6:55 PM ETMark SchlabachCloseESPN Senior WriterSenior college football writer
Author of seven books on college football
Graduate of the University of GeorgiaChris LowCloseESPN Senior Staff Writer College football reporter
Joined ESPN.com in 2007
Graduate of the University of TennesseeEli Drinkwitz has reached an agreement to become Missouri’s next head football coach and a deal is being finalized, sources told ESPN.Drinkwitz guided Appalachian State to a 12-1 season and the Sun Belt Conference championship this season in his first year as a head coach.The sources said Missouri officials met with Drinkwitz in Boone, North Carolina, on Saturday night, hours after Appalachian State defeated Louisiana 45-38 in the Sun Belt championship game.Once his deal is complete, the 36-year-old Drinkwitz will become the second-youngest coach of a Power 5 school, after Oklahoma’s Lincoln Riley.He will replace Barry Odom, whom Missouri fired after the Tigers lost five of their final six games to finish the season 6-6. The school will not be playing in a bowl game after the NCAA last month upheld a postseason ban after a tutor for several Missouri teams admitted to completing coursework for athletes. Odom compiled a 25-25 record in four seasons.Appalachian State had given Drinkwitz a five-year contract a year ago, when the school hired him to replace Scott Satterfield, who left to become Louisville’s coach.Under Drinkwitz, the Mountaineers set a Sun Belt record with 11 regular-season victories. They were the only FBS team to have a 6-0 road victory, including wins at Power Five opponents North Carolina and South Carolina.They finished ranked No. 20 in both the College Football Playoff Rankings and AP Poll. Their only loss came in a 24-21 defeat to Georgia Southern on Oct. 31.Drinkwitz, 36, is a native of Norman, Oklahoma, and coached at two Arkansas high schools, including Springdale High, where current Auburn coach Gus Malzahn once coached. He worked as Arkansas State’s running backs coach under Malzahn in 2012 and was the Red Wolves’ co-offensive coordinator the next season.Drinkwitz then worked as tight ends and quarterbacks coach and co-offensive coordinator at Boise State in 2014-15 and offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach at NC State from 2016 to ’18.The Mountaineers play UAB in the R+L Carriers Bowl on Dec. 21 (9 p.m. ET, ESPN).
Sources: Missouri finalizing deal to hire Drinkwitz
