Columbia News

Mizzou head coach Eliah Drinkwitz has been named to the 2025 Dodd Trophy Preseason Watch List, as announced by the Bobby Dodd Coach of the Year Foundation and Peach Bowl, Inc. on Monday. Drinkwitz is one of 26 college football coaches from various conferences included in this list.

The Dodd Trophy, managed by Peach Bowl, Inc. and presented by PNC Bank, is a prestigious national coaching award that honors a head coach who achieves success on the field while emphasizing scholarship, leadership, and integrity. The award celebrates its 50th anniversary this season and recognizes NCAA Football Bowl Subdivision head coaches whose programs exemplify high ideals both on and off the field.

Jim Terry, Chairman of the Bobby Dodd Coach of the Year Foundation, stated: "As we enter our 50th anniversary season, we're looking for exceptional candidates to join the storied fraternity of coaching greats who have previously won The Dodd Trophy."

Drinkwitz is entering his sixth season with Mizzou and has achieved a record of 38-24 (.613). He surpassed Dan Devine's school record for wins in the first five seasons as a Mizzou head coach. Under his leadership, Mizzou has maintained a strong home record at Faurot Field at Memorial Stadium with a 27-7 (.794) overall record since 2020.

In recent years, Drinkwitz guided Mizzou to back-to-back top-25 finishes and an overall record of 21-5 over two seasons. The team also achieved consecutive 10-plus win seasons in 2023 (11-2) and 2024 (10-3), marking only the third time in program history for such an accomplishment.

During his tenure at Mizzou, Drinkwitz has mentored numerous players to all-conference honors and seen several drafted into the NFL. Notably, in the 2025 NFL Draft, offensive lineman Armand Membou and wide receiver Luther Burden III were selected among the top 40 picks.

The watch list selection process considers each program's Academic Progress Rate (APR), Graduation Success Rate (GSR), community service commitment, and projected success for the upcoming season. Coaches in their first year with current teams are not eligible for consideration until their second year.

A midseason watch list will be released later this year to refine or expand candidate selections. A panel comprising previous winners, national media members, a representative from the Dodd family, and a College Football Hall of Fame member will finalize potential recipients at the end of the season. The winner will be announced during College Football Playoff Semifinal week at the Chick-fil-A Peach Bowl in Atlanta.