Texas A&M has hired Duke’s Mike Elko to be its new head football coach, the school announced Monday.

The 46-year-old Elko returns after a two-year absence to College Station, where he was defensive coordinator from 2018-21 under Jimbo Fisher. Elko posted records of 9-4 and 7-5 at Duke, earning ACC Coach of the Year honors in 2022.

“Coach Mike Elko is one of the best leaders and coaches in college football and has had high-level success at each stop of his career,” Texas A&M athletics director Ross Bjork said. “He is known amongst coaching circles as one of the best defensive minds in the country and has shown his ability to lead and turn around a program as a Power 5 head coach.”

Texas A&M fired Fisher late in his sixth season on Nov. 12, and first turned to Kentucky’s Mark Stoops as a potential replacement. A deal with Stoops fell through late Saturday, at which time the Aggies’ search focused on Elko.

In addition to his time at Duke and Texas A&M, Elko has also worked at Notre Dame, Wake Forest, Bowling Green, Hofstra, Richmond and Fordham, among other stops. A New Jersey native, he played safety at Penn in the late 1990s.

“Coach Elko has a vision for Aggie football, and a specific plan for innovation and greatness which is exactly what our program needs right now to compete in the modern era of college athletics,” Bjork said. ”We are fortunate to attract a head coach of his character, coaching acumen, recruiting experience in the SEC, winning formula, ability to develop players to their full potential and a love and familiarity with Aggieland and our University, which makes him a perfect match.

“We are excited to welcome Coach Elko and his family back to Aggieland and we cannot wait to get started.”

Texas A&M went 7-5 this season, and is expected to secure a bowl berth next Sunday. Elijah Robinson coached the Aggies in the final two games of the regular season, which ended with a 42-30 loss to LSU on Saturday.

Elko was the second SEC coach hired over the weekend, after Mississippi State announced Oklahoma offensive coordinator Jeff Lebby would take over its program on Sunday. Power 5 programs with remaining openings include Oregon State, Indiana, Syracuse, Houston and now Duke.