Mizzou Tigers extend contract of football coach Eli Drinkwitz ahead of 2025 opener
AI-generated summary reviewed by our newsroom.
- Mizzou extended Coach Drinkwitz's contract through 2029 after back-to-back 10-win seasons.
- The deal includes increased salary pools for assistants and football support staff.
- Drinkwitz leads Mizzou with 38 wins in five seasons, surpassing Dan Devine’s mark.
Missouri Tigers football coach Eli Drinkwitz is getting a new, more lucrative contract.
The University of Missouri Board of Curators on Thursday approved a contract extension for the sixth-year head coach, as well as an increased salary pool for his assistant coaches, strength and conditioning staff and support personnel, Mizzou athletics director Laird Veatch announced.
Drinkwitz’s new deal — financial terms undisclosed — runs through the 2029 season.
Honored as the Southeastern Conference coach of the year in 2023, Drinkwitz, 42, has led the Tigers to back-to-back double-digit win seasons for the first time in a decade and just the third time in program history, per a school new release about the contract extension.
His record at MU is 38-24 overall record (.613). That moves him past Dan Devine for most wins for the Tigers in the first five years of a head-coaching tenure.
“I’m incredibly grateful for the continued belief in our vision for Mizzou Football,” Drinkwitz said in the MU news release. “The Board of Curators, President Choi, Laird Veatch and our donors and fans have shown a deep commitment to building a championship-caliber program.
“That means investing in the people throughout our building who work tirelessly for our student-athletes. I’m proud of the staff we’ve assembled and excited to keep pushing forward together.”
Mizzou opens the 2025 season on Aug. 28 against Central Arkansas at Faurot Field at Memorial Stadium in Columbia. The Tigers open training camp on Sunday.
Missouri finished 2024 ranked No. 22 in the nation and is 21-5 since the start of the 2023 season. Drinkwitz is on the 2025 Dodd Trophy Preseason Watch List for the national coach of the year award.
“The consistent progress we’ve seen under Coach Drinkwitz’s leadership is inspiring,” Veatch said in the school’s news release. “This extension, along with increased investment in our coaching and support staff, reflects our commitment to sustaining success at the highest level. It’s all part of our ‘Will to Win’ — a clear statement that we’re building championship programs.”
One more note about Drinkwitz and the Tigers ahead of camp and the 2025 season opener: Mizzou is coming off the 15th undefeated home season in program history, and first since 2010, when Gary Pinkel was head coach.
This story will be updated.
This story was originally published July 24, 2025 at 10:35 AM.