Missouri approved a contract extension for Eliah Drinkwitz and an enhanced salary pool for his assistant coaches and support staff, the school announced Thursday. The new deal takes Drinkwitz through the 2029 season. The amended contract’s financial details have yet to be reported, but Drinkwitz’s previous deal stipulated an annual salary averaging more than $9 million per year.
The extension comes ahead of Drinkwitz’s sixth year atop the Tigers’ program and on the heels of consecutive double-digit-win seasons. The 11 victories in 2023 and 10 triumphs last season contributed to a 38-24 overall record that already makes Drinkwitz the fifth-winningest coach in program history.
“I’m incredibly grateful for the continued belief in our vision for Mizzou Football,” Drinkwitz said in a release. “The Board of Curators, President Choi, Laird Veatch and our donors and fans have shown a deep commitment to building a championship-caliber program. That means investing in the people throughout our building who work tirelessly for our student-athletes. I’m proud of the staff we’ve assembled and excited to keep pushing forward together.”
Drinkwitz guided the Tigers to top-10 rankings in the AP Top 25 poll each of the last two seasons. He became the first coach to achieve that feat at Missouri since Gary Pinkel in 2007-08.
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“The consistent progress we’ve seen under Coach Drinkwitz’s leadership is inspiring,” athletic director Laird Veatch said. “This extension, along with increased investment in our coaching and support staff, reflects our commitment to sustaining success at the highest level. It’s all part of our ‘Will to Win’ — a clear statement that we’re building championship programs.”
It took a few years for Drinkwitz to get the program off the ground, but after a .500 campaign and back-to-back losing seasons, he delivered a breakthrough with one of the best years in Missouri history. The 2023 team won 11 games and logged its second-best SEC record at 6-2, clinching a spot in the Cotton Bowl and winning that postseason contest to hit the 11-win mark for the fourth time.
Three losses last fall kept the Tigers just outside of College Football Playoff contention, but they were mainstays in the rankings and completed another one of the most successful years in their history.
A plethora of elite players developed under Drinkwitz’s tutelage, particularly over the last two seasons. Defensive end Darius Robinson and tackle Armand Membou gave the Tigers first-round picks in each of the last two NFL Drafts, and star wide receiver Luther Burden III was one of the biggest names in college football prior to his second-round selection earlier this year.
Year 6 of the Drinkwitz era opens Aug. 28 with a matchup against FCS Central Arkansas.
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