Mike Elko has departed Durham after two years at the helm. Elko opted to return to College Station and become the Texas A&M head coach. Duke is in an interesting spot after Elko won 16 games over the past two seasons. The roster has talent, and a good coach can come in and win immediately. From 1999 to 2007, Duke won just 13 games and finished winless in three seasons. David Cutcliffe and Mike Elko have proven that coaches can find success and compete in the ACC. Including this season, Duke has made an appearance in eight bowl games since 2012. The cupboard is loaded and ready for a coach to come in and win immediately, so there should be a good number of candidates interested in the job.

Curt Cignetti (James Madison Head Coach) – Curt Cignetti should be at the top of the list for Duke. He has been a head coach since 2011, working his way up from Division Two to the FBS level. Cignetti left Alabama to be the head coach at Indiana University of Pennsylvania (yes, that is a real college). He helped them to multiple 10-win seasons before jumping to the FCS level to coach Elon. After a short stint, he moved to James Madison and has hit his stride. The Dukes started the season 11-0 before a heartbreaking overtime loss to Appalachian State. Cignetti owns a 52-9 record across five seasons as the coach of James Madison. He knows how to win games and has spent a majority of his time coaching in the southeast, making him a fantastic fit for the job. Duke should make their first call to Cignetti before moving to anyone else on their list.

Kevin Johns (Duke Offensive Coordinator) – If Duke is looking to stay internal, then Kevin Johns should be the hire. Johns has turned Duke into a formidable offense that gave the ACC fits this year. The overall numbers for the offense were down in 2023 compared to 2022, but you have to remember Riley Leonard missed time this year. In 2022, Duke’s offense averaged more than 415 yards per game. Occasionally, programs want to stick with an internal hire after the head coach departs for another school. The reason for this is to help keep the infrastructure and also attempt to keep players in the program and not transfer out. Johns has more than a decade of experience as an offensive coordinator, spending time at Indiana, Western Michigan, Texas Tech, and Memphis. He is sure to be interested in taking over his own program one day. Is now the time to give him a shot?

Jason Garrett (Former Dallas Cowboys Head Coach) – This one does not make any sense. He has to be included on this list because he was reportedly a finalist for the job when Duke hired Elko. Garrett has no experience coaching in college. Every single coaching stop has been at the NFL level. He played his collegiate ball in the Ivy League at Princeton, a conference that does not offer athletic scholarships. The only reason I am putting his name on this list is that he was considered a finalist for the job the last time it was open. Duke should not hire Garrett. I believe it would be a terrible mistake. NFL coaches coming to college rarely find success (Herm Edwards, Lovie Smith), similar to how college coaches do not function well in the NFL.

Ryan Grubb (Washington Offensive Coordinator) – Duke took a chance on an up-and-coming coordinator with the hire of Elko, so maybe they look at that route again. Grubb is a hot name in college football after he has helped transform the Washington offense into one of the best in the country. The thought of Grubb having Riley Leonard is also an intriguing pairing and one that could help Leonard stay at Duke. Grubb has spent most of his career coaching in the state of South Dakota and on the west coast. This would not disqualify him from consideration but put an emphasis on having good coaches around him who are familiar with the recruiting territory. The Huskies’ offense finished 2nd in total offense in 2022 and 12th in 2023. Grubb is one of the best young offensive minds in the game who is getting looks for head coaching positions across the country. Elko is leaving Duke in a good position for a coach to come in and find success immediately.

Jim Knowles (Ohio State Defensive Coordinator) – Jim Knowles’ name is going to be thrown around for the Duke head coaching job. Knowles has been a successful defensive coordinator at each one of his stops, including a tenure at Duke. Knowles spent eight seasons at Duke from 2010 to 2017 as the defensive coordinator under David Cutcliffe. Knowles has experience as a head coach, spending six years in the Ivy League coaching Cornell. He struggled as a head coach, winning just 43% of his games. Knowles is younger than people realize at just 58 years old. He may have an interest in taking over a program once again before he gets to retirement. He’s a strong defensive-minded coach that matches the mindset of Elko. Knowles is also one of the highest-paid assistant coaches in the country, so Duke would need to come in with a strong offer to lure him away from Columbus.

Alex Atkins (Florida State Offensive Coordinator) – One of the young, up-and-coming offensive minds on the East Coast is Alex Atkins. Atkins was hired by Mike Norvell prior to the 2020 season to be the offensive line coach for Florida State. He was promoted to offensive coordinator prior to the 2022 season and has helped take Florida State to a level not seen since Jimbo Fisher won the National Championship back in 2013. Atkins also spent time as the Assistant Head Coach at Tulane and was the Offensive Coordinator for Charlotte. He has spent his entire coaching career in the southeast, which could give him an edge if he is interested in the position. Atkins may not be a finalist for the Duke job, but look for his name to come up over the next year as jobs open because he will be running his own program one day soon.

Kevin Steele (Alabama Defensive Coordinator) – We’re throwing a wildcard out on this one. Kevin Steele is the Alabama defensive coordinator who comes with a ton of coaching experience. He was rumored to be in the running for the Auburn job when Bryan Harsin got the position. Steele has spent most of his tenure coaching at elite programs, with this being his third stint at Alabama. He previously coached at Clemson, LSU, and Florida State. Steele was a head coach for Baylor from 1999 to 2002, winning just one Big 12 conference game during that stretch. Steele is not a long-term option for a head coaching position, but he also would be unlikely to leave for a bigger job due to the fact that he is 65 years old. Alabama’s defense is one of the best in the country again this year. Steele’s defense ranks 15th in scoring, allowing less than 18 points per game. Alabama has allowed just one team to score more than 30 points against them this year. Steele is probably not the ideal option, but maybe he would be a short-term stopgap, similar to David Cutcliffe.

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