Tag: Eliah Drinkwitz

Missouri boosts coach Eli Drinkwitz to $10M club with new deal

Posted on | by Field Level Media

Missouri coach Eli Drinkwitz joined college football’s $10 million club with a six-year contract extension through the 2031 season.

The deal with the Tigers removes Drinkwitz from the offseason coaching carousel and was confirmed by the University of Missouri Board of Curators after unanimous approval Wednesday night. His annual salary will average $10.75 million.

“My family and I believe deeply in the vision and leadership from our administration and are incredibly happy to continue calling Columbia our home,” Drinkwitz, 42, said. “I’m grateful for the unwavering support of President Mun Choi, the Board of Curators, led by Chair Todd Graves and incoming Vice Chair Bob Blitz, along with our athletics director Laird Veatch. We’re also incredibly thankful for the support of our generous donors and NIL partners. I’m committed to continuing our work to build Mizzou into a championship program.”

Drinkwitz was hired in 2019 after one season at Appalachian State. Missouri won 11 games in 2023 and was 10-3 last season after the Tigers had a 17-19 record in his first three seasons in Columbia.

The Tigers are 7-4 (3-4 SEC) this season, with three of their losses to ranked Southeastern Conference opponents (Alabama, Oklahoma and Texas A&M) still alive in the CFP playoff picture.

Missouri needs two more wins this season to hit 30 over the past three seasons. The Tigers are 33-9 at home under Drinkwitz but finish the regular season o the road Saturday against Arkansas (2-9, 0-7).

His success sparked interest from SEC programs with openings. He was rumored to be on the radar of Florida and LSU, programs with existing vacancies thought to both be prioritizing Ole Miss coach Lane Kiffin.

“Under his vision and leadership, Coach Drinkwitz has transformed the standard for Mizzou Football and united our entire program and fan base behind a clear pursuit of excellence,” Veatch said. “We’re thrilled he will continue leading our team into the future. This is an incredible time for our program: Our unprecedented 20-game home sellout streak speaks to our fans’ tremendous passion and commitment, while the Memorial Stadium Centennial Project reflects our growing and sustained investment in Mizzou Football.

“It’s also critically important that we continue providing Coach Drinkwitz with the resources necessary to build and develop championship rosters in the Southeastern Conference. This new contract reflects our commitment to further strengthening and enhancing those resources. Our ‘Will to Win’ is clear – we’re fully aligned behind Coach Drinkwitz and eager to keep building with him as he leads this program forward in the pursuit of championships.”

–Field Level Media

Jul 17, 2025; Atlanta, GA, USA; Missouri Tigers head coach Eliah Drinkwitz talks to the media during the SEC Media Days at Omni Atlanta Hotel. Mandatory Credit: Jordan Godfree-Imagn Images

Missouri extends coach Eliah Drinkwitz through 2029

Posted on | by Field Level Media

Missouri extended football coach Eliah Drinkwitz’s contract through the 2029 season on Thursday.

Drinkwitz, 42, has guided the Tigers to a 38-24 record since his hiring in December 2019.

Missouri went 11-2 in 2023 and 10-3 last season, the program’s winningest two-year stretch since 2013-14.

The Tigers are 27-7 (.794) at home under Drinkwitz, including 7-0 in 2024, and are 2-2 in bowl games.

“I’m incredibly grateful for the continued belief in our vision for Mizzou Football,” Drinkwitz said. “The Board of Curators, President (Mun) Choi, (athletic director) Laird Veatch and our donors and fans have shown a deep commitment to building a championship-caliber program. That means investing in the people throughout our building who work tirelessly for our student-athletes. I’m proud of the staff we’ve assembled and excited to keep pushing forward together.”

He is scheduled to earn $9 million this season, rising to $9.25 million in 2026 and $9.5 million in 2028. According to the USA Today database, Drinkwitz’s total compensation for 2025 ranks tied for sixth in the Southeastern Conference.

Missouri reached a high of No. 8 in the Associated Press Top 25 poll in 2023 and peaked at No. 6 last season.

“The consistent progress we’ve seen under Coach Drinkwitz’s leadership is inspiring,” Veatch said. “This extension, along with increased investment in our coaching and support staff, reflects our commitment to sustaining success at the highest level. It’s all part of our ‘Will to Win’ — a clear statement that we’re building championship programs.”

Drinkwitz and the Tigers open the 2025 season at home against Central Arkansas on Aug. 28.

–Field Level Media

Jul 17, 2025; Atlanta, GA, USA; Missouri Tigers head coach Eliah Drinkwitz talks to the media during the SEC Media Days at Omni Atlanta Hotel. Mandatory Credit: Jordan Godfree-Imagn Images

Missouri coach proposes 30 teams for CFP, wants to nix committee

Posted on | by Field Level Media

Missouri head coach Eliah Drinkwitz floated the notion of a 30-team College Football Playoff while speaking to reporters Thursday on the last day of SEC media days in Atlanta.

“Now you’re talking about an opportunity for 30 teams, 30 fanbases to be excited and engaged — engaged in giving revenue,” Drinkwitz said. “You’ve got 30 teams with players who have access to compete for a championship.”

Drinkwitz’s proposal includes automatic bids and play-in games, which he admittedly likely won’t make him a favorite of SEC commissioner Greg Sankey. The SEC coaches have been leaning toward a model that includes the five highest-ranked conference champions and 11 at-large teams.

Speaking to ESPN, Drinkwitz said he’d like to eliminate the College Football Playoff selection committee from the process of choosing teams and said increasing the field by two or four is “inconsequential.”

“Why are we wasting all this time discussing it?” he said. “If we’re going to do something monumental, do something monumental. Think outside the box. It’s a very easy approach. … We’ve all complained. The commissioner got up and complained. Coaches got up and complained about the selection process, which is understandable. It’s a human system that has no standard of picking. There’s going to be implicit bias. Why would we add more to that? I don’t understand that.”

Drinkwitz didn’t stop there, however, as he addressed the idea of whether the SEC should expend its conference schedule from eight games to nine.

“If it’s about the fans, nine games. If it’s about coach preservation — and I get it — stay at eight,” he said. “We ain’t getting in (the playoff) with eight.”

–Field Level Media

Oct 22, 2022; Columbia, Missouri, USA; Missouri Tigers head coach Eli Drinkwitz leaves the field after a game against the Vanderbilt Commodores at Faurot Field at Memorial Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Denny Medley-USA TODAY Sports

Mizzou extends Eliah Drinkwitz’s deal through 2027

Posted on | by Field Level Media

Missouri football coach Eliah Drinkwitz received a two-year contract extension Saturday through the 2027 season.

Drinkwitz is in his third season with the Tigers and owns a 15-16 record, including 4-4 this season.

The university’s Board of Curators voted 7-0 to approve the extension, athletic director Desiree Reed-Francois said. Financial terms were not released.

“My family and I want to thank the Board of Curators, President (Mun) Choi, and AD Reed-Francois for their faith in me as a coach and leader,” Drinkwitz said in a news release. “You can’t do this alone, and our players, coaches and staff have worked their tails off and stuck with the process as we’ve built this program. We feel strongly about our trajectory and are proud to represent our state’s flagship institution. We are grateful for the investment in our program from the administration and excited about the future of Mizzou Football!”

Drinkwitz led Missouri to the Armed Forces Bowl last season. His teams are 10-13 in Southeastern Conference play, including 2-3 this season entering Saturday’s game against Kentucky (5-3, 2-3) in Columbia, Mo.

Drinkwitz, 39, guided Appalachian State to a 12-1 record in 2019 before being hired at Missouri to replace Barry Odom.

–Field Level Media

Sep 16, 2018; Arlington, TX, USA; Dallas Cowboys offensive coordinator Scott Linehan on the field before the game against the New York Giants at AT&T Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Tim Heitman-USA TODAY Sports

Ex-Rams coach Scott Linehan joins Missouri staff

Posted on | by Field Level Media

Former NFL head coach Scott Linehan is joining the staff at Missouri as an offensive analyst.

“Scott Linehan is an exciting addition to our staff,” head caoch Eliah Drinkwitz said Thursday. “He’s a true veteran of the profession with experience at a variety of levels. We all look forward to working with him.”

Linehan, 57, has more than 30 years coaching experience in college and the NFL, beginning as wide receivers coach at Idaho in 1989, and his long career includes serving as the head coach of the then-St. Louis Rams from 2006-08. The Rams were 11-25 during his tenure.

In 2020, he was the passing game coordinator at LSU, following four seasons as the offensive coordinator and one as passing game coordinator of the Dallas Cowboys (2014-18). During his time in Dallas, the Cowboys won three NFC East titles.

Linehan becomes the third coach with NFL experience hired by Drinkwitz this offseason.

In January, the Tigers added Steve Wilks as defensive coordinator and Jethro Franklin as defensive line coach.

Wilks, with more than 25 years of experience in the college and pro ranks, was the head coach of the Arizona Cardinals in 2018.

Franklin, a coach for 29 years, most recently worked with the defensive lines of the then-Oakland Raiders (2015-17) and Seattle Seahawks (2018-19).

Linehan’s son, Matt, also is on the staff as a graduate assistant. Like his father, Matt Linehan played quarterback at Idaho.

“I have great respect for Coach Drinkwitz and his vision for our program,” Scott Linehan said. “Mentoring collegiate players is an aspect of the profession I’ve always enjoyed and I’m thankful for this new role. Additionally, the opportunity to work with my son, Matt, as he begins his coaching career is truly special.”

The elder Linehan’s career also includes stops as offensive coordinator with the Minnesota Vikings, Miami Dolphins and Detroit Lions.

The Tigers were 5-5 last season in the first season for Drinkwitz.

–Field Level Media