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With the 2022 SEC Media Days beginning Monday, University of Missouri football head coach Eliah Drinkwitz took the stand to talk Tigers football. Coach Drinkwitz is heading into his fourth year as a head coach and his third year with Missouri. He previously coached at Appalachian State of the Sun Belt Conference in his first season as a head coach, achieving a 12 and 1 record before heading off to Missouri in the SEC. He holds an 11-12 record since joining the team, going 5-5 in his first season and 6-7 last season.
Pride in his Program
“We’re all Mizzou Tiger fans.” Drinkwitz had this to say when asked about the state of their recruiting. In a state where fans are split between a multitude of professional teams, he acknowledged that no matter what, everybody is a fan of the Tigers.
Team Identity
For a team that finished middle of the pack in their division last year, Drinkwitz talked about the team’s mindset and identity for the upcoming season. Missouri finished off the 2021 season 6 and 7 with a 3 and 5 record in the SEC East. Drinkwitz included that to be successful he wants the team to take the season one week at a time in order to stay focused on their goals. In the offseason, the Tigers lost running back Tyler Badie to the NFL draft. Former starting quarterback Connor Bazelak transferred to Indiana.
The State of the Game
Some of the more significant headlines in college football as of recent have been the NIL deals and college football expansion. Drinkwitz does not place his concerns on these topics individually, but he talks about the importance of the college football framework. He believes the one in play right now may not be the best for the sport.
With all these changes, the future of college football is up in the air. Drinkwitz believes we’re going in the wrong direction.
Building a Culture
An important aspect of a successful college football team is the culture surrounding them. Drinkwitz talks a bit about the culture he is building with Missouri as well as what he expects out of his guys day in and day out.
Countdown to Gameday
Gameday is right around the corner, and coach Drinkwitz and Missouri will kick off their season against Louisiana Tech on September 1st. Mizzou will visit the swamp on October 8th to take on the Gators.
