Penn State coaching search: Eli Drinkwitz is officially out of the mix after inking new deal at Missouri

Eli Drinkwitz is officially off the board as Penn State continues its search to find a replacement for James Franklin. Missouri signed its 42-year-old sixth-year head coach to a contract extension on Thanksgiving Day. The new deal runs through 2031. And it provides the Tigers’ leader with an average annual compensation of $10.75 million.

“My family and I believe deeply in the vision and leadership from our administration and are incredibly happy to continue calling Columbia our home,” Drinkwitz said in a news release. “I’m grateful for the unwavering support of President Mun Choi, the Board of Curators, led by Chair Todd Graves and incoming Vice Chair Bob Blitz, along with our athletics director Laird Veatch. We’re also incredibly thankful for the support of our generous donors and NIL partners. I’m committed to continuing our work to build Mizzou into a championship program.”

Despite being part of BWI’s hot board lists since October, buzz has been fading in recent weeks regarding the possibility of Drinkwitz being the next leader of the Lions. Thus, the news comes not as a surprise but as an expectation, as he seemingly fell out of the running for open SEC jobs, as well.

“Feedback on Missouri head coach Eli Drinkwitz has been up and down in recent weeks,” BWI’s Sean Fitz wrote in his 7.0 hot board update. “A lot of that overlaps with conversations about Auburn and Florida and the thought process that Drinkwitz would prefer to stay down south. He’s lost momentum in the Florida search, but the Gators remain watching what Lane Kiffin will do. Last week there seemed to be more juice behind it from a Penn State perspective. But this one has gotten quieter in the last seven days.”

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