Stepping stones: Drinkwitz's rise from Sun Belt to SEC

Eliah Drinkwitz looks up during a press conference — Eliah Drinkwitz watches the news conference introducing him as the new football coach Dec. 10 at the Show Me Club at Memorial Stadium in Columbia. Drinkwitz was hired one week after previous head coach Barry Odom was fired.
Emmalee Reed/Missourian

The first call came Dec. 1, the day after Missouri fired its four-year football coach, Barry Odom. Four more calls followed within the next week. “He wants the job,” the caller kept saying. “He wants the job!” It was a former MU football player, whose name is kept private by MU associate athletic director Nick Joos. But the calls were insistent.

“I was like, ‘OK, I’ve got it. I’ve got it,’” Joos said. “‘He wants the job.’”

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Eliah Drinkwitz walks up with daughters to the press conference — Eliah Drinkwitz walks to the stage with two of his daughters, Addison, 9, and Emerson, 6, to be introduced as the new head football coach at the University of Missouri on Dec. 10 in Columbia. Drinkwitz became the 33rd head football coach at Missouri after coaching the 2019 season at Appalachian State.
Jeff Roberson/AP Photo

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Eliah Drinkwitz talks with Zac Thomas — Appalachian State coach Eliah Drinkwitz talks with quarterback Zac Thomas during the second half of the team’s game against Troy on Nov. 29 in Troy, Ala.
Butch Dill/AP Photo

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Then-Appalachian State head coach Eliah Drinkwitz, center, joins his players as they celebrate with fans after the team pulled an upset win over North Carolina in a college football game Sept. 21, 2019, in Chapel Hill, N.C.

Chris Seward/AP Photo

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Eliah Drinkwitz yells during Appalachian State practice — Then-Appalachian State head coach Eliah Drinkwitz directs the team during warmups before an college football game against North Carolina in Chapel Hill, N.C., Sept. 21, 2019.
Chris Seward/AP Photo

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Eliah Drinkwitz raises arms during practice — Missouri head coach Eliah Drinkwitz raises his arms during football practice Aug. 19 in Columbia.
Jeff Roberson/AP Photo

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Eliah Drinkwitz celebrates winning the Sun Belt Championship — Then-Appalachian State head coach Eliah Drinkwitz celebrates following his team’s 45-38 win over Louisiana in the Sun Belt Conference Championship on Dec. 7 in Boone, N.C.
Brian Blanco/AP Photo

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Head coach Eliah Drinkwitz talks during practice March 11 at the Mizzou Athletics Training Complex. Spring and fall practices were cut short due to COVID-19.
Marco Postigo Storel/Missourian

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Stepping stones: Drinkwitz's rise from Sun Belt to SEC

Through paintball and heart-to-hearts, new MU coach Eli Drinkwitz turned short-term head coaching success into a long-term contract

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