Mike Elko was named the coach of Texas A&M in November but the aftereffects of his departure from Duke are certainly being felt in the HBCU world. The notion that Elko's appointment as the head coach of the Aggies, now SEC competitors, is laughable at first thought. But, as you look at the confluence of events that have occurred since his departure from the Blue Devils, it starts to make sense.

To comprehend the ramifications of his decision, let us delve into the fascinating concept known as the “butterfly effect”. As defined by Merriam-Webster, the “Butterfly Effect” refers to the intriguing property observed in chaotic systems, such as the atmosphere, where even minute alterations in initial conditions can lead to substantial and unpredictable variations in the future state of the system. In simpler terms, this principle highlights how seemingly insignificant changes can yield profound and unforeseen consequences.

In this case, Mike Elko's move to Texas A&M has set off a chain reaction of events that have had a significant impact on HBCU football and has the possibility to change the landscape of the SWAC, SIAC, and HBCU football as a whole.

Let's delve into the timeline of events that drastically affected HBCU football and stemmed from Elko's departure from FAMU.

November 26, 2023: Mike Elko is hired at Texas A&M

The start of the story stems from Mike Elko's hire at Texas A&M. Per Pete Thamel of ESPN, Elko accepted the position of head coach of the Aggies on November 26th. He arrived in College Station on November 27th, officially leaving a Duke program that he led for three years.

Duke had turned around under Elko's leadership after three straight losing seasons. He led the Blue Devils to 16 wins in his two seasons, including successive Bowl Game appearances and the 2022 ACC Coach of the Year award. Elko was selected to be the coach after vociferous fan displeasure at the possible hire of Mark Stoops.

With Elko's departure, Duke was tasked with finding a coach to lead their emerging program. Enter Manny Diaz.

December 9, 2023: Manny Diaz is hired at Duke

Duke acted swiftly announcing their successor to Elko: Manny Diaz, defensive coordinator at Penn State. Diaz built a rather impressive resume in his coaching career, with stops at powerhouses such as Florida State, Texas and Miami.

Diaz also worked at Middle Tennessee State from 2006-2010 in various capacities such as defensive coordinator and safeties and linebackers coach. A member of the staff that he met in his time at Middle Tennessee State was Willie Simmons. This starts the genesis of the butterfly effect that has the possibility to change the landscape of HBCU football.

December 16, 2023: Florida A&M wins the 2023 Celebration Bowl

In a triumph in his six years at the helm of Florida A&M as head football coach, the Rattlers won the 2023 Celebration Bowl in a 30-26 victory over Howard University. The win was the culmination of a phenomenal season that saw Florida A&M become one of the top teams in FCS football. They dominated the SWAC en route to an 11-1 season, their lone loss coming to FBS program the University of South Florida in a rather competitive 38-24 contest.

The victory is one of Simmons's many highlights at Florida A&M. He joined the program in 2018, leading the program out of six successive losing seasons from 2012-2017. Simmons 45-13 in his tenure at FAMU and led the Rattlers during a transition from the Mideastern Athletic Conference (MEAC) to the Southwestern Athletic Conference (SWAC), where they only lost two games to Deion Sanders and the Jackson State Tigers in 2021 and 2022.

All signs pointed to Florida A&M being competitive again, as they brought in a headline drawing Fall class of recruits and transfers, including a few former Florida State players. But, shortly after signing day rumors of a possible Willie Simmons departure circulated in the HBCU community.

December 28, 2023: Willie Simmons to Duke reports circulate

Prominent HBCU media personality Scottay of Offscript TV reported that Wille Simmons had been offered the running backs coaching position at Duke University. The story was corroborated by Vaughn Wilson of HBCU Gameday and eventually 247 Sports National College Football reporter Matt Zenitz. The HBCU community, particularly supporters of Florida A&M were aghast.

The story made perfect sense and wasn't a random occurrence. Manny Diaz and Simmons collaborated at Middle Tennessee State University from 2007-2009. Diaz held the position of defensive coordinator while Simmons served as the running backs coach, passing game coordinator, and later became the offensive coordinator.

Florida A&M fans rallied to do what they could to retain their beloved and winning coach. They rallied together, hoping to #securewilliesimmons. They raised over $138,353 in support of the football team. But, Simmons's departure was already imminent.

January 1, 2024: Willie Simmons leaves Florida A&M for Duke 

To kick off the New Year, reports emerged that Willie Simmons was leaving Florida A&M to become the running backs coach at Duke University thus reuniting with Manny Diaz. The arrival at Duke marked a return to the ACC for Simmons, where he played for Clemson as a quarterback in 22 games during the early 2000s. He recorded 197 completions out of 375 passes, accumulating 2,410 yards, 14 touchdowns, and 12 interceptions.

The chatter around who would be the next coach for Florida A&M began with former assistant coach and defensive back coach and championship-winning high school coach Billy Rolle. But, Florida A&M alumni were shocked at the front runner for the position: current Fort Valley State University head coach Shawn Gibbs.

January 9, 2024: Shawn Gibbs emerges as frontrunner for coaching job

Florida A&M-based independent blog “Rattler Nation” reported early on January 9th that Tiffany Dawn Sykes was closing in on current Fort Valley State head coach Shawn Gibbs as the next head coach of the Rattlers. Gibbs and Sykes's professional connection extends to their time at Grambling University where Sykes served as Director of Compliance and Gibbs was Running Backs coach under then-head coach Rod Broadway.

Gibbs joined Fort Valley State University in the 2022 season, leading the Wildcats to an 8-2 season. The former North Carolina Central running back then led Fort Valley State to an 8-3 season and a victory in the first annual Florida Beach Bowl.

Florida A&M alumni railed against the hire on social media. They spoke about their disbelief that he could rally current players on the roster, preventing them from leaving the transfer portal. Rattler alumni also spoke about having a coach who understands the unique landscape of Florida football.

Only time will tell if Gibbs will be appointed as head coach of Florida A&M but, if he is indeed hired, Fort Valley State will now be the latest HBCU searching for a new head football coach. And the saga all started with Mike Elko's departure from Duke for Texas A&M.

Sometimes real life is stranger than fiction and this is often true in the coaching profession. In an offseason only in its infancy that has seen many coaching changes, including the retirement of Alabama head coach Nick Saban, it's hard to argue that any other coaching shakeup has had the impact that Mike Elko's hire at Texas A&M has had on the HBCU landscape at large.