DURHAM, N.C. — A career-long assistant coach, Mike Elko waited and waited for what he felt was the best opportunity for him and his family to handle a head coaching job.
Duke became that place one year ago, and the first-time head coach immediately instilled confidence in what had become a downtrodden football program.
"Starting in January," Duke all-ACC left tackle Graham Barton said last August, "we started learning how to fight hard. We became close as a team, you know, holding each other accountable. We learned how to play for each other. And just, it's like a never quit mentality."
That mentality carried Duke to more ACC wins this season than the Blue Devils managed over the past three seasons combined, just one of the reasons the 45-year-old Elko was voted the ACC's coach of the year.
The league announced the news Thursday after a panel, including the league's 14 head coaches plus 51 selected media members covering all 14 schools, submitted their ballots last Sunday.
Elko received 44 votes with Florida State's Mike Norvell second with 18. Clemson's Dabo Swinney, UNC's Mack Brown and Georgia Tech's Brent Key each received one vote.
Previously defensive coordinator at Texas A&M, Elko replaced David Cutcliffe as Duke's head coach. Cutcliffe and Duke parted ways with the Blue Devils having lost 13 consecutive ACC games while going 2-9 and 3-9 over his final two seasons.
"The first meeting that we had with coach Elko," Duke sophomore quarterback Riley Leonard said, "we knew things were about to change completely."
Under Elko, Duke (8-4) has its first winning record since 2018 and his headed to a bowl game for the first time since that season. Duke's 5-3 record in ACC games is its most league wins since 2014.
In 2021, while going 0-8 in ACC play, Duke lost those games by an average of 31.8 points. This season, the Blue Devils' three narrow ACC losses came by an average of 2.7 points (eight points total).
That's the never-quit mentality Barton referenced during August practices, before the Blue Devils had played a game under Elko and his staff. The changes that lead to success were already underway.
"It's the identity that we want as a program, that I think coach Elko wants as a program," Barton said. "So yeah, I mean, we're gonna play four quarters, regardless of the scoreboard, whether we're up 30, down 30 or it's a close game. We're always going to play hard. I just think that principle has been really impactful for us."
On the way to a bowl trip, the Blue Devils improved in every statistical category from last season. The most dramatic improvement was in turnover margin, where Duke went from No. 111 in the country to No. 2 this season.
In 2021, the Blue Devils lost seven more turnovers than they gained (14 gained, 21 lost). This season, Duke finished with 14 more turnovers gained (24) than lost (10).
On offense, last season Duke allowed 86 tackles for loss, which was No. 102 nationally. This season, Duke is tied for No. 10 nationally having only been stopped for 48 tackles for loss.
"Coach Elko absolutely deserves all the credit given to this team," Leonard said. "He's done an incredible job with us. Not only you know, in the scheme, but just our mentality in general. He's created a winning atmosphere here. And we really took that and we're running with it."
In scoring defense, Duke allowed 39.8 points per game last season, finishing No. 127 nationally. This season, Duke has allowed 22.8 points per game, No. 38 nationally.
Defensive tackle DeWayne Carter, a second-team, all-ACC selection who is a team captain, said the motto Elko instilled took root quickly. It's G.R.I.N.D., which stands for grit, relentless, integrity and (for the) now. That, Carter said, allowed the Blue Devils to put their losing ways in the past and focus on improvement.
"It's kind of like we left everything in the past," Carter said in August. "Forget everything that we were kind of, that I was really raised on, this being in my fourth year. You hear what your new staff, what coach Elko wants."
That honest approach, senior defensive tackle Ja'Mion Franklin said in October, helped the Blue Devils even when they suffered close losses to Kansas, 35-28, Georgia Tech, 23-20 in overtime, and North Carolina, 38-35.
"I tried to tell everybody else about it," Franklin said. "Look, there's no secrets with coach Elko. He's gonna give it to you straight. He's gonna tell you what's up and there's no inconsistency with him.
"I think a lot of people are like oh, you know, they just lost, when we lost the Kansas, like, what are things gonna be like? It's gonna be the same thing that we got the week before. It's gonna be the same thing that we got when we were in the offseason working out. And, you know, he tells it how it is. He's gonna love you hard and he's gonna push you hard in order to get the best out of you."
Elko did plenty of that this season, enough to earn the ACC's top coaching honor in his first season running a program.
"It's crazy the impact that he's brought," Carter said, "because when you're someone who carries yourself the same way every single day it makes people who are underneath you and that follow you want to be better. So, that's why I think he's had a tremendous impact on why we've done so well this year. He deserves this award. He's just a player's coach."
