COLUMBIA, Mo. — No one ever accused Missouri’s Eli Drinkwitz of being a conventional football coach, and he lived up to that reputation Thursday with a crucial but unconventional staff addition. Rather than hiring another Southeastern Conference retread or the latest Nick Saban acolyte from Alabama, Drinkwitz will turn the Tigers’ defense over to a longtime NFL coach who hasn’t worked at the college level in 15 years and wasn’t coaching anywhere last season.
Steve Wilks, 51, will take over as Mizzou’s defensive coordinator, MU announced late Thursday afternoon, and will replace Ryan Walters, who left earlier this month for the same position at Illinois.