Eli Drinkwitz arrived at a demoralized Missouri Program in 2020. Mizzou was still suffering in the aftermath of caving to a student strike in 2015 (How the Missouri Football Protest Changed College Sports Forever). Attendance, donations, and enrollments were in free fall. Empty dorms were offered for rent to fans on football weekends. The problem was that not enough fans were showing up to make the offer worthwhile. The unfortunate True Son, then-head coach Barry Odom, prevented the program from sinking but could not break through.
Drinkwitz did not inspire confidence with records of 5-5, 6-7, and 6-7 in his first three seasons. Along the way, he developed a reputation for being the occasional goofball and popoff.
Drink began the 2023 campaign on a warm seat. But with strong recruiting, repaired relations with the fertile St. Louis area, and a culture that keeps players in Columbia, the Tigers went 10-2, including 6-2 in the SEC. Mizzou’s reward is a Cotton Bowl date with the Ohio State Buckeyes. That is a big-time season for any program.
A glance at the transfer portal shows an astounding lack of players from Mizzou. That is no accident. Drinkwitz has built a culture that is the envy of most programs. And with QB Brady Cook likely to return for his senior season, big things should continue for Mizzou.
Drinkwitz was mentioned for supposedly “bigger” jobs in this current coaching carousel cycle. But he has proven that when Mizzou is right, it can compete at the top level of the SEC as it did in 2013 and 2014 by making the SEC championship game.
Drinkwitz did not inspire confidence with records of 5-5, 6-7, and 6-7 in his first three seasons. Along the way, he developed a reputation for being the occasional goofball and popoff.
Drink began the 2023 campaign on a warm seat. But with strong recruiting, repaired relations with the fertile St. Louis area, and a culture that keeps players in Columbia, the Tigers went 10-2, including 6-2 in the SEC. Mizzou’s reward is a Cotton Bowl date with the Ohio State Buckeyes. That is a big-time season for any program.
A glance at the transfer portal shows an astounding lack of players from Mizzou. That is no accident. Drinkwitz has built a culture that is the envy of most programs. And with QB Brady Cook likely to return for his senior season, big things should continue for Mizzou.
Drinkwitz was mentioned for supposedly “bigger” jobs in this current coaching carousel cycle. But he has proven that when Mizzou is right, it can compete at the top level of the SEC as it did in 2013 and 2014 by making the SEC championship game.
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