The Pros and Cons of Hiring Missouri's Eli Drinkwitz at Penn State

The Missouri head coach could be a candidate for the Nittany Lions' vacancy. How well would he fit at Penn State?

Missouri Tigers head coach Eli Drinkwitz celebrates after his team beat the Auburn Tigers in overtime at Jordan-Hare Stadium. | John Reed-Imagn Images

Penn State has embarked on one of college football’s most high-profile coaching searches to replace James Franklin, who was fired Oct. 12. Athletic Director Pat Kraft promised a nationwide search for the coach he said possesses a “vision of championships.”

Penn State is hiring a football coach for the first time since 2014, when Franklin replaced Bill O’Brien. It’s a situation no one thought Penn State would be in this year, but the list of candidates is enticing nevertheless.  

We’re scouring the list of candidates for the opening at Penn State. In the next edition of our profile series, we spotlight Missouri coach Eli Drinkwitz and whether he’s a fit for the Nittany Lions.  

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Eli Drinkwitz at a glance

Missouri Tigers head coach Eli Drinkwitz on field against the South Carolina Gamecocks during the first half of the game at Faurot Field at Memorial Stadium. | Denny Medley-Imagn Images

• School: Missouri (6th season)

• Age: 42

• Hometown: Alma, Arkansas

• Head coaching experience: Sixth year at Missouri, one year at Appalachian State

• Where he has coached: Drinkwitz began his coaching career at Springdale High in Arkansas with Gus Malzahn and got his first college job, also with Malzahn, at Auburn in 2010. Malzahn hired Drinkwitz as the running backs coach in 2012, and Drinkwitz went to Boise State with Bryan Harsin. Drinkwitz has coached running backs (Arkansas State), tight ends (Boise State) and quarterbacks (North Carolina State) while serving as an offensive coordinator. He became a first-time head coach in 2019 at Appalachian State.  

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What to know about Eli Drinkwitz

Missouri Tigers head coach Eli Drinkwitz on field against the Louisiana-Lafayette Ragin Cajuns during the first half of the game at Faurot Field at Memorial Stadium. | Denny Medley-Imagn Images

Drinkwitz spearheads a ranked Missouri team that could record its third straight 10+ win season. He has a 56-27 career record and was named the SEC Coach of the Year in 2023 after an 11-2 campaign that included a Cotton Bowl victory over seventh-ranked Ohio State. 

Drinkwitz is an impressive 11-3 in one-score games over the past three seasons at Missouri but doesn’t have the best record against ranked teams. He’s 7-16 in his career against AP Top 25 teams, including one-possession losses this season to Alabama and Vanderbilt. 

While Drinkwitz’s 2023 season was impressive, he totaled more wins in 2019 in his lone year as Appalachian State’s head coach. He helped lift the Mountaineers to a 12-1 record and a No. 19 ranking.  

Drinkwitz has a pure offensive background. In his nine seasons as an assistant, he was a running backs, tight ends and quarterbacks coach, as well as an offensive coordinator. Drinkwitz was a 2018 Broyles Award nominee when he served as NC State’s offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach. 

Why Eli Drinkwitz would fit at Penn State

Missouri Tigers head coach Eli Drinkwitz celebrates after his team beat the Auburn Tigers in overtime at Jordan-Hare Stadium. | John Reed-Imagn Images

Wouldn’t it be funny if Penn State hired Drinkwitz, who then brought former Penn State quarterback Beau Pribula (who unfortunately was injured at Vanderbilt) back to State College? It’s certainly an option. In fact, Drinkwitz could bring two talented Pennsylvania quarterbacks with him, including Missouri freshman Matt Zollers. 

Drinkwitz has done superb work at Missouri. His teams are 27-7 since 2023, including two bowl wins. A move to Penn State for a more high-profile job might be enticing for both Drinkwitz and the Nittany Lions.

Further, Penn State Athletic Director Pat Kraft said he wants a head coach who can attack the portal and shine in this new era of college athletics. Drinkwitz can do that. His 2025 transfer portal class ranked seventh in the country, according to 247Sports, 34 spots ahead of Franklin and Penn State. It was the second straight season Drinkwitz landed Missouri in the top 15. 

Why Eli Drinkwitz might not fit at Penn State

Missouri Tigers head coach Eli Drinkwitz on the sidelines during the second quarter against the Vanderbilt Commodores at FirstBank Stadium. | Steve Roberts-Imagn Images

A big reason Penn State fired Franklin was his track record in big games. Franklin was 17-27 against AP Top 25 opponents and 4-21 against the AP Top 10. Drinkwitz’s resume is similar. He’s 7-16 against the AP Top 25 and 1-9 vs. the AP Top 10.  

Additionally, Drinkwitz would get a new recruiting test at Penn State. He hasn’t recruited the program’s primary region significantly, though Drinkwitz did sign Zollers from Spring-Ford High in southeastern Pennsylvania. How well would Drinkwitz recruit the DMV, a staple region of the Penn State footprint? Moreover, Drinkwitz could pull Penn State into a bidding war if other programs (notably Florida) are interested. 

Bottom line

Yes, Drinkwitz would be a good hire. He has the potential to lift Penn State back into playoff contention. But it’s hard to tell whether Drinkwitz truly could bring Penn State to a national championship level. Drinkwitz is a strong option, but there are certainly better candidates out there.