Missouri football head coach Eli Drinkwitz used his Tuesday press conference to discuss reports and rumors that have circulated connecting his name to several coaching vacancies across the country.
Multiple reports indicate Penn State has Drinkwitz on its shortlist as a potential replacement for James Franklin in Happy Valley. The sixth-year Mizzou coach has appeared on hot boards for the openings at LSU , Florida and Auburn.
Drinkwitz did not flat-out deny interest from other parties. He also did not commit his future to Mizzou beyond this season.
To ensure we don't take his comments out of context, here is Drinkwitz's full, seemingly prepared statement from Tuesday during his weekly media availability.
"I'm not going to comment on message board chatter, tweets, sources. You know, I've maintained with you and our team that my complete focus is on the task at hand," Drinkwitz told reporters.
"You know, last week, people were tired of me because I couldn't win the big game. People had me meeting with my team and telling them that I was going to another school, none of which were true. Now, this week, it's a different story, because we scored the second-most points in the SEC this year at 49. So, you know, all of this stuff is just a distraction.
"You know, I would like to remind everybody, including our fans: We absolutely love Mizzou. We love what we're building. We've been to six straight bowl games. We've got the sellout streak going. Our administration has been nothing but phenomenal to me, of the alignment that we have with our president. President (Mun) Choi, his support for our program, his support (for) what we're trying to build. Todd Graves, the head of the (UM System) Board of Curators, has been tremendous since he started on the board and is always looking for ways to improve our athletic department. Bob Blitz has been a guy that was instrumental in rebuilding the north end zone and being on the forefront of the athletics committee. (Mizzou athletic director) Laird Veatch has been great to work with on a day-to-day basis.
"Since I've been here, I've signed multiple extensions. In fact, I signed one this past summer, so all the speculation is really a tribute to them, and it's a tribute to our team's success and their commitment to our team, and that's where my focus is going to remain, on our team and our current situation. And I'm not going to get into all that stuff, because, again, it's just a distraction."
Drinkwitz is 45-27 as the Tigers ' head coach, leading Missouri to back-to-back double-digit win seasons for just the third time in program history — and the first time without Gary Pinkel at the head of the program — over the 2023 and 2024 campaigns.
Mizzou is 7-3 this season with a 3-3 mark in SEC play. He signed the third contract extension of his Mizzou tenure in February, and the details of the contract became available in July.
His updated total compensation package will pay him $9 million this year before bonuses. At the beginning of the 2025 season, he was the tied-for-fifth-highest-paid coach in the SEC, trailing only Georgia's Kirby Smart, Alabama 's Kalen DeBoer, Texas ' Steve Sarkisian, and now-fired LSU coach Brian Kelly, and the tied-for-10th highest-paid coach in college football.
In his latest extension, Drinkwitz did not receive a pay raise but did receive an additional $2.2 million for his assistant coach salary pool. He is currently signed through the 2029 football season.
If Drinkwitz terminates his deal without cause by taking another job before Dec. 1, 2025, then he will owe the university $5 million. From Dec. 2, 2025, to Dec. 1, 2027, that decreases to $4 million.
Mizzou hired Drinkwitz from Appalachian State in December 2019.
This coaching carousel has already broken records for buyout amounts. By the time all is said and done, there could be dozens of teams with new head coaches entering the 2026 season.
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It's still unclear whether or not Drinkwitz will remain at Missouri or entertain other offers. It is unlikely that any official update will come before the end of the regular season.
Mizzou is on the road for the last two gameweeks of the 2025 regular season, facing Oklahoma on Saturday, Nov. 22, in Norman and then Arkansas on Saturday, Nov. 29, in Fayetteville.
This article originally appeared on Columbia Daily Tribune: Missouri coach Eli Drinkwitz addresses coaching carousel rumors
