$64 million college football coach emerges as prime candidate to replace Sherrone Moore at Michigan

Columbia, Missouri, USA; Louisiana-Lafayette Ragin Cajuns head coach Michael Desormeaux talks with Missouri Tigers head coach Eli Drinkwitz on field prior to a game at Faurot Field at Memorial Stadium. | Denny Medley-Imagn Images

Less than a week after Michigan dismissed Sherrone Moore for cause, the Wolverines are navigating a condensed and high-pressure coaching search, with at least one prominent candidate already drawing serious consideration.

Michigan closed the 2025 regular season 9–3 (7-2 Big Ten) and will play No. 13 Texas in the Cheez-It Citrus Bowl on December 31 under interim coach Biff Poggi.

The program swiftly moved to remove Moore on December 10 after an internal probe concluded that there was an inappropriate relationship with a staff member.

While a cluster of candidates has emerged across national hot boards and analyst shows, college football analyst Josh Pate on Tuesday specifically singled out Missouri’s Eli Drinkwitz.

“I think Eli Drinkwitz’s name is involved here,” Pate said. “Names like Eli Drinkwitz get thrown out, and people are really quick to scoff at it… I have always been baffled by people who turn their nose up at Eli Drinkwitz. It's well known in the SEC, he's one of the better staffers in the country.”

Missouri head coach Eli Drinkwitz celebrates with defensive end Zion Young (9) and the Battle Line trophy after a game against Arkansas | Nelson Chenault-Imagn Images

A former offensive coordinator at Boise State and NC State who won a Sun Belt title at Appalachian State in 2019, Drinkwitz inherited Missouri in 2020 and built the program to back-to-back double-digit win seasons (2023-24) and an 8–4 showing in 2025. 

That on-field progress led to a recent six-year contract extension in late November, which anchors him at roughly $10–10.75 million annually and includes significant buyout provisions.

Drinkwitz has also publicly pushed back on any rumors, calling coaching carousel speculation "just a distraction," saying he loves Mizzou, is focused on the job, and recently signed an extension.

On the Michigan front, the program has indicated it hopes to finalize a hire before the end of December, a timeline that highlights how little margin the search affords.

In the next two weeks, expect intensified contact between Michigan’s search firm and top-tier candidates, a group many believe includes Drinkwitz.

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