FAYETTEVILLE, Ark. — The ball on Eli Drinkwitz’s contract extension truly got rolling because of a heckle in Norman, Oklahoma.
On Nov. 22, five days before the news dropped that Missouri football’s head coach signed a massive contract extension that is good through the 2031 season, Drinkwitz stood in the tunnel at Oklahoma with some of his players. At least one fan began to heckle the coach and his players.
AdvertisementAdvertisementAdvertisementThe message, essentially, was that Drinkwitz would not be Missouri’s coach next season. He responded to that fan, in a video captured and posted to social media, with a two-word expletive beginning with ‘F’ and ending with ‘you.’ We’ll let you fill in the gap.
MU wide receivers Marquis Johnson and Logan Muckey put an arm around the coach, guiding him away from the noise.
Drinkwitz had heard enough. It hit him that he hadn’t done the same.
“It bothered me,” Drinkwitz said in response to a question from the Tribune, “because it was a distraction to our team. And at that point it was the first time I realized, like, that ain't fair to them. It ain't about me, it's about them. This is their year. This is their season. And so I just needed to do what I knew I wanted to do.”
AdvertisementAdvertisementAdvertisementLater that evening, after the Tigers lost at OU, Drinkwitz said he texted Missouri athletic director Laird Veatch.
“I just sent Laird a text and said, ‘let's get this thing done.’ Like, ‘let's just get done and let's finish this thing the way we want to finish it,’” Drinkwitz said. “And I appreciate him having my back.”
Fast-forward seven days, and the scene was slightly different.
On Saturday, Drinkwitz leaped on to the massive Battle Line trophy with a win in hand and was carted down a different road tunnel, victorious, by one of his star players.
The Tigers beat Arkansas 31-17 on Saturday, Nov. 29, in their regular-season finale and will head into the postseason with an 8-4 record and a 4-4 mark in SEC play. It marked the first game Drinkwitz has coached since he signed a contract that will pay him, on average, $10.75 million per year through the 2031 season.
The six-year deal, two years longer than the extension he signed earlier this year, is worth $64.5 million and makes him comfortably one of the top-10 highest paid coaches in the country.
AdvertisementAdvertisementAdvertisementDrinkwitz again mentioned frustration with the college football calendar and media landscape that put his name front and center in an already record-breaking coaching carousel.
His example: He was the betting favorite for a job, he said, that he never interviewed for. That could be any one of the following between Penn State, LSU, Florida or Auburn — all of which had been linked to Drinkwitz at various points in the hiring cycle.
“We've got to figure this out, where we're not putting pressure on coaches and programs and people during the middle of the week where there's nothing but speculation,” Drinkwitz said. “I mean, we've got Twitter trending with bets on who's going to be leading or get this job.
“ ... That's annoying. That's bullcrap. OK? And it's just speculation, it's just media throwing stuff on the wall, and it's tough on everybody. It’s tough on players, it's tough on coaches.”
Nov 29, 2025; Fayetteville, Arkansas, USA; Missouri Tigers head coach Eli Drinkwitz celebrates after a game against the Arkansas Razorbacks at Donald W. Reynolds Razorback Stadium. Missouri won 31-17. Mandatory Credit: Nelson Chenault-Imagn Images
Nov 29, 2025; Fayetteville, Arkansas, USA; Missouri Tigers head coach Eli Drinkwitz celebrates with defensive end Zion Young (9) and the Battle Line trophy after a game against the Arkansas Razorbacks at Donald W. Reynolds Razorback Stadium. Missouri won 31-17. Mandatory Credit: Nelson Chenault-Imagn ImagesIt’s unclear if Drinkwitz interviewed for any other jobs. He was, at various points over the past couple months, the betting favorite to be hired at Penn State and Florida. Maybe that narrows his comments down.
AdvertisementAdvertisementAdvertisementWe might never know precisely how near or far Drinkwitz was to leaving after six seasons in Columbia; how much true outside interest there was in acquiring his services.
National reporters seemed generally sure that Drinkwitz was a goner. The local sentiment was generally the opposite.
At no point did Drinkwitz outright refute the rumors before signing his extension.
Drinkwitz ran through a grocery list of Missouri state representatives, alumni and donors who reached out to him in recent weeks, from the Governor to Gary Pinkel, with messages expressing support and a willingness to help the coach get where he wants to go.
AdvertisementAdvertisementAdvertisementThat appears to be a big part of the head coach’s next item on the wishlist: More funding and support as the Tigers attempt to make the hurdle from good SEC team to playoff-caliber team.
They’ll now head into Year 7 of the Drinkwitz era and avoid starting over with a new head coach.
“I just felt like we weren't done yet,” Drinkwitz said. “You know, we weren't done yet. That north end zone isn't completed. And, so, my job here is not completed yet.”
This article originally appeared on Columbia Daily Tribune: What Eli Drinkwitz said after signing Missouri football contract extension
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