The coach who is expected to run Notre Dame's defense learned football on a field in Central Jersey that bears his family name.
Mike Elko, 39, grew up in South Brunswick, starring as the high school's quarterback before heading to play linebacker at the University of Pennsylvania and then beginning a collegiate coaching career that is now in its second decade.
The 1995 South Brunswick High School graduate is set to be named the defensive coordinator at Notre Dame, according to SI.com and other published reports.
Elko spent three seasons coaching the defense at Wake Forest, which ranked 20th nationally in scoring defense this fall.