Multiple reports out of the Notre Dame Fighting Irish football camp are reporting that Wake Forest Defensive Coordinator Mike Elko has been hired for the same position. Elko is reportedly signing a three year deal with the Fighting Irish to replace fired defensive coordinator Brian VanGorder.
Elko led a 4-2-5 defense at Wake Forest but it remains to be seen if he will run the same scheme, given the players at Notre Dame, with the Fighting Irish. Interestingly, it also remains to be seen if the some of the defensive players the Irish were targeting will consider Elko’s hire a non-start because of the scheme he runs.
Elko’s defenses have never finished higher than 20th in defensive scoring at Wake Forest but that is due to the fact that the Demon Deacon’s offense could not score which kept the defense on the field for way too long. In 2016, Wake Forests’ defense held opponents to 21.8 points per game, 24.6 points per game in 2015 and 26.4 points per game in 2014.
Elko is being hired to be the ying to Brian Kelly’s offensive yang as Kelly attempts to save his job with a successful 2017 campaign. If 2017 is anything like 2016, Elko and Kelly could both be looking for new jobs before the start of the 2018 season.
Multiple outlets reporting #WakeForest defensive coordinator Mike Elko will become #NotreDame's next defensive coordinator.
— Jack Wascher (@JackWascher) December 16, 2016
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