Mizzou football announces changes to defensive line coaching staff
COLUMBIA, Mo. (KMIZ)
The Mizzou football team announced some shakeups on the defensive line coaching staff, ahead of the 2025 campaign, on Friday night.
Just a couple months and some change before another season is set to begin, defensive line coach Al Davis announced he is resigning from his position, "due to personal reasons to focus on family matters." In a statement, he went on to say, "I want to thank Coach Drinkwitz for giving me the opportunity to coach here over the last few years and wish the program well. They have a bright future under his leadership."
In turn, Mizzou defensive tackles coach David Blackwell will assume additional responsibilities, taking over for Davis on the d-line. He will continue to work closely with edges coach Brian Early, who remains on staff.
"We are fortunate to have a veteran in David to be able to step in and fill any additional coaching needs we might have at that position," head coach Eli Drinkwitz said in a statement. "We're looking forward to a seamless transition as we continues preparations for the 2025 season."
Blackwell joined the MU staff in 2023 as a senior analyst, before being promoted to defensive tackles coach prior to the 2024 campaign. He has more than 30 years of coaching experience under his belt at nine different schools, including 11 years spent as the defensive coordinator at Louisiana Tech, Old Dominion, East Carolina, Jacksonville State, Fordham University and USF.
Meanwhile, Davis' departure from Columbia comes after spending about three years with Coach Drink and company. He started as a defensive analyst in 2021 and then quickly moved into his role of coaching the d-line, specifically working with the interior, in Oct. 2021.
It is the second defensive assistant that Coach Drinkwitz has lost in the offseason, after linebackers coach D.J. Smith left the program to be the defensive coordinator at his alma mater, Appalachian State. Mizzou already replaced that position, as well, with the hiring of former Miami co-defensive coordinator Derek Nicholson.
