Mizzou head coach Eli Drinkwitz stays in Columbia and is rewarded with his fourth contract extension. Amid the hot coaching carousel, programs like Penn State, Auburn, LSU, and Florida, among others, were the reported suitors for the 42-year-old. But he maintained his stance of not leaving the Tigers, and the MU leadership made their stance official.

“Under his vision and leadership, Coach Drinkwitz has transformed the standard for Mizzou Football and united our entire program and fan base behind a clear pursuit of excellence,” said AD Laird Veatch. “Our ‘Will to Win’ is clear — we’re fully aligned behind Coach Drinkwitz and eager to keep building with him as he leads this program forward in the pursuit of championships.” The university president also thanked Eli Drinkwitz for what he had done for the program.

“Coach Drinkwitz represents the excellence, integrity and ambition we strive for across our institution,” said President Mun Choi. “His leadership has united our community and state and positioned Mizzou Football for long-term success. We are proud to support him as he continues building a program that reflects the very best of the University of Missouri”.

The deal, which is worth a total of $64.5 million, was approved unanimously by the Board of Curators on Wednesday. It’s come when MU has qualified for a bowl game for the sixth consecutive season under his watch. Drinkwitz owns the best home winning percentage (minimum four seasons) in Mizzou history with a 33-9 record (.786) at Memorial Stadium.

Drinkwitz has signed a six-year extension now, with an average salary of $10.75 million. This places him among the most elite coaches like Dabo Swinney and Lincoln Riley, earning in the 8 figures, and would make him the sixth-highest-paid college football coach in the country. The extension was also approved by the program with a unanimous vote and will run till the 2031 season. Notably, Drinkwitz’s last contract paid him $9.5 million annually and was set to end in the 2025 season. The head coach is now grateful for the trust Missouri has put in him.

Eli Drinkwitz opens up about his contract extension

When Drinkwitz joined Missouri in the 2020 season, the program was coming off a 6-6 season under Barry Odom. The program then struggled for relevance in a competitive SEC, and Drinkwitz gradually turned it around.

“My family and I believe deeply in the vision and leadership from our administration and are incredibly happy to continue calling Columbia our home,” said Drinkwitz. “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,” concluded the head coach.

The dominance is also on the recruitment front. Drinkwitz has coached 16 players who have earned 18 all-conference honors from 2020-25, including 10 first-team All-SEC selections, and coached 17 Tigers who were selected in the NFL draft, including five chosen in the first and second rounds. By all metrics, the former Appalachian State head coach has done an incredible job with the program, making it an SEC contender.

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In the 2024 cycle, the head coach pulled off a 21st-ranked class in the country that had 38% blue-chip commits and five-star Williams Nwaneri. The next year was even better. Missouri landed an 18th-ranked class, and blue chips comprised a whopping 61% of the total commitments. This $64.5 million contract extension now ensures a similar trajectory for 2026 and beyond.