Anonymous opposing ACC coach says Mike Elko's success at Duke put a 'target on your back'

Duke exceeded all expectations in Year 1 under Mike Elko, ripping off nine wins and pulling a handful of upsets in 2022. They won’t enjoy the same ability to sneak up on the ACC in 2023, though.

After such a sterling first season, Elko and the Blue Devils have gone from hunting to hunted, in a lot of ways. And though Duke should again be a feisty ACC team, at least one coach in the league told Athlon Sports in a preseason preview that the Blue Devils will be on every teams radar.

“The biggest surprise of last season to the fans and media, and probably to some coaches too. Mike (Elko) has a tremendous reputation in the industry, but I don’t think anyone assumed they’d come in and look this solid right away,” the coach said. “When you win nine games at Duke in your first season, you’ve got a target on your back.”

In the three seasons prior to Elko’s tenure, Duke won a total of 10 games. The Blue Devils were widely expected to finish at or near the bottom of the ACC in his first year.

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But with wins at Miami, at home against Wake Forest and over UCF in the Military Bowl, the Blue Devils not only finished above the six-win bowl eligibility mark, but came close to a double-digit win season.

The last time that happened in Durham was 2013.

And Duke brings back the goods to potentially repeat the effort in 2023, though the anonymous coach noted they’ll have a harder path.

With quarterback Riley Leonard back, the Blue Devils could roll out one of the best passing attacks in the ACC. And with a strong defensive line anchored by Dewayne Carter, Duke should have a stingy defense to pair with the offense.

It’s going to be harder to match 2022, solely because Duke can’t sneak up on anyone this time around. the schedule doesn’t help either, with a home matchups against Clemson and Notre Dame, plus a trip to Florida State. A trip to North Carolina will be a challenge, too, as two of the top quarterbacks in the 2024 draft class will face off in Leonard and Drake Maye. There will be more obstacles this time, even if the team is better.

But Elko and the Blue Devils weren’t expected to go 9-4 last year, either.

“No one thinks they’re going to win nine games again this season, but no one thought they would win nine games last year,” the anonymous coach said.