Eli Drinkwitz quips about buyout in new contract: 'In 2 years, they're gonna be looking at the wrong numbers'

Missouri head coach Eli Drinkwitz once again has his Tigers humming, as they are 4-0 after opening SEC play with a 29-20 win over South Carolina last Saturday night. The past three seasons have been incredible in CoMo, as Missouri is 25-5 with wins in the Cotton Bowl (Ohio State), Music City Bowl (Iowa) and the 2025 Border War (Kansas).

Prior to the 2025 season, Drinkwitz received a contract extension through the 2029 season. His new contract made his buyout a bit steeper. Per USA Today, he would owe the university $5 million if he leaves without cause before Dec. 1, 2025; $4 million if he does so between Dec. 2, 2025 and Dec. 1, 2027; $3 million from Dec. 2, 2027 to Dec. 1, 2028; and $1 million henceforth.

This is an important nugget, as Drinkwitz’s name is often floating around potential coaching searches. He however quipped about his contract and buyout numbers on Wednesday’s edition of ‘The Paul Finebaum Show‘.

“My contract’s great,” Drinkwitz said. “The problem is in two years, they’re gonna be looking at the wrong numbers in that contract deciding if they need to make a change. I mean Jiminy Christmas.”

Drinkwitz has completely turned program around in past three seasons

The Norman native was brought on ahead of the 2020 season following five consecutive sub-10-win seasons for Missouri. Drinkwitz’s first three seasons were a bit rough, as the Tigers went just 17-19 with losses in both bowl games. He however has completely turned the program around as has Mizzou looking like legit Playoff contenders this season.

“I’m incredibly grateful for the continued belief in our vision for Mizzou Football,” Drinkwitz said via a press release following the extension. “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.”

This past season, Drinkwitz joined former head coach Gary Pinkel in rarefied air. They are the lone Missourihead coaches to boast multiple 10-win seasons.

“Coach Drinkwitz is a transformational leader with a proven record of success in the SEC. He has brought Mizzou Pride back to our program,” University of Missouri President Mun Choi said. “We are proud to support his commitment to excellence and his drive to bring even more championships home to our state.”

Drinkwitz’s Missouri team, now ranked No. 20 in the AP Poll, looks to improve to 5-0 this Saturday against UMass.