Despite significant external interest around the country, Eli Drinkwitz is sticking with Missouri football.
Missouri football and Drinkwitz announced Thursday, Nov. 27, in a joint statement that the head coach has signed a contract extension through the 2031 season. It’s his fourth contract extension since taking over the program and the second time he has put pen to paper on a new deal this year.
AdvertisementAdvertisementAdvertisementDrinkwitz's new deal will pay an average annual salary of $10.75 million, which is worth $64.5 million in its entirity.
"My family and I believe deeply in the vision and leadership from our administration and are incredibly happy to continue calling Columbia our home," Drinkwitz said in a release. "I'm grateful for the unwavering support of President Mun Choi, the Board of Curators, led by Chair Todd Graves and incoming Vice Chair Bob Blitz, along with our athletics director Laird Veatch. We're also incredibly thankful for the support of our generous donors and NIL partners. I'm committed to continuing our work to build Mizzou into a championship program."
There’s a reason, even after receiving a one-year extension earlier in 2025, that the university has opted to put a new deal in front of Drinkwitz.
The sixth-year Mizzou head coach was mentioned as a candidate for several of the high-profile head coaching vacancies that have opened up in an already-crowded coaching carousel.
AdvertisementAdvertisementAdvertisementIn what is already a record-breaking coaching carousel in terms of buyouts, hot boards for the open jobs at Penn State, Florida, LSU and Auburn each frequently included Drinkwitz’s name.
When asked about the rumors, Drinkwitz called it “outside noise” and a “distraction” but never flat-out denied or refused that he might leave.
Now, it's confirmed that he is staying in Columbia for the foreseeable future.
The UM System Board of Curators held an executive session Wednesday, Nov. 26, to seemingly discuss the details surrounding a new deal for Drinkwitz. All contracts for athletics coaches that are longer than five years must be approved by the board upon recommendation by UM System President Mun Choi.
AdvertisementAdvertisementAdvertisementLater Wednesday, Frank Cusumano at KSDK in St. Louis reported that the board had approved an extension and only needed a signature from Drinkwitz.
Jul 17, 2025; Atlanta, GA, USA; Missouri Tigers head coach Eliah Drinkwitz talks to the media during the SEC Media Days at Omni Atlanta Hotel. Mandatory Credit: Jordan Godfree-Imagn ImagesDrinkwitz signed an extension in February, although the details did not become public until July, that did not include a pay increase on his $9 million salary but did include a $2.2 million bump for his assistant coach salary pool.
At that time, his total compensation package, before bonuses, paid him $9 million this year, which made him the tied-for-10th highest-paid coach in the country and tied-for-fifth in the SEC. The deal in its entirety was worth $46.5 million.
AdvertisementAdvertisementAdvertisementMissouri hired Drinkwitz in December 2019 from Appalachian State, where he was fresh off a 12-1 debut season as a head coach and a Sun Belt Conference title.
In six seasons with Mizzou, Drinkwitz has a 45-28 record. Mizzou is 7-4 this season with a 3-4 record in SEC play.
Drinkwitz became the second coach in Missouri history to win double-digit games in back-to-back seasons, doing so in 2023 and 2024. The Tigers are 2-2 in bowl games under Drinkwitz and have been bowl eligible in each season under his direction.
The head coach recently asked for more C-Suite support from in-state Fortune 500 companies. The Tigers, who have won 28 games since the beginning of the 2023 season, are winless against top-25 SEC teams in the past two years. Drinkwitz has called the next step, the “six-inch jump” from “good to great,” the hardest, and has expressed that he needs even more financial support to compete with the top tier of the conference.
AdvertisementAdvertisementAdvertisementMore: Why Eli Drinkwitz wants Fortune 500 companies to invest in Missouri football
More: It's too late to fix bad Missouri football offense. At least this year
This is a developing story. We will update this page as new details about Drinkwitz’s contract become available.
This article originally appeared on Columbia Daily Tribune: Missouri football extends contract for head coach Eli Drinkwitz
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