Bruce Feldman names seven candidates to replace Mike Elko at Duke

Mike Elko is heading back to College Station, replacing Jimbo Fisher and accepting the Texas A&M job. Two promising years were spent at Duke where Elko had the program trending in the right direction. Now, the Blue Devils are looking for a new leader for the second time in three offseasons.

Bruce Feldman of The Athletic has put together a list of candidates to replace Elko in Durham. Only two of them are current head coaches, coming from the Group of Five ranks. Four are current Power Five coordinators, while one is an outside-the-hire box from the world of media.

Of course, basketball is always going to be a priority for Duke. But plenty of coaches have shown if the right guy is in charge of the football program, there can be a ton of success.

Florida State OC Alex Atkins

Along with his offensive coordinator duties, Atkins is the offensive line coach for Florida State. Back when Mike Norvell was just taking over, the protection up front was a huge problem. It’s now been fixed as the Seminoles are hoping it can be a reason they make the College Football Playoff.

Atkins does not have any experience as a head coach and has only been in the ACC for three seasons. But it would be considered a good hire for Duke, snagging one of the conference’s top assistants.

James Madison HC Curt Cignetti

The rise of James Madison has been discussed at lengths this season, with many campaigning for the Dukes to make a bowl game. Cignetti has made the transition from FCS to FBS seemingly easy, putting the program in a position to be ranked.

With that comes your head coach being involved in Power Five jobs, though. Cignetti would be staying in the region and certainly taking a step up from James Madison.

Penn State DC Manny Diaz

Of the seven candidates named, Diaz would be the only one with experience as a head coach in ACC. Previously being at Miami, there has been a breath of fresh air for the Penn State defensive coordinator, having a great season in Happy Valley.

Diaz has a record of 21-15 as a head coach, going 16-9 against ACC competition. He would be another defensive-minded coach, following similar footsteps to Elko.

NBC analyst Jason Garrett

Many across America got a close-up look at Garrett on Sunday Night Football. Maybe we will once again see him on the sidelines to begin the 2024 college football season.

Garrett has never coached at the college level but as Feldman mentioned, he was a candidate for the Duke job before Elko was hired. Leaving the media is certainly not unprecedented but would be a different type of hire for the Blue Devils.

Marshall HC Charles Huff

Huff would come from the Nick Saban coaching tree, spending two seasons in Tuscaloosa as the AHC and RB coach. He left in favor of the Marshall job, where the Thundering Herd are bowl-eligible for the third time in as many seasons in Huff’s tenure.

There are already multiple wins over Power Five programs on the resume for Huff too. Feldman believes if Duke did come calling, Huff would do more than listen to the possibility.

Ohio State DC Jim Knowles

Knowles has been viewed as one of the best defensive coordinators in the country for quite a few years now, revolutionizing the Ohio State defense. Fresh off a tough loss for Michigan, it’s that time of year when Knowles becomes a national candidate.

Taking the Duke job would actually be a reunion, being the DC in Durham under David Cutcliffe. If things were to come to fruition, it would mark the second head coaching job Knowles has taken, previously working in the Ivy League at Cornell.

Tulsa OC Steve Spurrier Jr.

Well, we have already seen one Steve Spurrier have success with Duke. Why not make it a second just over three decades later?

Spurrier Jr. is actually a Duke graduate and played wide receiver for one season under his father before Barry Wilson took over. Tulsa was the first school to offer him an offensive coordinator job and it could turn into a head coaching gig quite quickly.

Duke is in the beginning of their process, with Elko just being introduced as the Texas A&M head coach on Monday evening. In today’s college football, moving quickly on coachings searches is critical, making for an important couple of days in Durham.