A look at new details in Eli Drinkwitz’s new contract with Mizzou

COLUMBIA, Mo. (KMIZ)

Now-a-days, stability is not common in college athletics, but for Mizzou it's the priority.

On Monday, Tiger Athletic Director Laird Veatch took local media members through football coach Eli Drinkwitz's recent contract extension. It was a deal that came together just months after his July extension, which kept the leader of the Tigers in Columbia through 2029. However, the deal that came together at the end of November came in much different circumstances, as rumors circulated of Coach Drinkwitz possibility taking a head coaching job at one of the many open positions across the country.

Drinkwitz and Mizzou came to a new six-year deal, which will keep him in Columbia through 2031.

"Ultimately, the message is that it is really important for us to provide stability and continue to invest and empower Coach Drinkwitz with what he needs to take the next steps. You know, that is going to be with the resources he needs to continue to invest in his staff, in NIL and other areas to bring in talent and really provide the team that we need to continue to elevate. So, it was a unique opportunity and a special time. I really appreciate Coach Drink and his agent and our leadership throughout the whole process. It was it was really smooth."

You can watch the full interview with Veatch in the video player below.

The new contract came together on Nov. 27, but Veatch said conversations between Drinkwitz and Mizzou leadership started many weeks before that, all coming to a peak when Coach Eli texted 'lets get this done,' to Veatch after the Oklahoma game.

Veatch emphasized that salary was not the most important factor for Coach Drinkwitz in this newest extension. He'll start at $10.25 million in 2026 and go up in $200,000 increments each season through 2031, totaling in $64.5 million.

The most impactful piece for Drinkwitz was the staff salary pool, which received a $4 million bump, going from $12 million to $16 million in this new deal.

"I would say [the most important thing] was the salary pool for not only assistants, but all the staff, so he can really continue to invest in his people and also invest in talent," Veatch said. "We talked about, of course, how we're approaching NIL, revenue share and those things are difficult in this environment to articulate in a contract, but you will see language when you see the full contract our commitment to that. Not necessarily numbers, but from an effort standpoint, from an investment standpoint. Continuing to do all the things we're doing and doing more to help him provide the resources he needs to secure talent and compete."

Mizzou's commitment to Coach Drinkwitz is showcased in his new contract's automatic extension clause. Essentially, every time that the Tigers win eight game in a season, there will be one year automatically added to his deal. That automatic extension will also come with an additional $200,000 salary increase.

"It is really about stability," Veatch said. "I want to be clear that we have aspirations for even higher levels, right? We do want and expect to get to a point where we are consistently competing for winning championships. But, at the same time that stability and that consistently is such a powerful thing right now in college football that we wanted that to be a signal of his contract that we are committed to him, he's committed to us."

In the even that Drinkwitz does end up leaving Mizzou, his buyout remained pretty much the same as the initial contract extension he signed in July. You can find a full look at his buyout policy below.

• On or before Dec. 1, 2026: $5 million
• On or before Dec. 1, 2027: $4 million
• On or before Dec. 1, 2028: $3 million
• On or before Dec. 1, 2029: $3 million
• On or before Dec. 1, 2030: $2 million
• On or before Dec. 1, 2031: $1 million
• On or after Dec. 2, 20231: $0

The contract states that 50 percent of those buyouts would be due within 30 days, with the remaining 50 percent due one year after the due date of the initial payment. Additionally, if an automatic extension is earned, then all buyouts after Dec. 1, 2026 will be reset by one calendar year. The buyout will not exceed $4 million after Dec. 1, 2026.

The leader of Mizzou football also has plenty of opportunity to add up to $2 million in incentives to his total compensation. You can find all those incentives in the lists below.

Eligible for all of the following (cumulative):

• Academic/social achievement: $25,000
• Top-25 final ranking (AP, Coaches or CFP): $25,000
• SEC Coach of the Year (AP or Conference): $75,000
• National Coach of the Year: $75,000

Maximum of one of the following (based on highest goal achieved):

• 10 wins: $50,000
• 11 wins: $100,000
• 12 wins: $150,000

Maximum of one of the following (based on highest goal achieved):

• SEC Championship game appearance: $150,000
• SEC Championship game win: $400,000

Maximum of one of the following (based on highest goal achieved):

• Birmingham/Gasparilla/Non-affiliated SEC bowl game participant: $100,000
• Citrus Bowl or SEC Group of Six bowl game participant: $150,000
• CFP first round appearance: $400,000
• CFP quarterfinal appearance: $500,000
• CFP semifinal appearance: $600,000
• CFP National Championship game appearance: $1 million
• CFP National Championship game win: $1.25 million

Overall, Veatch said the entire process of negotiating a new contract with Drinkwitz was smooth, even in the face of rumors of his possible departure for other jobs.

"I would say the entire time I felt good and positive about it. Were there times when you wonder or that was there a risk? Certainly. I mean, you go through a process and you have a coach of that quality and that magnitude and there's these jobs out there...I maintained a very optimistic perspective throughout it, but also didn't take it for granted," Veatch said. "We knew we had to make sure we were doing all we could to support him and his program and, you know, provide the resources he needs."