Texas A&M soccer coach Mike Elko clarified feedback he made after Saturday’s 38–23 win over LSU, denying that he was taking a swipe at any former or opposing coaches.
“It is a actual program,” Elko stated in his postgame information convention. “It’s not faux, it’s not a politician working this program speaking quick and BS’ing all people. It is a actual program and for all of the recruits on the market, it is a actual place and if you wish to be actually good at soccer, it is a actually good place to be.”
Many interpreted his remarks about working “an actual program” and never being “a politician working this program speaking quick and BS’ing all people” as a swipe at former Texas A&M coach Jimbo Fisher, who was fired final yr after failing to satisfy expectations with a forty five–25 report in six seasons.
“For anyone within the media to suppose that that was what I used to be doing post-LSU is asinine,” Elko advised reporters at his Monday press convention.
Others speculated that Elko’s remarks have been directed at LSU coach Brian Kelly, who briefly labored in politics earlier than going into teaching and whose father was an elected official in Massachusetts.
Elko disputed these notions on Monday.
“It is simply comical that I even have to do that, however it’s crucial,” Elko stated. “Within the postgame, I used to be requested to sort of give a synopsis on how we promote tradition to our program. In doing so, I made an announcement that appeared like a really benign assertion, that someway managed to be taken as a shot immediately at folks.
“You guys gave me a number of alternatives in 9 months to take pictures at folks, and I’ve by no means carried out it. I’ve nothing however respect for Coach Fisher. I’ve stated nothing however constructive issues about Coach Fisher. I am the pinnacle coach at Texas A&M due to Coach Fisher. I admire who he’s, every part that he is carried out.”
Elko was Kelly’s defensive coordinator at Notre Dame in 2017 and labored in the identical capability underneath Fisher from 2018-21 at Texas A&M earlier than turning into the pinnacle coach at Duke.
Infamously, Fisher was dismissed regardless of being owed $75 million and having eight years remaining on the 10-year contract he and the college agreed to in 2021.
With the victory, Texas A&M (7–1 general) holds first place within the SEC with a 5–0 report, the one undefeated workforce in convention play. The Aggies moved up from No. 14 to No. 10 in this week’s AP High 25. LSU dropped from No. 8 to No. 16 and is tied for third within the SEC at 3–1.
