Penn State’s coaching search just lost one of its biggest favorites, pushing them in a new direction. Eli Drinkwitz remained on top of all betting odds for the past few weeks as a replacement for James Franklin, knowing his ties with the South and seven-win season. But just when the Nittany Lions thought they had him, Missouri pulled a massive trigger on all speculations with one significant move.

Missouri took a significant step to retain Eli Drinkwitz, making a massive financial commitment. On Wednesday, November 26, 2025, the university’s governing board will meet to discuss further his new contract.

As per Yahoo Sports’ Ross Dellenger’s update, Missouri’s board is likely to authorize a substantial raise for the Missouri Tigers head coach. There’s nothing finalized yet, and Dellenger also noted that “there are several more steps in this process.”

This move came in right after Drinkwitz’s name had been linked to Penn State, Auburn, LSU, and Florida for weeks. Now, Drinkwitz’s 45-28 record with the Tigers and SEC Coach of the Year title in 2023, after leading them to 11-2 in a demanding SEC schedule, makes him a perfect option to lead Penn State and other teams. With the Tigers offering a potential new contract, he is no longer part of Penn State’s coaching search.

Since taking over as Missouri’s head coach in 2019, Eli Drinkwitz has extended his contract three times, with the most recent one occurring in July 2025. If he leaves the program before December 1, he owes the Tigers $5 million, which will drop to $1 million if he leaves before December 2029. This arrangement is essentially made to ensure the head coach’s commitment to the program.

That doesn’t mean he won’t have any financial security. Drinkwitz will earn $9 million this year, which will increase to $9.25 million in 2026 and 2027, and then will rise to $9.5 million in 2028 and 2029.

If the Tigers decide to part ways with him without cause, the school will pay him 75% of his remaining base salary and non-salary compensation. The program could increase it, as in that case, Drinkwitz might expect a hefty pay raise that Penn State can’t give.

After the update, even Penn State Reporter Dylan Dawson confirms the Tigers’ head coach’s fall from the odds ladder.

“I am of the belief that Missouri HC Eli Drinkwitz is officially out of the running for the Penn State job. Was a frontrunner on betting services at multiple different points throughout the search,” Dawson said.

But with the contract extension, there might be another reason behind Drinkwitz’s fall in Penn State’s coaching search – his track record against top teams.

Significantly, Franklin’s career record stands at 17-36 against AP Top 25 opponents (Vanderbilt + Penn State combined) and 4-20 against the AP Top 10. It’s massive, and even Drinkwitz struggles to get closer to that. Their losses this season against Alabama, Vanderbilt, and Texas A&M further compound the issue.

With that, Eli Drinkwitz is focusing on his team.

Eli Drinkwitz gets real on the portal timeline

With Missouri’s playoff hopes shattered for the season, Eli Drinkwitz focuses on the offseason and stresses that the NCAA should shift the transfer portal window from December to January, as it consolidates everything into the same time frame, including recruiting and staff changes.

One side prized that single January window that offers a clear advantage, giving coaches time to overhaul the roster.

“In one sense, it’s going to be really good because you only have to deal with the madness and the negotiations all at one time,” Drinkwitz said.

But immediately called it “terrible” because of the lack of flexibility. As spring framed the window, they had a better understanding of the players. He even highlighted their own success story with landing offensive tackle Marcus Bryant in 2024, which helped them with OL depth. But now that’s not possible.

“That’s a long time to go from January to August without any ability to fix or change or manage a roster,” Drinkwitz added.

Additionally, the new calendar overlaps with the playoffs, focusing on teams still competing for a title as they juggle postseason preparation with leading their team to victory.

Let’s wait and see if Drinkwitz’s plea brings about any changes.