The Big Lead

Texas A&M’s Mike Elko loses his cool in viral sideline moment

Aggies coach Mike Elko lost his cool during the first quarter in South Bend, making his frustration clear in a moment caught on national TV.

By Yagya Bhargava

Texas A&M head coach Mike Elko reacts to an overturned targeting call against the Texas Longhorns during the Lone Star Showdown at Kyle Field
Texas A&M head coach Mike Elko reacts to an overturned targeting call against the Texas Longhorns during the Lone Star Showdown at Kyle Field / Sara Diggins/USA TODAY Network via Imagn Images
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The Notre Dame Fighting Irish and No. 16 Texas A&M Aggies delivered exactly the kind of heavyweight clash everyone expected under the South Bend lights Saturday night. Both teams had steamrolled through non-conference play, but this one had a different energy from the jump.

The Fighting Irish struck first blood with a blocked punt returned for six points. That early momentum swing left the Aggies scrambling to find their footing against a Notre Dame offense that was just getting warmed up.

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When the Irish pushed their lead to 14-7 with a second touchdown, that's when things got interesting on the Texas A&M sideline.

NBC cameras caught head coach Mike Elko absolutely losing it, hurling a chair into the wall and unleashing a fiery rant at his defense that quickly went viral.

The outburst came at a telling moment. With just five minutes left before halftime, Texas A&M had already surrendered 190 total yards to Notre Dame's attack. For a coach who demands perfection from his defensive units, watching his team get picked apart wasn't sitting well.

This wasn't exactly breaking news for anyone who's followed Elko's coaching career. His animated sideline approach goes back to his days as Notre Dame's defensive coordinator in 2017 and continued at Duke.

The heated exchanges, headset tosses, and blunt speeches after breakdowns are part of his DNA as a college football coach.

Texas A&M Aggies head coach Mike Elko
Texas A&M Aggies head coach Mike Elko reacts during the second half against the Texas Longhorns. The Longhorns defeated the Aggies 17-7. at Kyle Field. / Maria Lysaker-Imagn Images

Last year against LSU, a similar clip of Elko lighting into his defense after a busted coverage made the rounds online. Those moments usually surface when games get tight or situations turn critical.

The showdown marked a pivotal test for Texas A&M's defense, which had allowed over 40 points combined through their first two wins.

With SEC conference play looming and Elko's passionate standards on full display, the Aggies face mounting pressure to tighten things up quickly.

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