Duke football coach Elko is grateful his son left Northwestern baseball for new school

6-7 minutes 7/21/2023
The athletics scandal that’s seen Northwestern fire its head football and baseball coaches this month impacted Duke football coach Mike Elko and his family.
Michael Elko, the coach’s eldest son, is transferring to Richmond after playing baseball his freshman season at Northwestern under now-fired head coach Jim Foster.
Last week, following a human resources investigation, Northwestern athletics director Derrick Gragg fired Foster after his first season on the job. The Chicago Tribune and 670 The Score reported that Foster created a toxic environment by making racially insensitive comments, dissuading players from reporting injuries to medical staff and making inappropriate comments to a female staff member.
Speaking to The News & Observer on Friday at the Pigskin Preview football event, the elder Elko said his son didn’t experience mistreatment firsthand. But he’s glad Michael Elko has found what they believe will be a better situation.
“It’s part of life,” Elko said. “I got a lot of respect for that program. What they’re going through is what they’re going through. We made a personal decision to switch schools, and I’m just happy that my son’s settled and happy with his decision.”
Recruited by previous Northwestern coach
An infielder, Michael Elko played at College Station High School in Texas when his father was defensive coordinator at Texas A&M. A National Honor Society member and Honor Roll student, he graduated in 2022 and headed to Northwestern just as the rest of his family moved into their new home in North Carolina after his father took the Duke head coaching job in December 2021.
Micheal Elko had been recruited to Northwestern by the previous head coach, Josh Reynolds and his staff. Reynolds coached the 2022 season on an interim basis after previous head coach, Spencer Allen, resigned on May 31, 2021.
Foster was named Northwestern’s head coach last summer following a stint at Army West Point, where he led the Black Knights to four NCAA tournament appearances.
Last spring, Michael Elko appeared in 23 games with nine starts for Northwestern. He batted .190 with three RBIs.
According to 670 The Score, at least 15 Northwestern players entered the transfer portal after Foster led them to a 10-40 record.
Foster’s firing came as Northwestern’s athletic department is embroiled in a wide-ranging scandal that’s also cost head football coach Pat Fitzgerald his job after 17 seasons.
Northwestern fired Fitzgerald, its coach since 2006, following complaints that he allowed hazing over several years. Northwestern conducted an internal investigation following player complaints. Since his firing, three lawsuits have been filed against the school by former athletes alleging mistreatment.
Two coaches on Elko’s Duke staff previously coached under Fitzgerald at Northwestern. Offensive line coach Adam Cushing was a graduate assistant in 2004 and then an assistant coach from 2005-18. Offensive coordinator Kevin Johns was Northwestern assistant from 2004-10.
Neither have been named in any complaints.
Hazing at Northwestern
In announcing Fitzgerald’s firing last week, Northwestern president Michael Schill said an internal investigation found “the hazing included forced participation, nudity and sexualized acts of a degrading nature, in clear violation of Northwestern policies and values.”
He also said “the hazing was well-known by many in the program” although the investigation found no credible evidence Fitzgerald knew about it.
Elko said allegations have not caused him to rethink having Cushing and Johns on his Duke staff.
“We have great men in our building,” Elko said. “Those two are A plus husbands, men, coaches, leaders, all of it. I don’t rethink anything whatsoever. I just think so many times with these situations, right, wrong or indifferent, nobody knows. Only the people involved in the situation know. So I wouldn’t want to even begin to speculate on what might or might not have happened.”