Texas A&M was forced to have a bit of a reset after Kansas State poached their offensive coordinator, Collin Klein. Instead of bringing someone from outside, Mike Elko promoted his WR coach, Holmon Wiggins. Although Wiggins had the co-OC role last season, the transition means he’d be calling plays for the first time in his career. Aggies’ QB1 Marcel Reed is liking what he’s seeing from Wiggins in spring practice.
“Coach Wiggins, I think, he’s a real kind of person’s coach,” Reed said to the media after the 10th spring practice. “He connects with his receivers obviously because he was a previous receivers’ coach. So, it’s not hard for him to get a word out to them. And I think that’s really what we need. Everybody knows how receivers work, and he can manage that pretty well along with me.
Before joining the Aggies, Wiggins had a successful tenure under Nick Saban at Alabama. They won the national championship in 2020, and wide receiver DeVonta Smith won the Heisman Trophy under Wiggins’ tutelage. That got him promoted to assistant head coach of offense in 2021. When Saban retired, Wiggins also moved on from the program.
Wiggins stepping into a new role after Collin Klein’s exit might raise some fears. The Aggies were hoping to build on a brilliant 2025 season, in which they finished 11-1 in the regular season and secured a playoff berth. Having a new OC show up at the brink of more success seems like a fresh start, but Wiggins is a different breed, according to Reed.
“So, it’s just been special having him. I like him calling plays; he’s done a really good job so far this spring, and it hasn’t really changed much. We just kind of changed a little bit of terminology, maybe a little bit of tweaks in some schemes, but it’s going pretty good so far.”
Reed is trusting Wiggins to help him build on his impressive 2025 performance, where he threw for 3,169 yards and 25 touchdowns, with 12 interceptions. He also rushed for 493 yards and six touchdowns. After redshirting his first year, Reed is entering his third season with the Aggies and will be looking to join the list of outstanding players coached by Wiggins.
Despite his experience working closely with play callers as the co-offensive coordinator and assistant head coach of offense, Wiggins has never had to call plays himself. But after improving the Aggies from 47th nationally in red-zone offense to 17th last season, Wiggins has earned the trust of Elko to continue his impact on the team.
Mike Elko reveals feelings about the new OC
Wiggins’ new OC role might seem like a heavy gamble to outsiders. But Aggies’ head coach Mike Elko explained how much of a logical decision it was. Several candidates were assessed, and he was the most qualified.
“Really felt like the right person for the job was Holmon Wiggins. We’ve elevated him to the offensive coordinator position, and he’s the only person we offered the job to,” Elko said.
Having developed five first-round NFL draft picks during his career, Wiggins was also instrumental in the program’s recruiting. His qualities and experience are best suited for the OC role.
“I think what we have in Holmon is a guy who is a really, really elite football coach. He’s been around a lot of elite systems, has learned from a lot of the best coordinators in the game and in the country. (Wiggins) has worked extremely hard in two years here to play a major role in the success on offense,” Elko said.
Eventually, Elko admitted there were general concerns about Wiggins coping in new areas but assured that the program has supported him with people to help him in those areas. Alongside his fantastic track record, Wiggins has the support of the players and coaches at A&M.
