Eli Drinkwitz addresses rumors linking him to other jobs across college football

The coaching carousel is spinning across the country. As high-profile programs prepare to make big moves, Missouri head coach Eli Drinkwitz suddenly finds his name in the thick of the conversation.

LSU, Florida and Penn State have all been mentioned as potential suitors, and the buzz has only grown louder. Paul Finebaum went as far as to call Drinkwitz “the name of the moment” during an appearance on McElroy and Cubelic in the Morning earlier this week.

But on Monday, Drinkwitz made it clear he has no plans to entertain the noise, or let it distract his team: “All of this stuff is just a distraction,” he said, via Power Mizzou. “I would like to remind everybody, including our fans, we absolutely love Mizzou.

“We love what we’re building. … My focus is going to remain on our team and our current situation and I am not going to get into all of that.”

The rumors come at a time when Drinkwitz’s stock has never been higher. Now in his sixth season, the former Appalachian State head coach has guided Missouri to a 45–27 overall record and a steady rise in SEC play.

Over the last three years, the Tigers are 28–8 and 14–8 in conference — one of the most impressive stretches the recent program’s history. That growth is exactly why analysts believe blue bloods may come calling.

Missouri still has two regular-season games left, with a road trip to Oklahoma and the annual rivalry meeting with Arkansas. While the Tigers are unlikely to factor into the College Football Playoff race, Drinkwitz isn’t letting speculation overshadow the finish.

Whether or not major programs make a serious run at him this offseason, he’s made his position clear for now. His focus is on Mizzou, and he’s not interested in discussing anything else.

More on Missouri at Oklahoma, Week 13

Moreover, there’s a rich history between the Tigers and Sooners, as they prepare to meet in Week 13. The series was renewed for the first time since 2011 during the 2024 season — OU’s first in the SEC.

Missouri would defeat Oklahoma in Columbia 30-23 last season, but the all-time series heavily favors the Sooners. Oklahoma leads the all-time series 67-25-5 dating back to 1902.

Before the Tigers left the Big 12, Oklahoma won eight of the last nine meetings between the two teams. Not all meetings have come during the regular season, however. Missouri and Oklahoma met in back to back conference championship games in 2008 and 2009. 

The last time Missouri beat Oklahoma as a member of the Big 12 came during the 2010 season when Blaine Gabbert and the No. 18 Tigers upset the top-ranked (BCS) Sooners 36-27. Fans stormed the field in celebration and tore down both goal posts in the aftermath. At least one made its way to a local tavern following the upset victory.

— On3’s Barkley Truax contributed to this article.