Two weeks after former defensive coordinator Ryan Walters left for the same position at Illinois, Missouri is losing another assistant coach on that side of the ball. Multiple sources have told PowerMizzou.com that Missouri and defensive line coach Brick Haley are parting ways. It is not believed Haley has accepted another job at this time.
Walters' departure made Haley the longest-tenured coach on Missouri's staff. Haley has spent the past four seasons with the Tigers. Now, cornerbacks coach David Gibbs is the only full-time assistant on staff to have spent more than one year at Missouri.
Haley came to Missouri from Texas prior to the 2017 season, hired by former head coach Barry Odom to replace Jackie Shipp. Haley also served as Missouri's associate head coach in 2018 and 2019.
Three players coached by Haley have earned all-SEC honors in the past three seasons. In 2018, defensive tackle Terry Beckner Jr. was named to the all-league second team by both the media and coaches. The following season, Jordan Elliott, who originally committed to Haley at Texas and followed him to Missouri, earned first-team honors as well as being named a second-team All-American by the Associated Press. Elliott was then selected in the third round of the NFL Draft by the Cleveland Browns. Last season, outside linebacker Trajan Jeffcoat was named to the first-team all-SEC after tying for the league lead in sacks during the regular season with six. Haley's unit was rarely consistent in generating pressure, however. After ranking No. 28 nationally in sacks per game in Haley's first season, Missouri fell outside the top 70 teams each of the past three seasons.
Haley has previously coached both in the NFL, where he worked with the Chicago Bears in 2007 and 2008, and various college stops, including a three-year stint as Baylor's defensive coordinator from 1999-2001. Only once did he stay with one team longer than the four years he spent at Missouri, when he coached the LSU defensive line from 2009-14.
Prior to finding a replacement for Haley, head coach Eli Drinkwitz will likely prioritize finalizing a defensive coordinator hire. A handful of names have been connected to the position, including Gibbs and, most recently, former NFL head coach and defensive coordinator Steve Wilks. No timetable has been provided for when a hire is expected to be made, though sources have indicated to PowerMizzou.com it could very well happen this week.
