The search for Duke football’s next head coach continues to narrow. Initially, there was interest in East Carolina head coach Mike Houston — similarly for Army head coach Jeff Monken. Monken, on paper, made a lot of sense. However, the search has shifted away from those two, according to a report from the News & Observer.
Currently, the top two candidates are Clemson offensive coordinator Tony Elliott, who formally interviewed for the position over the weekend, and Texas A&M defensive coordinator Mike Elko.
Elliott has spent the last decade on Dabo Swinney’s staff — in a variety of offensive roles. Elko is well-traveled. He’s been at A&M since 2018; before that, though, Elko spent three seasons at Wake Forest (2014-16) with Dave Clawson and one year at Notre Dame (2017).
However, a new name has entered the fray, too: former Dallas Cowboys head coach Jason Garrett.
Can confirm @stevewisemanNC's report that former Dallas Cowboys Head Coach Jason Garrett has been involved in conversations for the Duke Football Head Coach Job: https://t.co/gRtshofCOg via @TheDevilsDen (VIP)
— Adam Rowe? (@AdamRoweTDD) December 7, 2021
Gray, 55, who played college football at Princeton, was the head coach of the Cowboys for nearly a decade: 2011-19. Since then, he’s spent the last two seasons working as the offensive coordinator for the New York Giants. During that time, he’s coached former Duke quarterback Daniel Jones.