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TE
SEC🛡️ Heavily Fortified (4/5)

Mike Elko

Head Football Coach Texas A&M (Aggies)

Current Buyout Owed (Today)
$21,875,000
63 months remaining (1932 days)
Annual Salary
$7,000,000
Base + Supplemental Talent
Contract Expires
2031-12-31
Hired: 2023-11-27
Coach Leaves Buyout
$4,000,000
Owed if leaving for NFL / Rival
Daily Amortization
$16,290
Buyout drops each day
University Firing Coach (Without Cause)

School Owes Coach: $21,875,000

Contract buyout as tracked by USA Today Sports: $21,875,000.

Payment Structure:Annual Installments
Duty to Mitigate (Offsets):No (Guaranteed regardless of new job)
Total Remaining Unearned Salary:$37,026,694
Coach Departs Voluntarily (Poaching Clause)

Coach / Hiring School Owes: $4,000,000

If Mike Elko accepts a position as head coach with another collegiate program or an NFL franchise prior to 2031-12-31, he or his new employer is legally bound to pay this liquidated departure penalty.

Departure Fee:$4,000,000
School Retention Leverage:Standard College Buyout
Coaching Stance & Contractual Security

Job Stability vs. The Hot Seat

How Our Two-Axis Model Works
0/5 Votes

Pending Fan Consensus

Tension Rating: Stability (4/5) • Hot Seat (Pending)

Contract Job Stability is rated Heavily Fortified. Awaiting 5 more community vote(s) to officially establish the Hot Seat alignment.

Contract Job Stability
Level 4 / 5
Heavily Fortified
Severe Buyout Deterrent$21,875,000 Buyout Firewall

Major financial hurdle; university athletic board faces multi-million dollar penalties before contemplating termination.

Contract Safeguard: Contract buyout as tracked by USA Today Sports: $21,875,000.
Mitigation Duty: None (fully guaranteed sum)
The Hot Seat (Community Consensus)
Consensus Building
Consensus Building0 / 5 Votes

Hot Seat score requires at least 5 votes to show, only 0 votes cast so far.

5 more votes needed to unlock public heat score. Cast your vote below!

Interactive Amortization Simulator for Mike Elko

Interactive Financial Modeler

Simulate Termination Date & Buyout Cost

See how contract amortization, date milestones, and mitigation clauses reduce buyout liability over time.

TE
Mike ElkoUntouchable
Texas A&MSEC • Contract thru 2031-12-31
Annual Salary
$7,000,000
Current Buyout (Today)
$21,875,000
Selected Date: 2026-09-16 (1932 days remaining on contract)
Or pick any exact date:
Buyout Owed on 2026-09-16
$21,875,000
Official USA Today Verified Buyout
Savings by Delaying to This Date
$0
Natural amortization saves $16,290 / day
If Coach Leaves Voluntarily
$4,000,000
Amount coach / hiring team owes Texas A&M

Duty to Mitigate (New Job Offset Analysis)

No Mitigation Required (Full Guarantee)
Important: Mike Elko's contract does not mandate an affirmative duty to mitigate. Even if he takes another job paying millions tomorrow, Texas A&M is legally obligated to continue paying the full buyout amount with zero offset!

Contract Calculation Formula:

USA Today FOIA benchmark: $21,875,000. Salary and buyout aligned with October 2025 authoritative baseline. Source confirms extension terms.

💡 By waiting 6 months, natural salary amortization reduces buyout liability by ~$2.98M.

Key Contractual Stipulations
  • Six-year contract extension
  • Term extends through 2031 season
  • Aggregated bonus structure included

Salary and buyout aligned with October 2025 authoritative baseline. Source confirms extension terms.

Source & Public Records Citations

Verified Public & News Reference Sources (1):

Texas A&M, Elko Agree to Contract ExtensionTexas A&M Athletics Official Records • 2025-11-15
View Source

FOIA Verified: As an arm of state government, Texas A&M releases employment agreements and board-approved amendments under public records legislation.