Missouri head coach Eli Drinkwitz unequivocally stated he is not a candidate for the vacant Florida State head coaching position during his Tuesday press conference. The seventh-year leader of the No. 19 Tigers addressed the speculation unprompted as his team prepares for a critical road game against No. 10 Texas on Saturday.
"I want to clear that up," Drinkwitz said in his opening statement. "Let's focus on the main thing, which is Texas, and let's eliminate all the distractions and clear the clutter from that standpoint for my team and for everybody out there."
Drinkwitz's name had appeared on CBS Sports' initial list of potential replacements for Mike Norvell, who was fired Sunday after posting a 41-39 record at Florida State. However, Drinkwitz signed a contract extension last November that runs through the 2031 season and raised his average annual salary past $10.7 million, making him the 11th-highest paid coach in college football according to USA Today's database.
The 43-year-old coach has compiled a 52-31 overall record (29-26 in SEC play) at Missouri, including a 35-12 mark over the past four seasons. His Tigers enter the Texas matchup at 6-2 overall and 3-2 in the SEC as 2.5-point underdogs. A victory would give Missouri a 15.9% chance of reaching the College Football Playoff per the CBS Sports CFP Forecaster.
By addressing the Florida State vacancy directly, Drinkwitz aims to remove a potential distraction during a brutal November stretch. After facing Texas, Missouri travels to No. 2 Georgia, hosts No. 8 Kentucky, and closes the regular season against Oklahoma.
