Mizzou gives coach Eli Drinkwitz extension through 2028 season

COLUMBIA, Mo. (KCTV) - Not yet two days removed from capping an 11-2 season with a Cotton Bowl win over Ohio State, Missouri and head coach Eli Drinkwitz have agreed to a contract keeping him at the head of the program through the 2028 season.

Financial of the deal were not disclosed in the news release announcing the extension Sunday afternoon, but he’s expected to receive a raise that will continue to keep him as the highest-paid coach of any sport in the school’s history.

Our Coach. Locked-in 🔐.#MIZ | #STP https://t.co/iuLNgS95BF
— Mizzou Football (@MizzouFootball) December 31, 2023

This marks the second consecutive season that Mizzou has extended Drinkwitz’s contract. In November of 2022, he received an extension that bumped the coach’s salary to $6 million per year for 2023 and ran through the 2027 season.

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In addition to leading the Tigers to their first appearance in a New Year’s Six bowl game during the College Football Playoff era, the 2023 Southeastern Conference Coach of the Year led his team to its first 10-win season in nine years in 2023. Further, Drinkwitz signed his third Top 25 recruiting class in the past four years in December, was named one of five finalists for the Bobby Dodd Coach of the Year Award and has a 28-21 record overall at Mizzou.

“With Coach Drinkwitz’s innovative leadership, Mizzou Football has taken major steps to become a championship contender on college football’s national stage,” Director of Athletics Desireé Reed-Francois said. “Coach Drinkwitz and his staff have done a tremendous job in this modern era of intercollegiate athletics. Continuity is important in implementing a championship culture, maximizing student-athlete potential and recruiting future Tigers. Our program is positioned to continue our momentum into the future. I want to thank our fans and our entire state for the powerful they’ve shown our team during this magical season and cannot wait to see them back at Faurot in 2024.”

READ MORE: No. 9 Missouri beats No. 7 Ohio State 14-3 in Cotton Bowl

Drinkwitz credited all involved for the state of the program and moving forward.

“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. “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 ion 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 istration in Mizzou Football. All of it has allowed us to get to where we are. Why stop now!”