Going by the history of college football, head coaches have found their equal share of fans and haters during their stints. However, we have seen how things have been different for GOAT Nick Saban. The former Alabama Crimson Tide head coach holds a picture-perfect resume of 292 wins, 71 losses, and one tie. Plus, Saban proudly boasts seven Natty trophies under his name. So, the percentage of fans has been higher than haters in his case. 

While Saban has always minded his own business, this time he stirred Eli Drinkwitz’s pot. The Missouri Tigers’ head coach right now is in a sticky spot. The SEC Football podcast analyst Cousin Shane sketched out the actual scenario that Drinkwitz finds himself in. “Drinkwitz is in no jeopardy of losing his job here. But if he loses a s– ton of momentum, if he comes out here and says ‘this is the most talented team’ and then drops two of the first four games,” he said on July 8. Turns out that more than his present rivals and the schedule, Saban has snatched away his goodnight sleep.

Things turned awry for the Tigers’ head coach after Greg McElroy’s comment on the ex-Alabama’s head coach’s return went viral. “A very much in-the-know person that I have a lot of respect for and have spent a lot of time around, and just really, really admire – they seem to think Nick Saban is not done coaching. He’s pretty adamant that he thinks Nick Saban will be coaching again,” said McElroy. Drinkwitz took part in the July 17th episode of the Jox 94.5 podcast. That’s when the Missouri Tigers head coach got a chance to have a conversation with McElroy over the call. “Is Greg on the air?” asked Drinkwitz. McElroy assured, “I’m here. I’m here.” That’s when the Tigers’ head coach revealed a funny story.

 “I want to thank you [Greg] for putting me on the hot seat. You know, when you started this rumor about Saban coming back, the board started looking into my contract. See if they get rid of me and bring Saban back to the University of Missouri. So, you know, appreciate you doing that.”  Last season, Drinkwitz earned $9 million per year in total compensation from the university. That number increases incrementally over the course of his deal.

As per the reports, from the beginning of 2026, Drinkwitz is entitled to earn $9.25 million. Last season, after wrapping up a 10-win season, he unlocked $1.3 million bonus for himself. So, McElroy inquisitively asked whether he helped Drinkwitz in grabbing some extra dollars: “Did he get you an extension at least?” Drinkwitz responded: “No. No. Put me on the hot seat. Straight up on it. So, yeah, that’s everybody wants to hire the GOAT back, man.” Now, exactly how hot is the Tigers head coach’s seat?

Joel Klatt cooled off Eli Drinkwitz’s hot seat

As per CBS Sports’ ‘2025 Hot Seat Rankings, ’ Drinkwitz holds a rating of 1.11. To have a better understanding of where he stands, here is an outlook of other head coaches. Sherrone Moore holds a rating of 2.22, and Steve Sarkisian has a 0.44 rating. While the head coach himself seems not to hold an optimistic outlook towards the future, Joel Klatt is one who is counting high on the Tigers’ 2025 ride. That’s solely because Drinkwitz has proved his skills, beating all odds. 

The analyst shared, “They have questions on offense. They’ve got to replace Brady Cook. They’ve got to replace Luther Burton, but they did add a top 10 portal class. So, I like what they did there. The expected starter, Beau Pribula, transferred from Penn State. I liked what he was at Penn State. Eli Drinkwitz has done an excellent job with that program. They’ve recruited well.” The head coach did not think twice to pull Beau Pribula in, and made a $1.5 million gamble at a time when James Franklin had a hard to letting him go. 

Joel Klatt further added, “Defense should be good. I feel like they’re always raising the talent on the defensive side. They added freshman All-American Josiah Trotter from West Virginia. They added Damon Wilson from Georgia. He was a former top 50 recruit.” This again shows how Eli Drinkwitz has been a pro when it comes to recruiting. Under him, Missouri’s recruiting class ranked 16th nationally with an average recruit composite rating of 90.41 as of July 18, 2025. Back when Barry Odom led the pack, the Tigers ranked 31st nationally while Gary Pinkel took them to No.27. Saban might’ve made a cameo in Mizzou’s daydreams, but Drinkwitz is the one they believe can turn those dreams into a championship reality.