Mizzou Tigers coach Eli Drinkwitz fires defensive line coach after blowout loss
Missouri football coach Eliah Drinkwitz has made a defensive staff change following his team’s 62-24 loss to Tennessee.
He fired defensive line coach Jethro Franklin on Sunday, ending Franklin’s tenure with the Tigers after just five games.
“After a careful review, I believe a change in direction at the defensive line coach was needed,” Drinkwitz said in a news release announcing the move, which was first reported by the Columbia Missourian. “Jethro is a professional and man of high character, and we wish him all the best moving forward.”
Defensive analyst Al Davis will move into a full-time coaching role with the defensive line for the rest of the season, the team announced.
Through five games this season, the Tigers had one of the worst defenses in college football and the worst rushing defense in the FBS, allowing 300.8 yards per game. Against Tennessee, they allowed 677 yards of offense, 452 of which came on the ground.
Franklin joined the coaching staff in January. He replaced Brick Haley, who was fired following the 2020 season. Franklin previously spent time in the NFL with the Raiders and Seahawks.
The defensive line had been a clear issue throughout Mizzou’s 2-3 start this season, with two of the team’s best players on that front, All-SEC honoree Trajan Jeffcoat and Kobie Whiteside, not looking as sharp as they had in previous seasons. Players were often pushed around on the line of scrimmage, leading to a lot of holes in the run defense.
This story was originally published October 3, 2021 at 2:09 PM.
