COLUMBIA, Mo. • As the Missouri football team prepares for its final home game in Gary Pinkel's 15-year tenure with the Tigers, athletic director Mack Rhoades must celebrate the program's winningest coach while also looking ahead.
Rhoades, hired in March to replace former Mizzou athletic director Mike Alden, will be the key decision maker when it comes to hiring Pinkel's replacement. He had a bit of a head start. He found out sometime last month that Pinkel, who has been diagnosed with non-Hodgkin lymphoma, would retire after the end of this season.
Rhoades discussed his search during a media session on Wednesday afternoon at Mizzou Arena.