Missouri HC Eli Drinkwitz breaks silence on Florida State job before Texas game

Eli Drinkwitz opened his Tuesday press conference ahead of the Missouri Tigers’ home game against the Texas Longhorns by addressing the opening at the Florida State Seminoles.

Florida State fired Mike Norvell on Sunday, with Rick Stockstill taking over as interim coach, and ESPN’s Adam Rittenberg, Eli Lederman and Max Olson put Drinkwitz among eight candidates for the job that same day. The school takes on a buyout of nearly $50 million in the process, and it is also looking for an athletic director after firing Michael Alford in September.

“I’m not a candidate at Florida State. I want to clear that up. Let’s focus on the main thing, which is Texas, and let’s eliminate all the distractions and clutter from that standpoint,” Drinkwitz said.

Has Eli Drinkwitz been through this before?

Drinkwitz’s name circulated for several openings during last year’s coaching carousel, and he took it up at his press conference on Nov. 18, 2025.

“I’m not going to comment on message board chatters, tweets, sources … My complete focus is on the task at hand … People had me meeting with my team and telling them that I was going to another school, none of which were true … We absolutely love Mizzou,” Drinkwitz said then.

Missouri answered that round of speculation on Nov. 27, 2025, by announcing a six-year extension through 2031 that averages $10.75 million a season, and this is his first full season under that deal. That history gives Tuesday’s statement more credibility than the usual November denial, because the last time his name was everywhere, he stayed and signed. This time he also skipped the no-comment stage, named the school himself and put it in his opening remarks.

Related: ASU HC Kenny Dillingham gives honest answer on hiring fired Mike Norvell

What does Missouri have at stake against Texas?

No. 19 Missouri is 6-2 and 3-2 in the SEC, with its losses coming at the Mississippi State Bulldogs and Ole Miss Rebels, and No. 10 Texas arrives in Columbia on Saturday for a noon ET kickoff on ESPN. A third loss would do serious damage to any playoff case, and a trip to the Georgia Bulldogs and a home game against the Kentucky Wildcats follow, which makes three straight opponents from the AP top 10.

Missouri has swung both ways in SEC play, beating the Texas A&M Aggies 27-6 on Oct. 10 and losing 31-3 at Ole Miss a week later.

Drinkwitz is 52-31 at Missouri with two 10-win seasons, and that record will keep his name on lists like this one for as long as schools keep firing coaches. His answer on this one is on the record, and Texas is next on Saturday.

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