When Duke hired Mike Elko, honestly we didn’t know what to expect. We certainly didn't expect an 8-4 season which included a bowl win over UCF in the Military Bowl.
For a program that had struggled at the end of David Cutcliffe’s remarkable Duke career, that seemed unlikely.
It was a brilliant job and Elko was rewarded on Monday with a contract extension through 2029.
And in a bit of good news, there will be more money for his coaching staff, which used to be a real problem for Duke: various coaches would hire solid assistants, only to see someone swoop in with a better offer.