head football coach on December 10, 2019, and in five seasons at the helm has compiled a 38-24 (.613) overall ledger with 2023 Southeastern Conference (SEC) Coach of the Year honors.
With over 25 years of experience, Drinkwitz has coached in 12 bowl games, including the 2011 BCS National Championship game, and mentored 55 student-athletes to all-conference honors. He’s helped develop seven All-Americans and worked with 19 National Football League (NFL) draft selections while as a head coach. Additionally, he’s produced seven 1,000-yard rushers, five 3,000-yard passers and five 1,000-yard receivers throughout his career as a head coach and coordinator. During four of those years (2015, 2017, 2018 and 2023) his offenses produced at least one in each category.
His 38 wins at the helm of the Tigers program, eclipsed Dan Devine’s school record for wins in the first five seasons of a MU head coaching tenure. In just five years, Drinkwitz ranks tied with Al Onofrio (1971-77) for sixth all-time in program history for wins and is 50-25 (.667) overall as a head coach after leading Appalachian State University to a Sun Belt Conference Championship in 2019 following a 12-1 season.
During his time in Columbia, Drinkwitz has guided the Tigers to a 27-7 (.794) overall record on Faurot Field at Memorial Stadium, giving him the best home win percentage (minimum four seasons) in the history of the program. The Tigers’ 27 home wins since 2020 is tied with Ole Miss for the third-most in the SEC. The pair trail only the University of Alabama (32) and the University of Georgia (28) during that stretch.
Under Drinkwitz’s guidance over the last two years, MU has finished the year ranked in the top-25 and posted a combined 21-5 overall record, including an 11-5 mark in SEC play, which is tied for the third best two-year stretch in program history. The Tigers have also gone 13-1 at home, 10-1 in one-score games, 2-0 in bowl games with victories over Ohio State University (2023 Cotton) and the University of Iowa (2024 Music City) and 4-0 against Big Ten, Big 12 and ACC opponents during that time.
Drinkwitz led MU to back-to-back 10-plus win seasons in 2023 (11-2) and 2024 (10-3) for the third time in program history (2007-08 and 2013-14) and for the eighth time overall. He joins College Football Hall of Famer Gary Pinkel (2001-15) as the only two Mizzou head coaches with multiple 10-win seasons. In addition, the postseason bowl victories in consecutive seasons (2023 and 2024) marked just the fourth time the Tigers have achieved the feat in program history (1978-79, 2007-08 and 2013-14).
During his time at Mizzou, he has mentored 16 players to 18 all-conference honors, including 10 to First Team All-SEC recognition, and coached 17 Tigers that went on to get drafted in the NFL. In 2021 and 2024, Mizzou had five and six players taken in the NFL Draft, respectively, including first-rounder Darius Robinson (2024) and second-round pick Nick Bolton(2021). Additionally, in the 2025 NFL Draft, Mizzou saw offensive lineman Armand Membou (No. 7) and wide receiver Luther Burden III (No. 39) both taken in the top 40, marking the eighth time in program history MU achieved the feat and the first time since 2011 when Aldon Smith (No. 7) and Blaine Gabbert (No. 10) were chosen.
Last season, Mizzou achieved its 15th perfect year at Memorial Stadium, its first undefeated record at home since 2010, while selling out all seven home games to mark the first Tigers season sellout since 1979. Drinkwitz had MU ranked in the top-20 in 14 different statistical categories at season’s end, including third in turnovers lost (9), fifth in passes had intercepted (5), first down defense (211), and third down conversion percentage defense (.302), seventh in time of possession (34:39), 10th in red zone offense (.920) and 17th in total defense (317.5).
Quarterback Brady Cook wrapped up an illustrious career in 2024 that placed him second all-time in program history for career wins (26) and passing efficiency rating (143.53), No. 3 in passing yards (9,013) and 200-yard passing performances (26), No. 4 in total offense (10,222) and No. 5 in passing touchdowns. The 2023 Goodyear Cotton Bowl Offensive and 2024 TransPerfect Music City Bowl MVP became the first quarterback in program lore to amass 9,000-plus passing yards and 1,000-plus rushing yards (1,209) in a career and joined Chase Daniel(2005-08), Brad Smith (2002-05) and Drew Lock (2015-18) as the only players in MU history with 10,000 yards of total offense.
Additionally, Burden III concluded an impressive tenure in the Black and Gold in 2024, ranking fourth in receptions (192), tied for fifth in receiving touchdowns (21) and sixth in receiving yards (2,263).
The 2023 Tigers put together an 11-2 season that saw MU move into the top-10 of all three national polls. The double-digit wins campaign was the program’s first since 2014. Mizzou went 6-2 in SEC games, won both the Mayor’s Cup over South Carolina and Battle Line Rivalry over Arkansas, qualified for its first New Year’s Six bowl and defeated Ohio State, 14-3, in the Goodyear Cotton Bowl. Drinkwitz was named the 2023 SEC Coach of the Year and a finalist for the Eddie Robinson Award, which is a prestigious annual honor given to the nation’s top coach.
The offense, led by the trio of Cook, Burden III and running back Cody Schrader, helped Mizzou become the only unit in the country that season to produce a 3,000-yard passer, 1,000-yard receiver and 1,500-yard rusher. It was the first time the Tigers accomplished the feat in program history and just the second time in SEC lore. Drinkwitz mentored Burden III and Schrader to Associated Press All-America recognition. Schrader, a First Team All-Southeastern Conference (SEC) selection, was named the winner of the Burlsworth Trophy, which honors the most outstanding player in the nation who began his career as a walk-on, after he compiled 1,627 rushing yards on 276 carries (5.89) with 14 touchdowns during his final season with the Tigers. Burden III finished his career a two-time First Team All-SEC honoree (2023 & 2024).
After the season, six Tigers heard their name called during the 2024 NFL Draft, led by first-round selection defensive end Robinson to the Arizona Cardinals as the 27th overall selection. It marked the most Tigers taken at the event since 2009 when MU had two first-round picks in Jeremy Maclin (19th overall) and Ziggy Hood (32nd overall).
In his opening three seasons in Columbia (2020-22), Drinkwitz led the Tigers to 17 wins and three consecutive bowl berths (2020 TransPerfect Music City [canceled], 2021 Lockheed Martin Armed Forces and 2022 Union Home Mortgage Gasparilla). In 2022, Burden III became the first true freshman since 2008 to record two receiving touchdowns, two rushing touchdowns, and a punt-return touchdown in a single season for the Tigers. The previous year, running back Tyler Badie set the school’s single-season record for rushing yards (1,604), while his 14 touchdowns in 12 games were ninth on Mizzou’s single season and top-10 list. Despite his first season being plagued by the COVID-19 pandemic, Drinkwitz’s 5-5 regular-season record was the league’s best among the SEC’s four new head coaches that season (Ole Miss’ Lane Kiffin [4-5], Mississippi State’s Mike Leach [3-7] and Arkansas’ Sam Pittman [3-7]).
Drinkwitz came to Columbia after a one-year stint as head coach at Appalachian State, where he led the 20th-ranked Mountaineers to a 12-1 record and a Sun Belt Conference Championship with an R+L Carriers New Orleans Bowl appearance. App State’s win total was a Sun Belt record and set the mark for the best regular season ledger in conference history (11-1). For those efforts, Drinkwitz was named the 2019 North Carolina Coach of the Year by the North State Journal and a finalist for the prestigious Eddie Robinson Award.
Drinkwitz’s 2019 team made history with a pair of Power 5 road wins at bowl-eligible North Carolina, and then later at South Carolina – making them the first Sun Belt team to register two Power 5 wins in a single season. App State proved to be one of the nation’s most balanced teams, thanks in large part to an efficient offense that ranked ninth nationally in scoring (39.4), coupled with a stingy defense that ranked 22nd nationally in points allowed (20.2). Mountaineers junior running back Darrynton Evans was named the 2019 Sun Belt Offensive Player of the Year, after rushing for 1,323 yards and 17 touchdowns.
Prior to his time at App State, Drinkwitz spent three years (2016-18) as the offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach at North Carolina State University, where he helped the Wolfpack to a 25-14 overall ledger, including three bowl appearances (2016 Campaign World Independence, 2017 Hyundai Sun and 2018 TaxSlayer Gator). Following a 7-6 debut season in 2016, Drinkwitz guided the Wolfpack to consecutive nine-win seasons (2017-18) for the first time since 1991-92. Additionally, NC State made a steady rise in total offense during his tenure, going from 63rd nationally in his first season to 25th in 2017 and 16th in 2018.
