Eli Drinkwitz named as potential candidate for Florida head coaching vacancy
By Rolando Rosa
Published:
Now that Billy Napier is out at Florida, there’s an attractive vacancy at one of the most prestigious programs in college football.
In the aftermath of Napier’s firing, ESPN is listing potential candidates and Missouri‘s Eli Drinkwitz is on its list, along with Ole Miss’ Lane Kiffin, SMU’s Rhett Lashlee, Washington’s Jedd Fisch, and Notre Dame’s Marcus Freeman.
The 42-year-old Drinkwitz currently has Missouri ranked No. 15 in the AP poll with a 6-1 record. Missouri’s offense is thriving under Drinkwitz’s leadership, ranking 12th nationally in points per game (39.0). Since the beginning of the 2023 season, Drinkwitz has posted a 27-6 mark at Missouri, elevating his national stock for desirable positions.
ESPN notes that Drinkwitz is enjoying his time with Tigers yet believes a national championship could be more likely at Florida. Here’s some analysis from ESPN’s Adam Rittenberg:
Kiffin should be Florida’s top target within the SEC, but Drinkwitz also merits close consideration. Like Spurrier, he’s an offense-minded coach who delivers the goods when behind a microphone and will bring a confident style of play to Gainesville. After a slow start in Columbia, Drinkwitz, 42, guided Missouri to a Cotton Bowl title and a No. 8 finish in 2023 and also has a 27-6 record since the start of the 2023 season. The Arkansas native could have Missouri positioned for its third straight winning season in SEC play. Drinkwitz likes Missouri, which has shown him a stronger commitment over time, but if he wants to win a national championship, he could seek a move to a program like Florida.
Missouri is coming off a thrilling 23-17 double-overtime victory at Auburn. Missouri clinched the win with a 3-yard touchdown by quarterback Beau Pribula.
Next up for Missouri is a massive road matchup at No. 10 Vanderbilt on Saturday (3:30 p.m. ET/ESPN).
