
My concern in the coaching search was that the same people who made all the other bad hires would make another bad hire. We think that almost happened. But the unanimous voice from the fan base seems to have changed it. Is this our new way of insuring good hires are made in the future? (Boo yah)
A: It wasn’t just the fans. The board also had a say. I think that the outcry saved A&M from a mistake, but social media reactions aren’t always the right ones. Twitter didn’t like the hiring of Dusty Baker, and he took the Astros to four straight ALCSes, two World Series and won one. Even if you didn’t like how he used Chas McCormick or Martin Maldonado, he was the right choice.
Q: When will you start previewing baseball? (brAg)
A: 2024. Let’s at least get into conference play for hoops first, shall we?
Q: 1. How did Elko utilize the portal during his time at Duke? Should we be confident he'll actually use it here?
A: Duke lost more players than they gained last year, but that doesn’t mean a lot. But they did add some offensive linemen that made an immediate impact and two starting corners in Myles Jones and Al Blades Jr. I think you’ll see him use it more, with better success, here.
2. Which player on our current roster has the best pro career?
A: Dang, tough one. But Edgerrin Cooper sure looks good right now.
3. Any dark horse recruits that we're back in it for now that Jimbo is gone?
A: I can see them trying to get a running back or a corner.
4. What's the coolest / most surreal thing you've ever gotten to do as a result of your position at Rivals? (will_da_beast)
A: Wow, that’s tough. Being on the field at the Rose Bowl, Bryant-Denny and Neyland are pretty amazing experiences. The coolest, as in coldest, was easily going to Des Moines last March. Never again.
Q: Rivals Transfer Portal currently shows Evan Stewart intends to enter the transfer portal on December 4th. Is this accurate? I haven't seen anything other than what have been rumors.(Jordan.attar91)
A: I don’t think that’s accurate.
Q: Curious Mark, is the lack of info concerning offensive assistant coaches due to Elko being tight lipped in his process, or are you hearing things but keeping it quiet so as not to be disruptive to the process? (Longneck 80)
A: they’re keeping it quiet. Last Thursday, if you’d asked if I was trying not to disrupt the process, I would have laughed because I’m not that important. After Saturday night…I’m not laughing.
Q: Do you think Jimbo "checked out" the last year or so?
A: I think he figured he could ride on talent alone, but he brought in bad acts and his scheme was so outdated it just didn’t work. And he refused to acknowledge that reality. So yeah, “checked out” may not be inaccurate.
Is it common for coaches to be a little burned out after about their 5th or 6th year at a school? (quickdrawMcGraw77)
A: It’s not the first time it’s happened, that’s for sure.
Q: Just curious why Elko didn’t give Petrino a chance considering Fisher had his hands tied behind his back. Now we have to face him. (AgsRule97!)
A: I don’t think it should be an expectation that a new coach retain staff members he doesn’t know, especially when he may have other ideas. And yes, A&M will have to face Petrino again — with horrible offensive personnel.
Q: When to you anticipate A&M getting a response from Erob that he is going to stay?
If we lose him that appears to change the dynamics of our class, and players that may enter the portal. (GCJC)
A: He may already have re-upped and it’s just not public yet. That happens a whole lot.
Q: Do you have a feel for Miles O'Neal? Is he a possibility at QB or just along for the ride? (H273)
A: I think he’s legit. He’s working with one of the top QB coaches on the East Coast and the reviews have been very strong.
Q: ERob be co-HC/DC, or something like that?
A: Something like that.
After Mike has solidified the current class as much as he can, filled out his staff, who from a recruit standpoint will he focus upon? (Tsip despiser)
A: I think it kind of depends on who signs and who leaves through (or is available in) the portal. Right now, I think I’d be looking for a running back and, maybe surprisingly, an interior offensive lineman or two.
Q: Is there a pecking order between the Music City Bowl and the Texas Bowl on who gets to pick who plays in their games? If so, wouldn't we want to be in Nashville as opposed to Houston and wouldn't they want us over Auburn? (Thumbs-up)
A: I can’t find a more recent pecking order, but looking at 2022’s, the Texas Bowl would come before the Music City Bowl. While I personally would like to see Nashville, it looks like Houston has the first call.
Q: How close were we to hiring Fisch or any other coach not named Stoops? What about Day, Deboer or Lanning? Were there others?(tdogdfw)
A: Day never came to fruition because Ohio State didn’t fire him. DeBoer didn’t work due to timing. Lanning was the first choice, but Oregon made it almost impossible due to their contract terms. Fisch looked like the leader in the clubhouse, along with one other coach, but neither was offered the job. Only Stoops and Elko reached this point.
Q: What changes do you see in the OL next year, as in are all spots up for grabs or are some of the guys as good as we've got and they aren't moving? How about Hunter Erb, he seems to have hardly played, do you have any opinion on him? (H273)
A: I could easily see a lineup of Zuhn/Nabou/Foster/Dewberry/Fatheree next year. Easily. Erb may have been playing tackle, but I have always considered him a guard. And maybe he will be next year, depending on how things go.
Q: Mark, if you had a voice in the situation, who would you rather have as our next Offensive Coordinator? Kirby Moore or Will Stein? Assuming Ryan Grubb is ENTIRELY off the table.
Or is there someone else you would like to see????
A: Like I said earlier, it’s about the fit. But I’d be happy with either Moore or Stein, though on their track records alone, it’d be hard to be Stein.
What are your thoughts on Ainias Smith - you think there is any chance he returns for another year? I assume he is going for the draft, but you never know… (Jordan.attar.91)
A: If I was a coach and Ainias came to me to ask my opinion, I’d give him a hug, thank him for all he’s done and tell him to get ready for the NFL Combine.
Q: Will Stein, OC for Oregon. I was told he is one to keep an eye on for A&M next OC. He has like the No. 2 offense. He would love to come back home to Texas. Have you heard anything about it? (FbFan222)
A: Just conjecture that he’d probably like to come home. A&M has the money to do that if they want.
Q: What are your CFP teams if all 4 unbeatens lose this weekend? (Aggdoc)
A: Yikes. I guess Alabama, Georgia, Michigan and Oregon.
Q: Will we ever know the true story behind the coach search? It seemed like they were down to offensive coaches and then in the end sounds like they wanted a defensive coach. Was Stopps really almost hired, etc…. (Aggiefox27)
A: Bummer you missed the AggieYell happy hour tonight. We discussed this at length. Seriously, we will probably never know the full story because all sides will alter it to fit their purposes.
