Eliah Drinkwitz

Eliah Drinkwitz is the head football coach at the University of Missouri, where he has established a reputation in college football for program building and player development. Appointed as Missouri's 33rd head football coach, Drinkwitz has received SEC Coach of the Year honors and is recognized for his contributions to the Tigers' football program.

Drinkwitz began his coaching career as a volunteer assistant while attending college and earned a bachelor's degree in education from Arkansas Tech, graduating magna cum laude after serving as student body president. He gained experience at several collegiate football programs, including a role as quality control assistant at Auburn, where the team went 14-0 and won the national title with Heisman Trophy-winning quarterback Cam Newton. Drinkwitz further developed his offensive strategies as a coordinator at Arkansas State and Boise State, then served as offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach at NC State, where his offenses ranked among the top 20 nationally in total offense. His success as a coordinator led to his first head coaching position at Appalachian State, where he guided the Mountaineers to a 12-1 record and a Sun Belt Conference title.

At Missouri, Drinkwitz has set new records for the program, surpassing Dan Devine's school record for victories in a coach's first six seasons and ranking among the all-time leaders in program history for wins with a .667 overall winning percentage. His tenure includes a season in which the Tigers achieved an 11-2 record, reached the top 10 in national polls, and secured a victory over Ohio State in the Goodyear Cotton Bowl. Drinkwitz also led Missouri to consecutive seasons with 10 or more wins, a milestone achieved only three times in program history.

With more than 20 years of coaching experience, Drinkwitz has coached in 13 bowl games, including the BCS National Championship Game, and has helped develop 61 student-athletes to all-conference honors, nine All-Americans, and 19 NFL Draft selections. At Missouri, he has mentored 22 players to 24 all-conference honors, including 13 first-team All-SEC selections, and coached 16 Tigers drafted into the NFL, including first-round selections Darius Robinson and Armand Membou. Drinkwitz's leadership in college football is reflected in his long-term commitment to the University of Missouri and his focus on building a competitive and successful football program.