Missouri extends coach Eli Drinkwitz through 2028 after 11-win season, victory over Ohio State in Cotton Bowl

Missouri and coach Eli Drinkwitz’s have agreed to a contract extension that runs through the 2028 season, the school announced Sunday. Drinkwitz’s extension comes two days removed from a 14-3 victory over No. 7 Ohio State in the Cotton Bowl Classic, giving the No. 9 Tigers’ their first 11-win season since 2014. It was Missouri’s first New Year’s Six bowl victory (or equivalent) since defeating Oklahoma State in the Cotton Bowl at the end of the 2013 season — the final year of the BCS and Missouri’s sophomore season as an SEC member.

“My family and I want to thank the Board of Curators, President Choi, and Desireé Reed-Francois for their faith in me as the head coach,” Drinkwitz said in a statement “You can’t do this alone, and our players, coaches and staff have worked tirelessly and believed in the process of building a championship program. The passion of our fan base, alumni and donors is awesome, and we are proud to represent them. We are extremely grateful for the resources they provide and the continued investment from our administration in Mizzou Football. All of it has allowed us to get to where we are. Why stop now!”

Missouri’s 11-2 finish to 2023 marked just the seventh double-digit win total in program history. It was also Drinkwitz’s first winning season with the Tigers, that after they were picked by media members in the preseason to finish sixth out of seven teams in the SEC East Division. Drinkwitz was named SEC Coach of the Year after the dramatic turnaround. 

Drinkwitz was hired to coach the Tigers ahead of the 2020 campaign. He is 28-21 overall at Missouri and 40-22 overall as an FBS head coach. He led Appalachian State to a 12-1 finish and AP No. 19 ranking in his lone season with the Mountaineers in 2019. 

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Source link : https://www.cbssports.com/college-football/news/missouri-extends-coach-eli-drinkwitz-through-2028-after-11-win-season-victory-over-ohio-state-in-cotton-bowl/

Author : Dean Straka

Publish date : 2023-12-31 20:40:42

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