Just a day after signing his defensive coordinator to a three-year contract, Eli Drinkwitz got some security of his own at Mizzou. The University of Missouri Board of Curators approved a two-year contract extension for Drinkwitz by unanimous vote on Friday.
“My family and I want to thank the Board of Curators, President (Mun) Choi, and AD Desiree Reed-Francois for their faith in me as a coach and leader,” Drinkwitz said in a statement released by the school on Saturday morning. “You can’t do this alone, and our players, coaches and staff have worked their tails off and stuck with the process as we’ve built this program. We feel strongly about our trajectory and are proud to represent our state’s flagship institution. We are grateful for the investment in our program from the administration and excited about the future of Mizzou Football!"
Drinkwitz is in the middle of his third season at Missouri. The Tigers are 15-16 in his first 31 games, which includes a 5-5 record in an all-SEC schedule in the 2020 COVID-impacted season. The Tigers have signed the two highest rated recruiting classes in school history in Drinkwitz's first two recruiting cycles as the head coach. So far in 2022, the Tigers are 4-4 as they face Kentucky on Saturday morning.
“We are appreciative of the support from our Board of Curators and President as we continue to build a championship-level program,” Director of Athletics Desiree Reed-Francois said. “Our football team is on the right trajectory, and we are seeing results in recruiting and on the field. Coach Drinkwitz is a dynamic leader who brings people together and we believe in our football staff's combined commitment to excellence in the classroom and in the community. We are looking forward to him continuing to lead our program into the future.”
"Mizzou Football is on an upward trajectory, and Coach Drinkwitz is a key part of those efforts," Darryl Chatman, chair of the UM Board of Curators, said. "As a board, we continue to support setting higher expectations and making progress in all that we do as a university. That applies to research, academics and athletics. We look forward to watching Coach Drinkwitz build Mizzou Football into a championship program."
Drinkwitz was hired in December of 2019 at which time he signed a six-year contract which averaged $4 million per season. This extension takes him through the 2027 season at Mizzou. The original contract stated that Drinkwitz would be owed 70% of his remaining salary if fired without cause. Should he leave for another job prior to January 15, 2023, under the original agreement, Drinkwitz would owe the school $3 million. Financial terms of the extension were not released, but PowerMizzou.com has filed an open records request with the University.
On Thursday, defensive coordinator Blake Baker signed a three-year contract which averages $1.2 million per season and takes him through the 2025 season.
Missouri and Kentucky kick off at 11 a.m. this morning at Faurot Fied.
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