History of Eliah Drinkwitz in Timeline

Eliah Drinkwitz is an American college football coach currently serving as the head coach for the Missouri Tigers since 2020. Before Missouri, he was the head coach at Appalachian State in 2019. Drinkwitz has an extensive background as an assistant coach, having worked at NC State, Boise State, Arkansas State, and Auburn. His career has been marked by rapid ascent, moving from assistant roles to a head coaching position within a relatively short period.

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Full Timeline Career & Achievements

April 12, 1983: Eliah Drinkwitz Born

On April 12, 1983, Eliah "Eli" Drinkwitz was born.

1984: Moved to Alma, Arkansas

In 1984, Eli Drinkwitz's family moved to Alma, Arkansas, when he was one year old.

2004: Coached at Springdale High School

In 2004, Eli Drinkwitz coached with Gus Malzahn at Springdale High School in Arkansas.

2004: Graduated from Arkansas Tech University

In 2004, Eli Drinkwitz received a bachelor's degree in education from Arkansas Tech University.

2009: Joined Auburn Coaching Staff

In 2009, Eli Drinkwitz moved to Auburn to work on football operations as the quality control coach.

2010: National Championship at Auburn

In 2010, Eli Drinkwitz was on the coaching staff when Auburn won the National Championship under Gene Chizik.

2012: Joined Arkansas State Coaching Staff

In 2012, after two successful seasons with Auburn, Eli Drinkwitz followed Gus Malzahn to Arkansas State as running backs coach.

2013: Co-Offensive Coordinator at Arkansas State

In 2013, in addition to being the running backs coach, Eli Drinkwitz also served as co-offensive coordinator at Arkansas State.

2014: Joined Boise State Coaching Staff

In 2014, Eli Drinkwitz joined Bryan Harsin's staff at Boise State as the tight ends coach.

2015: Promoted at Boise State

In 2015, Eli Drinkwitz was promoted to offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach at Boise State.

2016: Joined NC State Coaching Staff

In 2016, Eli Drinkwitz was named offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach at NC State.

2017: NC State Finished #23 in AP Poll

In 2017, the NC State Wolfpack football team, where Eli Drinkwitz was the offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach, finished at #23 in the AP Poll.

December 13, 2018: Hired as Head Coach at Appalachian State

On December 13, 2018, Eli Drinkwitz was hired as the head coach at Appalachian State University.

December 9, 2019: Hired as Head Coach of Missouri Tigers

On December 9, 2019, Eli Drinkwitz was hired as the head coach of the Missouri Tigers, replacing Barry Odom.

2019: Sun Belt Championship

In 2019, Eli Drinkwitz finished his one season as head coach of the Appalachian State Mountaineers with a 12–1 record, including a victory over Louisiana in the Sun Belt championship.

2019: Head Coach at Appalachian State

In 2019, Eli Drinkwitz served as the head coach at Appalachian State University.

2020: Head Football Coach for Missouri

In 2020, Eli Drinkwitz became the head football coach for the University of Missouri.

2021: Missouri Appeared in Armed Forces Bowl

In the 2021 season, Eli Drinkwitz led Missouri to a 6–6 regular season record and an appearance in the Armed Forces Bowl, where they lost to Army 24–22.

2022: Missouri Qualified for Gasparilla Bowl

In the 2022 season, Eli Drinkwitz again led Missouri to a 6–6 regular season record and qualified for the Gasparilla Bowl, where they lost to Wake Forest 27–17.

December 31, 2023: Contract Extension Through 2028

On December 31, 2023, the University of Missouri announced a contract extension for Eli Drinkwitz through the 2028 season which included a pay raise to $9 million for the 2024 season.

2024: Missouri won Music City Bowl

In 2024, under the leadership of Eli Drinkwitz, Missouri went 10-3 and defeated Iowa in the Music City Bowl.

2024: Contract Extension Through 2028

On December 31, 2023, the University of Missouri announced a contract extension for Eli Drinkwitz through the 2028 season which included a pay raise to $9 million for the 2024 season.

February 28, 2025: Ethics Complaint Filed Against Drinkwitz

On Friday, February 28, 2025, Coach Eli Drinkwitz was the subject of a formal ethics complaint made to the Missouri Ethics Commission, alleging violation of university policy for his on-air endorsement of a mayoral candidate.