Missouri's Eli Drinkwitz Addresses Florida State Coaching Rumors

Missouri head coach Eli Drinkwitz wasted little time shutting down speculation about his future during Tuesday's press conference.

Drinkwitz, who emerged as a potential candidate for Florida State's head coaching vacancy following the firing of Mike Norvell on Sunday, made it clear that he isn't interested in the position.

"I'm not a candidate at Florida State," Drinkwitz said. "I want to clear that up. 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 was among several coaches mentioned as possible replacements for Norvell, who was fired after Florida State's 3-5 start to the season.

The 43-year-old coach has compiled a 51-31 record during his seven seasons at Missouri and has guided the Tigers to at least eight victories in each of the past three seasons.

Drinkwitz also signed a lucrative contract extension in November 2025 that runs through the 2031 season and averages $10.75 million annually.

For now, Drinkwitz is focused on keeping Missouri in the College Football Playoff conversation.

The No. 19 Tigers (6-2, 3-2 SEC) host No. 10 Texas (6-2) on Saturday in a pivotal conference matchup with major playoff implications.

Kickoff from Faurot Field is set for 11 a.m. CT on ESPN.