Texas A&M HC Mike Elko on motivating his players: 'I show them our trophy case, and it's empty"

Texas A&M head coach Mike Elko spoke at SEC media days on Wednesday.

It is the first real chance for the media to ask the coaches questions and get a feel for their mentality heading into a new season.

Elko was asked about how he motivates his players at Texas A&M, especially coming off an 11-2 season and a trip to the College Football Playoff. His response began pretty blunt.

"I show them our trophy case, and it's empty.

"I think they are all very aware of that. We live in a lot of worlds. We are obviously happy with the things we've accomplished, we are happy with the direction of our program.

"But it is also not lost on us that we haven't won the hardware that we are searching for. That gets us into a mindset of growth and getting back to work to go finish this thing a little bit better than we did last year and put ourselves in a better position maybe to compete for some trophies."

Elko took over at the helm of the Aggies ahead of the 2024 season. During his tenure, the team has gone 19-7 with a Las Vegas Bowl loss in 2024 and a loss in the first round of the College Football Playoff last season.

Texas A&M joined the SEC in 2012. The school is still searching for its first conference title. So far, the 11-2 mark is the best the school has put forth, with this past season's 7-1 league record the program's best since joining the conference.