Duke Gives Mike Elko An Extension

When Duke hired Mike Elko, honestly we didn’t know what to expect. We certainly didn't expect an 8-4 season which included a bowl win over UCF in the Military Bowl.

For a program that had struggled at the end of David Cutcliffe’s remarkable Duke career, that seemed unlikely.

It was a brilliant job and Elko was rewarded on Monday with a contract extension through 2029.

And in a bit of good news, there will be more money for his coaching staff, which used to be a real problem for Duke: various coaches would hire solid assistants, only to see someone swoop in with a better offer. That’ll be harder to do now than it used to be.

We have no idea what this season will bring, but Elko said Monday this: “Sincere thanks to Dr. (Vincent) Price and Nina (King) for their commitment not only to me but also the football staff and entire program we have here at Duke. This will enable us to continue to build elite opportunities for our young men to develop and succeed at one of the most prestigious universities in the country. We came here with a mission to create a program that could become the absolute Best of Both Worlds, and this is another step in that direction. The future of Duke Football is extremely bright.”

Hard to argue that.

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