Eli Drinkwitz now has an offensive coordinator on his Mizzou staff. Kirby Moore was recently hired by the Tigers, filling the vacancy left by Bush Hamdan.

Hamdan’s title was quarterbacks coach on Drinkwitz’s staff. On Dec. 14, Hamdan was introduced as offensive coordinator at Boise State.

Saturday, Drinkwitz explained that he wanted to wait until after Mizzou’s bowl game to make a decision on staff changes such as designating an offensive coordinator. The Tigers played in the Gasparilla Bowl on Dec. 23.

“I was very adamant with our coaching staff and with everybody that I was not going to make any firm decisions until after the bowl game,” Drinkwitz told reporters. “I felt like I need to have that chance to step away from the emotion of the season and really try to figure out exactly what we needed to do moving forward.”

Drinkwitz said that turning over play-calling was about doing what’s best for the Tigers. He feels Moore can make the Tigers better.

“I ask guys all the time to embrace your role and put the team first, and at the end of the day, that’s what I needed to do as the head coach, embrace what I need to do to help our team be successful,” Drinkwitz said at his Saturday media availability. “I was adamant that I wasn’t going to (hire an offensive coordinator) unless I could find someone who could do it better than me.”

Moore arrives in Columbia after 6 seasons on staff at Fresno State.