Dave Clawson addresses Mike Elko relationship, coaching carousel rumors

With the 2021-22 coaching carousel in full swing, rumors about coaches at every school continue swirling for head coaches and coordinators alike. After rumors that Wake Forest head coach Dave Clawson could leave for another opportunity, he signed an extension with the Demon Deacons. His former assistant and current Texas A&M defensive coordinator Mike Elko has now been linked to an exit to the ACC.

With rumors of Mike Elko’s first head coaching stint on the table, his former boss Dave Clawson provided his thoughts on their relationship and his future.

“I hired Mike when he was 23 years old at Fordham University, so Mike is the one coach that’s been with me at every one of my head coaching stops from Fordham to Richmond to Bowling Green and then Wake Forest,” Fisher told reporters during the Gator Bowl press conference. “Mike and I are still really good friends. We just talked two or three days ago, and Mike is a tremendous coach. He is very innovative. He has an incredible knack of game planning and feeling how another team is going to attack him, and I mean, he is one of the very best defensive coordinators in the country.”

As Wake Forest and Texas A&M prepare for the Gator Bowl, Dave Clawson and Mike Elko are set for a reunion unless the later reaches an agreement to leave for another position before bowl season kicks off. Despite the upcoming competition, the two remain close.

“Again, that’s a guy I hired back in 2001 or 2002, and we’ve been very close ever since,” Clawson emphasized.

Greg Sankey on coaching carousel

With unprecedented coaching turnover this offseason, the carousel is in full-swing. However, the quick turnaround from regular season to new job has left many upset with the current system. As teams begin bowl preparation – and possible CFP preparation in Notre Dame’s case – coaches are hitting the recruiting trail with a new logo on their collared shirt.

SEC commissioner Greg Sankey joined The Paul Finebaum Show from the SEC Championship in Atlanta to discuss the coaching carousel. During an interview, the two discussed the recent shift and how it impacts incoming college players.

“It’s raised any number of issues,” Sankey told Finebaum. “No. 1, the timing of coaching changes – and this is not something new – we saw this now since really 2017-2018. The emergence of an early signing period has caused earlier decisions. People want to have a head coach in place in advance of the early signing date, which is two and a half weeks away. We predicted that. That’s not something that was unforeseeable. And do we have to change? We’ll see if others want to bring that back to the table.”