What Fatherhood, Own Dads Mean to Mizzou Players

The Missouri Tigers football and men's basketball program seem to be uniquely gifted with coaches who place a heavy focus on impacting the lives of players off the field.

Winning on the field is the ultimate goal, but what drives the passion necessary for that is the possibility of changing the lives of young people.

"It translates on to our lives day-to-day," former Missouri defensive tackle Kristian Williams said of football coach Eli Drinkwitz. "So he doesn't make football just a game, he makes it more about life.”

Men's basketball head coach Dennis Gates puts a similar emphasis on challenging guys in the right areas to help them develop as people and players.

"I'm not afraid to put my arms around them let them know I care, or put my arms around them and give them a headlock if they need that," Gates said of his relationship with his players in a press conference. "Growth and development requires accountability and these guys allow me to hold them accountable."

For both coaches, fathers of their own, that often means supporting players through their first experience with fatherhood. For other players, their fathers have shaped the players they've become today.

Here's a collection of stories from current and former Missouri players on the impact fatherhood, or their own fathers, has had on them.

Tamar Bates

Jan. 25, 2025; Columbia, Missouri, USA; Missouri Tigers men's basketball guard (left) holds his daughter during a press conference following a victory over the Ole Miss Rebels at Mizzou Arena. | Joey Van Zummeren, Missouri On SI

Fatherhood was one of the strongest pulls to bring Tamar Bates closer to his home of Kansas City, Kansas. Transferring from Indiana to Missouri ahead of the 2023-2024 season allowed him to be closer to family while raising his young daughter.

That decision came full circle Dec. 8 of 2024, when Missouri took down Bates' homestate team, No. 1 Kansas, at Mizzou Arena. On Bates' lap during the post-game press conference sat his daughter, unfazed. She quickly became a constant at any post-game press conference Bates did.

"At the end of the day, this is the part I look at — I see how he fathers his daughter," Gates said of Bates after the win over Kansas. "And it's beautiful to see. And I think when you put things in perspective, this is what it's about."

After games, she'd treat Bates' teammates like older brothers while they put some late-night shots up.

Having another human life to look after, who needed love and attention no matter the result of any game, changed Bates' perspective.

"As soon as I saw her, it flipped a switch," Bates said in an interview with IUHoosiers.com. "Everything I'm doing, all the work I'm putting in, it's not just for me. I want to provide for her and my family. All those early mornings and late nights, doing everything that I've been doing, I'm a lot more focused. I have a purpose."

Jacob Crews

When Gates was recruiting FAU Martin transfer Jacob Crews out of the portal, the forward's wife, Carmen, was several months into her pregnancy. Because of this, Gates put an emphasis on showing Crews and Carmen the resources available to them in Columbia, like MU's on-campus hospital.

"During that recruiting process, with he and his wife, I made it that — I made it about him and his wife, and more so, his wife than him," Gates said in his press conference to open the 2024-2025 season. "And I guess I'm the only coach that talked about a newborn baby coming soon."

READ: Jacob Crews Found Comfort in Mizzou Through a Year of Changes

Gates continued to support Crews into fatherhood, hosting a baby shower with the team weeks before Crews' son, JJ was born in Columbia. Having a team supporting him during the big life change meant a lot to Crews.

"I've got relationships that'll last a lifetime," Crews said to Missouri On SI after the NCAA Tournament. "They were there for the biggest moment of my life."

Gates' experience of being a father allowed him to understand the support and resources Crews and his wife would need.

"When you have a wife that's nesting, I've been there and obviously a husband with a child on the way, you look at things from a different perspective," Gates said. "While others may have been thinking about stats, playing time, we were thinking about life, transition and making sure Crews becomes the best father."

Though Crews established a steady role on the court for Missouri, his life during the 2024-2025 season was not a steady ride. But his teammates and coaching staff provided some stability and solace.

"It's rough for anybody trying to be a first-time father while being a husband, and also, I had some family stuff back home too," Crews said. ""Changed my kid's life forever, and being able to change my wife's life forever now, my life and my family's life forever now ... I'm very thankful for these guys supporting me through that."

Daylan Carnell

Spend any amount of time on the Missouri side of X, formerly known as Twitter, and you'll likely see David Carnell, the father of Daylan, showing support for the Tigers' safety/linebacker hybrid.

Before each Missouri game, David posts and texts Daylan a list of goal for the game. Though the first few are specific to the game and defense, the last is always "continue making us proud."

Goals vs Iowa

1. Cap 24' off with a W
2. Defensively: dominate with run defense
3. Offensively: est. the run and utilize play action
4. Beat Iowa in T.O.P.
5. Take advantage of Nat'l spotlight
6. Have Fun!
7. Stand out amongst standouts
8. Cont 2 make us proud
— David Carnell (@BlackRoseGrad98) December 30, 2024

The goals on social media replace what used to be David giving a final pep talk to Daylan on the sidelines ahead of games. David coached Daylan through middle school, and the two would study film together.

“I told him (Daylan) ‘Man, I’m the guy that took you to all the practices,’” David said in an interview with The Maneater. “‘I’m the guy that took you out of town to play in different tournaments. I’m that guy. So if anybody believes in you, I believe in you.’”

Nicholas Deloach Jr.

Nicholas Deloach Sr. (left) with Nicholas Jr. (center) and head wrestling coach EJ Brooks (right). — Nicholas Deloach Sr. (left) with Nicholas Jr. (center) and head wrestling coach EJ Brooks (right) after Nicholas Jr. placed fifth in the Illinois state tournament in 2023. | Courtesy of EJ Brooks.

In the week leading up to the state wrestling tournament in Nicholas Deloach Jr.'s junior year of high school, he was dealing with a brutal case of COVID-19, making it even more difficult than usual to meet his target weight class. He battled through it, but failed to place.

More than disappointment in himself, not being able to deliver for his father, his assistant wrestling coach, might've pulled at Nicholas Jr. more.

“I know he felt like he let his Dad down,” his head wrestling coach, EJ Brooks said to Missouri On SI. “It wasn't even like he wanted it for himself. His dad never verbalized how much he wanted it for him, but I knew 'Lil Nick' could feel it.”

“He never wants anybody to look down on him," his mother, Jessica said in an interview. "He never wants to disappoint you."

The next year, Nicholas Jr. placed fifth in the state wrestling tournament, with his father watching emotionally on the side of the mat.

His father, Nicholas Sr., also wrestled in high school. The two even had the same go-to move; the ankle pick. His father bought Nicholas Jr. a wrestling mat when he was young, and the two would constantly practice in their basement.

Javon Foster

Former Missouri offensive tackle Javon Foster's work ethic was inspired by his humble, hard-working mother. But his competitiveness on the field came from his father, Jerome. The two were constantly competing when Javon was young.

“That’s just kind of how our relationship is,” Javon said in an interview with Missouri On SI. “He’s just trying to put a little chip on my shoulder.”

Whether it was video games, basketball games or wrestling matches, Javon was trying to win against Jerome.

“That's kind of where my competitiveness come from," Javon said. "Even when it comes down to little things."

Jerome was a defensive tackle at Ohio State from 1979-1982, earning an All-Big Ten selection in each of his final three seasons. He'd go onto to have a five-year NFL career, retiring in 1987 with the New York Jets.

Javon one more competition over his father by being selected one round earlier in the 2024 NFL draft (Round 4), than his father in 1983.

Mizzou Families Celebrating Father's Day:

Happy Father’s Day to @CoachDrinkwitz It takes a really special man to raise 4 daughters & he does an amazing job at it! pic.twitter.com/wbzosRV24T
— Lindsey Drinkwitz (@LinzDrinkwitz) June 15, 2025

pic.twitter.com/5NQ2XMP5Rw
— Mizzou Basketball (@MizzouWBB) June 15, 2025

Missouri safety Mose Phillips III celebrates his father on his Instagram story. | @mosephillips on Instagram.