Missouri head coach Eli Drinkwitz dismissed speculation linking him to the Florida State vacancy during his Tuesday press conference, stating he is not a candidate for the job.
Drinkwitz, in his seventh year leading the No. 19 Tigers, made the unprompted declaration as his team prepares for a Saturday showdown at No. 10 Texas. "I want to clear that up," Drinkwitz said. "Let's focus on the main thing, which is Texas, and let's eliminate all the distractions and clear the clutter from that standpoint for my team and for everybody out there."
Drinkwitz had appeared on an initial list of candidates to replace Mike Norvell, who was fired Sunday after a 41-39 record over multiple seasons. However, Drinkwitz signed a contract extension last November through the 2031 season, raising his average annual salary above $10.7 million, making him the 11th-highest paid coach in college football according to USA Today's database.
Missouri (6-2, 3-2 SEC) enters the game as a 2.5-point road underdog. A victory would give the Tigers a 15.9% chance of reaching the College Football Playoff per the CBS Sports CFP Forecaster. The schedule remains brutal: after Texas, Missouri faces No. 2 Georgia on the road, then hosts No. 8 Kentucky before closing the regular season against Oklahoma.
Drinkwitz's name has surfaced in connection with other openings in recent years as he has built Missouri into a consistent SEC contender, posting a 35-12 record over the past four seasons and a 52-31 overall mark (29-26 in conference play). His current contract makes a move to another program financially unlikely for all but a few schools.
