Elko adds DJ Mann as A&M's Associate Director of Player Personnel

Mike Elko has made a point to establish strong relationships with high school coaches in the state, and his newest hire will do just that as he brings DJ Mann back home to the Lone Star State as Texas A&M’s Associate Director of Player Personnel.

Originally from Lubbock, Mann spent last year as Ole Miss’ Assistant Director of Player Personnel, and it was his first year in the college ranks. While in Oxford, he helped the Rebels to the highest-rated recruiting class of the Lane Kiffin era, as well as a top transfer portal class during the December window.

Before his move to Ole Miss, Mann established himself as a coach on the rise in the state of Texas.

A member of the Texas High School Coaches Association since 2007, Mann served as a head coach at Lubbock Coronado from 2021-2023. and from 2006-2021, he spent time as an offensive coordinator, recruiting coordinator and assistant coach across the state of Texas.

From DFW with stops at Cedar Hill, Dallas Spruce, Wylie and Carrollton Ranchview to the Houston area at Crosby, to East and West Texas where he coached at Sulphur Springs, Amarillo Palo Duro and Lubbock Coronado, Mann has formed longstanding connections in every corner of Texas.

The following are a few quotes from those connections:

Ray Gates, North Crowley Head Coach

• coached with Mann at Cedar Hill, the head coach of the 6A D1 State Champions, and coach of Texas A&M targets John Turntine‍ (2026) and Jeramie Cooper‍ (2027)

“First of all, you won’t find anyone who has more passion about recruiting than DJ. I’ve known DJ for a very long time. Ten years ago, we would be sitting in the office talking about kids across the state and across the nation, and he knew everybody and every kid. So he has extensive knowledge about recruiting and what it looks like. He works really hard, and I think, most importantly, he’s a guy who has roots in Texas. He’s from West Texas, coached in East Texas, coached in South Texas, coached in the Metroplex, so he’s covered a vast majority of the state of Texas. He knows head coaches from everywhere. He’s really connected with college coaches across the nation, so he’s a well-connected guy. So when you can bring the passion and the love for the recruiting element and match it with the relationships he has created over the course of his coaching career, it’s a perfect marriage. When you find a guy like that, you have to hold on to him because he’s super valuable.”

Jeff Fleener, Forney Head Coach/Athletic Coordinator

• Longtime colleague of Mann’s in the Texas High School coaching ranks and coach of Texas A&M target Javian Osborne‍ (2026)

“Everybody in Texas is going to know who DJ is and think he’s a great guy, and he’ll be a great contact for A&M with any school he reaches out to. Just as far as guys who know him, guys who respect him, and I especially respect all the work he did when he was a recruiting coordinator and doing all the things you had to do to get that done. If anyone is going to put in the legwork to be on the cutting edge of what you have to do and the contacts you have to make and the relationships you have to make, it's going to be him.”

Mike Traylor, Dallas South Oak Cliff Recruiting Coordinator and Defensive Line Coach

• Longtime friend and colleague of Mann’s who is currently the recruiting coordinator at one of the state's top programs

“I met DJ years ago when he was coaching varsity at Spruce High School. He was coaching quarterbacks and receivers over there. A good, good guy. We’ve always talked about recruiting, and he’s always had a little chip on his shoulder going to West Texas A&M and being a guy from Lubbock out that way. He’s just a hard worker who made a lot of connections. He kind of had the high school market. I remember when he was out at Wylie and in Houston down at Crosby, and we would share recruiting contacts. When he was at Cedar Hill, we used to do recruiting symposiums together to teach other up-and-coming recruiting coordinators how to develop their contacts and build their email lists and content and things like that. He’s known in the streets and in the trenches of working camps and building relationships with kids and coaches. He’s a really good guy.”

Jeff Riordan, Chapel Hill Head Coach/Athletic Director

• Coached with Mann at Sulphur Springs and Crosby, coached Chapel Hill to the 2023 4A Division I State Championship game.

“I think it’s a slam dunk hire for Texas A&M. They get a coach who’s been a high school football coach that has many, many great relationships among the Texas High School coaches, but they also get a guy with great people skills who is a kid magnet that’s going to bring a lot of energy to that staff. He’ll do a great job. He’ll be a great hire for the Aggies.”

Willie Gaston, Galena Park North Shore Head Coach

• Coach at one of the top programs in the country known for producing some of the state’s top recruits

“I think the thing with DJ and what makes him good is he’s built relationships with a bunch of guys, and he’s worked in almost every region of Texas. You think about it from here in the Houston area to the DFW area and all the way to Lubbock. You have a guy who has been around the state and built a ton of connections with high school coaches. I think A&M is doing a great job with their recruiting department now, but I think it just opens up the door to get all over Texas.”

Will Blaylock, Cy Ranch Head Coach/Athletic Coordinator

• Coached with Mann at Sulphur Springs and Crosby, and they were colleagues and competitors in Lubbock ISD

“Very knowledgeable. Very well connected in the Texas High School Coaches Association. He went from being one of the hottest coordinators out there to a young, successful head coach. DJ has a way of networking with people. He builds relationships, and his connections allow him to get information to get recruits a lot of people can’t get. He’s very personable, very easy to talk to, so I think he’s definitely going to be a benefit.”

Brian Cope, Lake Belton Head Coach

• Leads one of the top programs in Central Texas, and he was Micah Hudson’s head coach

“At Ole Miss, he always responded back to any questions I had through our communication, and he’s always done a good job for the game. At Ole Miss, they were recruiting one of our guys, and in every conversation, you could tell they had done their homework, which was one of his responsibilities, and he did a good job from an organizational standpoint, which I think is key.”

Clint Hartman, Midland Legacy Head Coach

• Long time head man at one of the most storied Texas High School football programs and a perennial West Texas power

“I think Coach Elko is very smart, and DJ has a lot of contacts in Texas — West Texas and the Dallas-area. I have nothing but positives about him. I think he’s a good guy who has good relationships with high school coaches, especially in the state of Texas, and now I imagine he has more contacts in the southern states in the SEC from being at Ole Miss. He’s been there for one year, and he already has other people wanting him, so he’s very talented.”

Ruben Garcia, Kingsville Head Coach

• Coached with Mann at Crosby and has been a close friend and contact since their days at Crosby

“Coach Mann is a great man and a great coach. He’s going to bring a lot of juice, a lot of energy and a lot of excitement. His energy level is top-notch. As far as recruiting, he’s one of the best I’ve ever known to do it. He really understands the recruiting game. He really understands what coaches are looking for. Now that he’s in the college game, he knows how to find the sleeping gems. He really understands high school football and the landscape of it. He just has a lot of great relationships with coaches around the United States and Texas. I think he’d be big time in Texas.”

In addition to his coaching duties, Mann was also on the Region I Board of Directors from 2022-24.

Mann played defensive back at Coronado High School in Lubbock and West Texas A&M before entering the coaching ranks.

He will begin his duties at Texas A&M immediately, and there is no time to waste with transfer portal visits, the end of the 2025 recruiting cycle and the 2026 cycle already in full swing.