The Athletic predicts Texas A&M's head football coach in 2030

Texas A&M coach Mike Elko, through two seasons at the helm, has already accomplished more than former head coach Jimbo Fisher did in two seasons, finishing the 2025 campaign with an 11-2 record and leading the Aggies to their first appearance in the College Football Playoff.

Early in the offseason, Elko signed a lucrative contract worth $69 million over six seasons through 2031. Elko, at the young age of 48, will earn $10.75 million in 2026, with his salary increasing by $300,000 annually until it reaches $12.25 million in 2031. Taking a team to the CFP in Year 2 is quite the accomplishment, and coupled with elite recruiting and consistent successful use of the transfer portal, the Aggies are poised to compete for a postseason bid every season moving forward.

However, the current college football landscape is chaotic, and Power 4 programs are expected to deliver results immediately due to NIL advantages across nearly every program in the SEC, Big Ten, and Big 12. Signing Elko to a long-term deal was a no-brainer, but looking ahead, four years to be exact, The Athletic released an article predicting every Power 4 program's head football coach before the 2030 season.

Simply a fun exercise, unless the Aggies absolutely collapse over the next three seasons, the expectation is that Elko remains Texas A&M's head coach throughout his new contract, but if several coaching shakeups occur, writer Ralph Russo believes that new Oklahoma State head coach Eric Morris could be headed to College Station in the near future.

"(Eric) Morris has a quarterback-whisperer reputation, and when he gets the Cowboys turned around, he’ll quickly rocket up SEC hot boards."

Turning around an Oklahoma State program currently in shambles will likely take a couple of seasons at least, but if he does accomplish this feat and continues to produce high-scoring offenses like those from his days coaching North Texas, SEC programs looking for a new direction will be looking his way.

So, where would Mike Elko end up? Russo believes that current Notre Dame head coach Marcus Freeman will eventually head to the NFL if the Fighting Irish win a National Championship over the next three seasons. Given his past history, serving as Notre Dame's defensive coordinator during the 2017 season, Elko is predicted to take over the Irish in 2030.

"We’re going to assume the Freeman-to-the-NFL chatter becomes a reality in the next four years. Elko and Vanderbilt’s Clark Lea, both former Notre Dame defensive coordinators, are the presumptive first calls if Freeman does leave."

Clark Lea, who has turned Vanderbilt into a CFP contender, shocking all of us in the industry, will also be a hot name for several big-time jobs his the Commodores continue to win nine or more games each season.

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This article originally appeared on Aggies Wire: The Athletic predicts Eric Morris will be Texas A&M's HC in 2030