Report: Mike Elko, Texas A&M hire Jay Bateman as Aggies new defensive coordinator

Texas A&M head coach Mike Elko is continuing to fill out his staff and has now reportedly hired his defensive coordinator. According to Billy Liucci, Elko has hired Jay Bateman to run his defense.

Bateman has been working as the inside linebackers coach at Florida. He previously was the co-defensive coordinator at North Carolina from 2019-21.

Bateman just completed his second season with the Gators. He helped coach up a Florida defense that allowed 28 points and 382 yards per game.

Jay Bateman becomes the second former Florida assistant to join the Texas A&M staff since Mike Elko was hired as head coach. Former Gators defensive line coach and co-defensive coordinator Sean Spencer was hired by Elko to coach the Aggies defensive line earlier this month.

Bateman had mixed success as the co-defensive coordinator at North Carolina. He improved the Tar Heels defense greatly when he arrived in 2019, but the unit struggled in 2021 — his last in Chapel Hill.

Prior to coaching at UNC, Bateman was the defensive coordinator at Army from 2014-18. Army won 29 games during his time there, including three bowl games.

Bateman is a native of Richmond, Virginia. He has the task of helping Elko try to build Texas A&M into a powerhouse in the SEC.

Mike Elko replaced Jimbo Fisher, who was fired in November with the Aggies at 6-4 through the first 10 games of the season.

Mike Elko shares key to getting Texas A&M back on track

Texas A&M has been viewed by some as a sleeping giant in the SEC due to its recruiting base and facilities. But the Aggies have been unable to win consistently.

Texas A&M has only one 10-win season since 1998 and none since 2012. New Aggies coach Mike Elko recently shared the key to getting the program back on track.

He believes it starts with getting the current players on the roster to believe in his vision.

“I just think it’s kind of just re-plugging the kids in. I think when you look at what Elijah [Robinson] has done the last two weeks, I think you’ve already started to see that process started. It’s really hard when you have high expectations and you come up short,” Elko said.

Elko also clarified that he wasn’t casting any blame. It’s only natural for some detachment and sorrow when things have gone awry. People will start being held to account, though, as he and his staff start firing things up for the 2024 season.

But it starts with some cajoling and an understanding that the players are likely as frustrated and disappointed as everyone else.

“As hard as that is for the fans and as hard as it is for the people who support the program, it’s even harder for the kids who put in all of the work and the coaches who put in all of the work, so some of it is just kind of recharging and kind of providing a fresh perspective, some fresh leadership. Direction. Giving them something to kind of rekindle that fire and get them something to believe in moving forward and then just kind of holding them to that every step along the way,” Elko said.