Missouri coach Eli Drinkwitz believes the fan base plays a role in developing the program and helping the Tigers bring in some big-time recruits. That’s why he said in a radio interview today that Mizzou fans need to fill 70,000 seats at Memorial Stadium.

“It needs to be 70k there,” Drinkwitz said on 590 The Fan, per Matt Rocchio. “Regardless whether you’re excited about what were doing, we owe it to this state…Nothing’s going to get somebody to want to flip from another school more than our fan base…If we do that, then in-state recruiting is like shooting fish in a barrel.”

In a wide-ranging interview, Drinkwitz also covered how NCAA rules played a factor in his search for a house in Columbia as his family looked for a house within a mile of campus.

He also sold his staff, which has plenty of NFL flavor.

“I think the first thing is you feel confident going into gameplaning, that you aren’t leaving a stone unturned to be successful,” he said. “When you have NFL coaches you know they’ve been through the wars. We have a diverse staff, a staff that can really identify with (recruits).”

Speaking about new wide receivers Mookie Cooper and Dominic Lovett, Drinkwitz said, “Both those guys have been tremendous. They work very hard both in the classroom and the weight room. Cooper is really adamant about proving his worth this season … We’re excited about getting those guys involved.”