Eli Drinkwitz of Mizzou is Climbing the Coaching Ladder
The Thursday, May 16 morning commute
Through Sammy Stava of StavaonSTL 5:00 a.m. CDT on May 16, 2024
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Here you can find the Morning Commute.
We are discussing Eli Drinkwitz today.
Eli Drinkwitz, the head coach of the Mizzou football team, is beginning to receive recognition from the national press.
That’s what occurs when you have an 11-win season that was highlighted by a Cotton Bowl victory over Ohio State and you are recruiting at a fairly high level, which is unfamiliar to Missouri.
Drinkwitz is moving up the College Football head coaching ladder, and rightfully so. According to CBS Sports and Sporting News, he is currently ranked among the top 25 head coaches in the league, which is a big improvement from the beginning of the previous campaign.
21st on CBS Sports’ ranking.
“Eli Drinkwitz, also known as The Alpha Nerd on the Cover 3 Podcast, jumps up a lot in our ranks. The Tigers went 11-2 last year, finished second in the SEC East, and defeated Ohio State in the Cotton Bowl after losing 17-19 in his first three seasons at Missouri. Drink consequently moves up 30 positions! That is tied for this season’s second-largest jump with Jedd Fisch (the biggest is still to come). I wonder whether we’re in for another Heupel moment. Should Missouri end up with eight or nine victories this season, what would become of Drinkwitz? 2023: position 51 (+30).
23rd on Sporting News’ list.
Previous year: 47
Record: 28-21 at Missouri, 40-22 overall.
Lowdown: Drinkwitz, who led the Tigers to an 11-2 season and a Cotton Bowl victory in 2023, is making a significant move with this. Drinkwitz has improved the Tigers’ recruiting in the SEC, and the team has made four consecutive trips to the bowl. With three of those defeats coming to Georgia, Missouri’s record versus teams ranked in the top 25 from the previous season is actually somewhat better at 5-7. It’s acceptable to have some doubts, and Drinkwitz’s task will be to duplicate that accomplishment in the 16-team SEC.
But Drinkwitz still has a lot more to prove. Maintaining success is the next phase. And with a high bar for the upcoming season, Mizzou is in a good position to maintain that success.
High expectations bring pressure, and Drinkwitz is under some strain to elevate Mizzou Football to new heights as they aim to qualify for the 12-team College Football Playoff.
At Rock M and Rock M+ yesterday
From the Morning Commuting of Karen Steger: In the redesigned SEC, Mizzou Women’s Basketball is given marching orders.
“Tuesday afternoon saw the announcement of the conference opponent slate, and wow, is it impressive. To be fair, it always looks like a big deal.
Under new AD Laird Veatch, Robin Pingeton is going to have an extremely important year, thus the league slate will be difficult as usual.
Chad Moller announced on Rock M+ that he will be hosting Chase Daniel on The MO Show.
“If there are any questions that you would like me to ask Chase the following week, please post them here. I’ll do my best to fit in a few.”
