How Tommy Moffitt became Texas A&M’s culture‑changing X‑Factor

When it comes to passing the “eye test,” so much of it starts in the weight room. Few coaches in college football have a more proven track record of developing NFL‑ready players than Tommy Moffitt, the longtime strength‑and‑conditioning guru and now Texas A&M’s Director of Football Strength & Conditioning.

When Mike Elko took over at Texas A&M, he needed someone who could set the tone physically and culturally. His S&C coach at Duke chose not to follow him to College Station, and the search began. The coach they ultimately landed on was Moffitt, fresh off running his private training program after his legendary run at LSU ended. And as Moffitt has said many times, he already had his eye on Texas A&M well before the job officially opened.

Now entering his third offseason in Aggieland, the program is fully in his hands. The combination of Elko’s culture shift and Moffitt’s physical development plan has positioned the Aggies for a noticeable jump in toughness and consistency. And Moffitt’s return to the college ranks wasn’t guaranteed. In a recent conversation with Chris Low of On3, he detailed how some in the industry doubted he’d ever coach at the SEC level again.

“He gave me a list of agents, and I left a lot of messages. One guy calls me back and says, ‘Coach, I think you’re past your prime. I don’t see you ever getting another job like this one (LSU), He told me he thought the best I was going to do was maybe an FCS job, maybe something in the Group of Five and that he didn’t ever see me coaching in the SEC again. “That motivated me more than anything.”

For someone with Moffitt’s résumé that includes multiple national championships and decades of elite development, that kind of dismissal was surprising. But instead of stepping back, he doubled down. He already had Texas A&M circled as the place he wanted to be, thanks in part to conversations with former A&M staffer Jeremy Jacobs, who spoke highly of Elko’s vision, discipline, and training philosophy.

“That was the reason why I sought out this job so hard. Jeremy and I stayed in contact, and he loved Coach Elko, “He talked about his plan and his vision, how his teams practice and the emphasis he puts on training and discipline. I remember telling my friends in Baton Rouge, ‘Hey, look out for this Duke team,’ and they started rolling with some wins.”

“I called so many times that they told Jeremy to tell me to stop calling, that as soon as (Elko) got a break that he would call me”

Moffitt was so persistent that the staff eventually told Jacobs to ask him to stop calling; Elko would get back to him when he had a moment. When that call finally came, it became one of the most impactful decisions of Elko’s early tenure.

Players rave about Moffitt’s energy. Recruits notice the physical transformation. And the program’s identity—tough, disciplined, accountable—mirrors the man running the weight room.

For the full interview with Chris Low, check it out here (subscription required).

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