Derek Dooley says he's having fun at Mizzou, not looking to leave
One of the most-questioned hires of the offseason was Missouri’s decision to bring former Tennessee coach Derek Dooley on as the offensive coordinator.
Dooley had never called plays before, but his first year with the Tigers was a great one, as Mizzou’s passing and rushing attacks were incredibly balanced and potent.
Following an 8-4 regular season, with a chance to improve to 9-4 with a Liberty Bowl win over Oklahoma State, Dooley told Dave Matter of STLToday.com that he isn’t looking to leave Columbia anytime soon:
“Let’s just say this, if you ask any head coach that question and they say, ‘I’m going to be here for five years,’ every one of them is not telling the truth because inevitably somebody leaves or inevitably you get fired,” Dooley said. “Now, am I looking to leave? No. I don’t think anyone’s looking to leave. It’s my first time being in a coordinator role, and it’s been great.
“There’s so many things that happen where I look and Coach (Barry) Odom has to go deal with this issue, and I’m like, I’m so glad I don’t have to deal with that. I’ll just watch film here (and say), ‘Good luck, Coach. Go handle that one.’
“I’ve had as much fun coaching this year as I’ve had in a long time. Hopefully I’ll continue to do that. I’m happy they want me back. That’s the most important thing.”
Mizzou fans will be happy to hear that, especially with talented dual-threat QB Kelly Bryant coming aboard to lead the offense in 2019.
Dooley is having fun and, if he continues to have success, bigger programs will come calling. For now though, he’s happy at Mizzou.