Drinkwitz took to social media Thursday morning to thank the school’s president, Mun Choi, the Board of Curators, athletic director Laird Veach, boosters and fans, indicating that a deal would be done soon. “Why stop now!!” He tweeted.
“I and my family believe deeply in our administration’s vision and leadership and are extremely pleased to call Columbia our home,” Drinkwitz said in a statement. “I am grateful for the unwavering support of President Mun Choi, the Board of Curators led by President Todd Graves and incoming Vice President Bob Blitz, as well as our Athletics Director Laird Veach. We are also incredibly grateful for the support of our generous donors and NIL partners. I am committed to continuing my work to build Mizzou into a championship program.”
Missouri’s move to keep Drinkwitz among the nation’s highest-paid coaches is an aggressive move, as his base salary will increase to $10.25 million in 2026, up from $9 million in 2025.
Drinkwitz received interest from several top jobs on the carousel, and the school’s move to agree to a new deal with him reflects a trend seen at places like Indiana, SMU and Nebraska attempting to retain their coaches.
Drinkwitz led Missouri to consecutive double-digit win seasons in 2023 and 2024, and the program qualified for its sixth straight bowl game. The Tigers moved up to No. 8 in the Associated Press poll in 2023 and No. 6 in 2024. This year, Missouri jumped to No. 14.
During his tenure, Missouri has posted wins over Ohio State, Iowa, Oklahoma, Tennessee, Florida and LSU. He is 45-28 in six seasons.
Missouri is 7-4, with all four losses coming to teams ranked in the top 10 at the time.
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