Everything LSU football fans should know about potential coach Eli Drinkwitz

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LSU football is all in on Ole Miss head coach Lane Kiffin. The Tigers have circled Kiffin as priority No. 1 in their effort to replace Brian Kelly. According to Yahoo’s Ross Dellenger, LSU put its money where its mouth is, making Kiffin a sizeable offer.

But if LSU doesn’t land Kiffin, the Tigers have to reset. Reports have mentioned Missouri head coach Eli Drinkwitz as a potential backup plan.

Drinkwitz’s name isn’t scorching hot like Kiffin’s, but he’s been mentioned in the searches at Penn State and Florida, along with LSU.

LSU and Florida both want Kiffin. Right now, anything else will be seen as a letdown. Is that fair? Probably not. Kiffin isn’t the only coach who can win at these schools, even if it feels like that at the moment.

As LSU fans anxiously await some news on Kiffin, let’s take a closer look at Drinkwitz.

Eli Drinkwitz’s background

Drinkwitz is an Arkansas native — so it’s no surprise his coaching origins relate to Guz Malzahn. Drinkwitz coached high school ball alongside Malzahn and eventually worked with Malzahn at Auburn. Drinkwitz was on staff at Auburn in 2010, when Cam Newton led the Tigers to a national title.

From there, Drinkwitz spent time on staff at Arkansas State. When Arkansas State head coach Bryan Harsin left for the same job at Boise State, Drinkwitz followed. After success at Boise State, Drinkwitz left to be NC State’s offensive coordinator.

Drinkwitz’s offensive background is diverse thanks to extended time with Malzahn and Harsin.

Eli Drinkwitz got his head coaching start at App State

Drinkwitz moved on from his OC role at NC State and accepted his first head coaching job at App State in 2019. Drinkwitz continued App State’s winning traditions, going 12-1 and finishing No. 19 in the AP Poll.

Drinkwitz becomes Missouri’s head coach

After one year at App State, Drinkwitz earned an SEC head coaching job, taking over Missouri in 2020.

2020 was a rough year to be a first-year head coach at a program. The 2020 college football season was disrupted by COVID, and it wasn’t easy to get a program started. Making matters worse, Missouri was under NCAA recruiting sanctions at the time. Still, Drinkwitz went 5-5.

Drinkwitz builds Missouri

Missouri began to see steady improvement after 2020. In 2021, Missouri’s SP+ rating was 3.1. In 2022, it was up to 8.1.

2023 was a breakout year for the program under Drinkwitz. Missouri won 11 games, capping the season with a win over Ohio State in the Cotton Bowl. Missouri finished No. 8 in the AP Poll.

In 2024, Missouri was forced to replace significant pieces from the 2023 squad, but Missouri won 10 games and finished ranked.

Missouri has a chance to reach double-digit wins again in 2025, despite being down to its third-string quarterback. Missouri is 7-3 with a staunch defense and high-powered rushing attack.

Drinkwitz raised the talent level at Missouri

Anytime a coach jumps from a school like Missouri to LSU or Florida, there will be recruiting questions, but Drinkwitz has proven he knows how to accumulate talent.

Missouri’s talent level is significantly higher now than it was when Drinkwitz took over the program.

Missouri’s 247 team talent composite rating was typically under 650 prior to Drinkwitz’s arrival — now it’s over 800. Missouri recruits blue-chip high school prospects, works the transfer portal, and produces NFL talent.

This article originally appeared on LSU Wire: LSU football considers coach Eli Drinkwitz | 5 things to know

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