Missouri extends SEC Coach of Year Drinkwitz

Missouri coach Eli Drinkwitz, who won SEC Coach of the Year honors and guided the Tigers to 11 wins this season, has received a contract extension from the school through 2028.

Drinkwitz completed his fourth season at the school Friday, when the ninth-ranked Tigers beat No. 7 Ohio State 14-3 in the Goodyear Cotton Bowl Classic, their first New Year’s Six bowl appearance in the CFP era. Missouri won 10 or more games for the first time since 2014.

In November 2022, Missouri announced a small contract extension for Drinkwitz through the 2027 season. Drinkwitz is 28-21 at Missouri and 40-22 overall as an FBS coach.

“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,” he said in a statement. “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!”

Robin Wenneker, who will chair Missouri’s board of curators in 2024, said in a statement that a contract extension and a salary raise for Drinkwitz had been decided before the opening of the transfer portal in early December. Terms of Drinkwitz’s new agreement were not immediately disclosed. His previous extension increased his salary to $6 million this season.

“This contract puts Coach Drink where he belongs, in the upper echelon of SEC head coach salaries,” Wenneker said in a statement. “To continue in championship style, keeping Coach Drink and his staff together was the number one priority for the Board of Curators and its administration.”

Missouri announced earlier this month that coordinators Blake Baker (defense) and Kirby Moore (offense) had signed contract extensions.