Eli Drinkwitz Earns Contract Extension
Missouri football head coach Eli Drinkwitz was given a contract extension on Sunday afternoon. The Cotton Bowl champion will remain with the Tigers through 2028.
"My family and I want to thank the Board of Curators, President Choi, and Desireé Reed-Francois for their faith in me as the head coach," Drinkwitz said. "You can't do this alone, and our players, coaches and staff have worked tirelessly and believed in the process of building a championship program. The passion of our fan base, alumni and donors is awesome, and we are proud to represent them. We are extremely grateful for the resources they provide and the continued investment from our administration in Mizzou Football. All of it has allowed us to get to where we are. Why stop now!"
There haven't been many other teams this season that have shocked the college football world more than the Missouri Tigers. Drinkwitz pulled the strings to the Tigers' best season since 2014, and their 10-2 record helped them gain the No. 9 spot in the AP, Coaches Polls and College Football Playoff rankings.
The SEC Coach of the Year has helped boost several of his players' NFL Draft stock, as the All-SEC Coaches First Team included five Tigers on it. Additionally, multiple players were nominees/won individual awards, including quarterback Brady Cook, who was named the SEC Scholar Athlete of the Year, and running back Cody Schrader, who won the Burlsworth Trophy.
"The University of Missouri and Mizzou Athletics continue to ascend on an upward trajectory in the Southeastern Conference, and the Board of Curators is excited to see Coach Drinkwitz continue to build on the foundation he has established," UM Board of Curators Chair Michael Williams said. "A thriving Mizzou Football program is important to our state, our university and our Department of Athletics, and the 2023 season has demonstrated the immense value Coach Drinkwitz and his program bring to the University of Missouri."
