One of the wackiest college football coaching carousels in the history of the sport has eyes on Columbia, Missouri.
Missouri football coach Eli Drinkwitz, quite possibly, might be the hottest name in this cycle.
AdvertisementAdvertisementAdvertisementNo, seriously.
Let’s just play a quick numbers game.
Of course, Ole Miss coach Lane Kiffin is the carousel darling, and if he opts to leave Ole Miss then Florida and LSU will battle land his services. Tulane coach Jon Sumrall is the premier Group of Six candidate and has drawn interest from Auburn, Arkansas and Florida.
But from a pure arithmetic standpoint, Drinkwitz might be the name on the most hot boards.
Four schools with current openings appear to at least be considering Drinkwitz. He might be as high as No. 2 at each of those schools.
Now, Drinkwitz may very well stay. He has not firmly put his foot down and quashed the rumors, instead opting to call the carousel chatter a distraction. But, he could spurn any interest and stick with the Tigers for a seventh season.
AdvertisementAdvertisementAdvertisementMore: Missouri’s Eli Drinkwitz addresses coaching carousel rumors. ‘This stuff is just a distraction’
More: Does Eli Drinkwitz need Fortune 500 investment to stay at Missouri? It may decide future
The rumors and reports of outside interest exist, and with the regular season close to an end will soon hit a fever pitch.
So, let’s take a look at where Drinkwitz lands on hot boards around the country:
Is LSU considering Eli Drinkwitz for its coaching vacancy?
COLUMBIA, MISSOURI - NOVEMBER 08: Head cosch Eli Drinkwitz of the Missouri Tigers reacts after penalty call during a game against the Texas A&M Aggies in the first half at Faurot Field at Memorial Stadium on November 08, 2025 in Columbia, Missouri. (Photo by Ed Zurga/Getty Images)Let’s try and parse through the facts and the fiction here.
Two private planes owned by a company attached to an LSU booster have stopped over in Columbia since the Tigers faced Mississippi State on Faurot Field on Nov. 15. Most recently, per Flight Aware, the plane that reportedly took members of Kiffin’s family to Baton Rouge for a city tour was at Columbia Regional Airport on Friday.
AdvertisementAdvertisementAdvertisementNow, that doesn’t necessarily mean anything. We do not have any confirmation that Drinkwitz or anyone close to Drinkwitz’s camp boarded those planes or met with anyone who was on those planes.
But it sure would be a strange coincidence if they didn’t.
Kiffin has emerged as LSU’s top target. Reports have emerged that the Tigers from the Bayou are prepared to offer the Rebels coach an exorbitant amount of money.
But there’s reason to believe Drinkwitz is No. 2 if the Kiffin deal does not pan out.
The Daily Advertiser has him listed as the top option after Kiffin. And, for what it’s worth, Drinkwitz’s political acumen would likely play well at a school where the Governor appears (and historically is) intimately involved with the football program.
AdvertisementAdvertisementAdvertisementHow much of a threat is Penn State to hire Eli Drinkwitz?
The job in Happy Valley appears to be quite perplexing. Nobody seems to have a good grasp on what Penn State might do; what direction they may move.
Drinkwitz certainly seems to be a candidate.
The York Daily Record has Drinkwitz among its top five candidates. For what it’s worth, he’s the second name listed behind Brent Key, who seems likely to stay at Georgia Tech, his alma mater. Never say never, but that’s the current best industry read.
Former New York Giants coach Brian Daboll has been mentioned in some places. Even Alabama’s Kalen DeBoer is a wildcard.
AdvertisementAdvertisementAdvertisementIt’s hard to get a good grasp of where Drinkwitz would land on this list.
Is Drinkwitz next up if Florida misses on Kiffin, too?
Nov 18, 2023; Columbia, Missouri, USA; Missouri Tigers head coach Eli Drinkwitz, left, talks with Florida Gators head coach Billy Napier prior to a game at Faurot Field at Memorial Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Denny Medley-USA TODAY SportsThe worst kept secret in college sports: Florida wants Kiffin. This is a Kiffin-or-bust search in many regards in Gainesville.
But LSU is throwing its weight around. Kiffin’s future should become clear Saturday, Nov. 29, after the Rebels play Mississippi State in the Egg Bowl.
If he stays (or goes to LSU), then is Drinkwitz next up?
He’s the top next-man-up at The Gainesville Sun. Sumrall is also a candidate here. And Key. Washington coach Jedd Fisch could also factor into this race if Kiffin does not head to the Swamp.
AdvertisementAdvertisementAdvertisementThere’s good reason to believe Drinkwitz is high up on this hot board.
Drinkwitz might be No. 2 at Auburn. But No. 2 is well behind No. 1
AUBURN, ALABAMA - OCTOBER 18: Eli Drinkwitz of the Missouri Tigers and Hugh Freeze of the Auburn Tigers talk before the game at Jordan-Hare Stadium on October 18, 2025 in Auburn, Alabama. (Photo by Justin Ford/Getty Images)It would be quite surprising if Auburn didn’t hire Sumrall from Tulane. He’s a Huntsville, Alabama, native and previously worked at in-state Troy.
The major question here, though, is if Tulane wins the American Conference and makes the College Football Playoff. Sumrall would likely be coaching well into December.
That’s a while to wait, if you’re Auburn.
Which brings us to Drinkwitz, whose 7-4 Missouri team will close its regular season Saturday, Nov. 29 at Arkansas and doesn’t have the same commitment to a bowl game as a coach in the playoffs.
AdvertisementAdvertisementAdvertisementPeople the Tribune has spoken to in Auburn have reason to believe he’s No. 2 on this list. He was a quality control coach on the 2010 Auburn team that won a national title. He’s got familiarity there. Auburn likely would call in a non-Sumrall world.
Will anyone else consider Drinkwitz?
Keep an eye on Ole Miss. Again, depending on what Kiffin does.
In a preemptive hot board at the Ole Miss 247Sports site, which is maybe a series of words that better captures the nature of this coaching carousel better than any other, Drinkwitz is front and center.
You can expect Mississippi to be pretty aggressive if and when Kiffin goes. The Rebels have found some national relevance in the past few years. If Kiffin goes, they’ll try their best to maintain that, so Drinkwitz makes sense as a target in Oxford.
This article originally appeared on Columbia Daily Tribune: Which schools have Missouri football coach Eli Drinkwitz on hot board?
AdvertisementAdvertisement
