The 2023 season for Missouri will not only go down as one of the best in school history, with the Tigers going 11-2 and finishing the season with a 14-3 win over Ohio State in the Cotton Bowl, but it was also the year of STP (Something to prove).
From SEC Media Days, when he first uttered the phrase, through the end of the season, the mantra served to highlight what head coach Eli Drinkwitz wanted out of his team, which was to put their head down, put in the work and never be satisfied.
He hired Blake Baker in 2022 to be the safeties coach before promoting him shortly after to defensive coordinator, and in 2023, he hired Kirby Moore to be his quarterbacks coach and offensive coordinator.
He had found his bread and butter when it came to coordinators, but after LSU lured Baker away in early January, the Tigers were on the hunt for their next defensive coordinator.
The search lasted about three weeks before Drinkwitz decided South Alabama defensive coordinator Corey Batoon was the right person for the job. Not only is he a scheme fit with a resume of more than 30 years of coaching experience, but he’s a cultural fit similar to Baker the last two seasons.
"The first thing we look for is low ego, high output. Both of these guys (Batoon and defensive ends coach Brian Early) from an ego standpoint are very much open to doing what we've done here in the past and adding value to it," Drinkwitz said during his Monday press conference. "And then I think the second thing is you want to see great teachers. When you go back and check these guys' resumes the amount of development that they've had at their position is a reflection of not only great teachers but great evaluators in the recruiting aspect, and so I think those guys provide that value."
Despite not having a prior working relationship, Batoon and Drinkwitz have been acquaintances for more than a decade, dating back to when Batoon was on his way out of Arkansas State alongside Hugh Freeze while Drinkwitz was on his way in with Gus Malzahn.
From that point forward, Batoon had always kept tabs on Drinkwitz from a distance.
"We go back a ways," Batoon said during his first press conference in Columbia on Tuesday. "This was probably back in 2011. So, being in the south and some of the (same) recruiting areas, you'd meet people, you'd bump into people and those types of things, and we've had a casual relationship up until now. So, it's always been exciting.
"I knew what he did at Appalachian State that one year, and then being at Boise (State), I'm a West Coast guy, so being able to see some of the things he's been able to do in some of those stops and being as productive as they have been was something that I've always kind of admired from afar. So, now (I'm) excited to get an opportunity to work with him and kind of figure out some of the ways that he's had success."
Batoon said the hiring process was pretty fast once he and Drinkwitz got in contact, and they hit it off pretty well, which allowed Batoon to leap at the opportunity to return to the Southeastern Conference and lead what was the nation’s 39th-ranked defense, which returns seven starters.
"It happened pretty quickly once we got connected," Batoon said. "I had an opportunity to talk with him on a couple of occasions over the phone, met in person a couple of times, and then just worked through and saw that there was alignment. Then, from there 一 obviously, the opportunity to be here was awesome."
Since his arrival, Batoon has said that his focus has been getting to know the players on and off the field while working alongside the rest of the staff to evaluate tape.
“The first day we got here, (I) made a point to sit down and visit with every guy on the defensive side of the ball and just get to know them because that's what it's about," Batoon said. "It's about figuring people out (and) building that trust. Because from trust, comes respect and from respect you can start building on that. So, I think it's really important to get to know these people, you know. Tell me about where you're from. Tell me about your family. What are your aspirations? What do you want out of this opportunity?
“Then, with the rest of the staff, it's getting in there watching the tape, analyzing the schematics of it. But also, looking at the talent, and then the new players that are coming in, and you're looking at film whether it be from high school or colleges, and trying to put it all together, but it's been really neat.”
On Monday, Drinkwitz half-jokingly talked about how excited he is to open up more of his recruiting to Hawaii and take some unofficial visits there thanks to Batoon's connection to the area.
The 55-year-old is from Honolulu and was the University of Hawaii’s defensive coordinator from 2018-19. But besides the scenery, when it comes to football, Hawaii and the South aren’t all that different.
“Culturally, it's important, right? It's a warrior background, a warrior mindset. It's much like the South in regards to you just grew up playing football,” Batoon said. “My dad was a college basketball coach (and I) can't play hoops at all. So, you kind of just do the things that you have some success doing. I mean, that's kind of what you did. It was 一 I wouldn't say mandated, but I mean, everybody does. And it seems like from a background standpoint, it fit into the culture of the place.”
The Tigers had their first practice on Tuesday after Batoon’s first presser and have 14 remaining in spring ball to find their warrior mindset and continue proving why they are a team that should be reckoned with come the fall.
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