Columbia News

Mizzou football defensive coordinator Corey Batoon has signed a contract extension that will keep him with the Tigers through the 2027 season. The agreement was announced Thursday by head coach Eliah Drinkwitz.

Batoon, who joined the Missouri program in February 2024, led the Tigers’ defense to significant improvements during his first year. Under his direction, Mizzou’s defense ranked among the top 20 nationally in several categories and played a central role in achieving a 10-win season and a Music City Bowl victory.

"We're building something special at Mizzou, and I'm incredibly grateful to be a part of it," Batoon said. "This program is full of talented student-athletes and coaches who take pride in doing things the right way. I'm thankful to Coach Drinkwitz and the administration for their trust, and I look forward to continuing to elevate our standard of excellence on the defensive side of the ball."

In 2024, Batoon's unit finished fifth nationally in third down conversion percentage defense, an improvement from rankings of 33rd and 47th over the previous two years. The Tigers also moved up from outside the top 30 to No. 17 in total defense, No. 18 in passing yards allowed, and No. 20 in scoring defense.

"Corey Batoon's impact on our program and our 'Death Row Defense' in just one season has been tremendous," Drinkwitz said. "He's an incredible teacher and tactician and a relentless competitor. His leadership, preparation and ability to maximize our players' potential helped us significantly on the defensive side in 2024. We're proud to have him leading our defense as we continue to raise the bar and compete for championships at Mizzou."

The Tigers’ defense held seven opponents to no more than 21 points last season and forced turnovers in ten games. They recorded at least five tackles for loss ten times and three or more sacks four times during the year. Defensive end Johnny Walker Jr. earned Second Team All-SEC honors after recording a seven-game sack streak — noted as the longest such streak nationally — finishing with one of Missouri’s best individual sack totals.

Batoon has over three decades of coaching experience, including more than fifteen years as a defensive coordinator across multiple programs. His career includes two conference titles (2003, 2017), one divisional championship (2019), four FCS playoff appearances, twelve bowl games, and three nominations for the Broyles Award recognizing top assistant coaches (2021, 2023, 2024).

Before joining Missouri, Batoon worked as defensive coordinator and safeties coach at South Alabama from 2021–23 where he contributed to consecutive bowl appearances for the Jaguars. He has also coached at Ole Miss, Hawaii, Florida Atlantic, Liberty, Arkansas State, and Northern Arizona.

Missouri opens its 2025 football season on August 28 against Central Arkansas at Memorial Stadium.

For additional information about Missouri Athletics visit MUTigers.com or follow team updates on X via @MizzouFootball or @CoachDrinkwitz.