Missouri's Eli Drinkwitz dismisses coaching carousel rumors, takes aim at social media speculation

Missouri coach Eli Drinkwitz had plenty to say about his name surfacing in the college football coaching carousel -- and he didn't hold back. The Tigers sixth-year coach has been mentioned in recent days as a potential candidate for the Penn State job following James Franklin's ouster. But Drinkwitz dismissed the speculation with a mix of frustration and humor, using the moment to take aim at the rampant coaching rumors and the constant chatter on social media.

"I think the No. 1 issue right now amongst college football is the noise that's associated with people's programs at all points of the season, whether good, bad or indifferent," Drinkwitz said when asked about compartmentalizing outside distractions. "There's no such thing as journalistic integrity on social media. There's just wild, outlandish reporting and anybody's name -- I'll bet every sitting head coach has been listed as a candidate for some job so far."

Drinkwitz then denounced a report stating Missouri offensive coordinator Kirby Moore had interviewed for the Arkansas coaching job, calling the now-deleted social media post a "complete lie."

"(Moore) never interviewed. Didn't even talk to anybody at Arkansas," Drinkwitz said. "It was a bunch of bull crap put out there to try to create distractions and a narrative that then comes over after the fact after the game. It's really disappointing that this stuff happens. Because again, Twitter ain't real and it's just a bunch of bull crap thrown on message boards."

Whether deserved or not, it's the way of the industry. The moment a coach is fired, names immediately start circulating as potential replacements. Some of those early mentions eventually materialize into legitimate candidates, while others never go beyond speculation.

This year alone, there have already been eight coaching vacancies in the FBS, and programs are making changes earlier than ever to get ahead of the line for top candidates.

For Drinkwitz, the attention is a byproduct of Missouri's recent success. Although it took a few years to build the program into an SEC contender, the Tigers are 26-6 in the past three seasons under Drinkwitz. They've opened the 2025 campaign 5-1 and are on pace for a third-consecutive double-digit win season for the first time in program history.

But even amid the speculation, his focus remains on Missouri.

"So how do I block it out? I ignore it, and I get mad about it when people ask me about it -- no," Drinkwitz said jokingly. "As far as my name [being] associated with everything, that's awesome for the University of Missouri. It means we're doing something really good. Means that our administration is committed to excellence. It means all the investment that the people here have made has resulted in our success."

While there's still a chance Drinkwitz could be a candidate elsewhere at some point during this coaching carousel, he has no interest in entertaining the speculation during the season.