Eli Drinkwitz addresses Missouri's 'Mike Leach approach' to winning the SEC

Missouri reached new heights in 2023 under Eli Drinkwitz.

The SEC program enjoyed an 11-win season — the program’s first since 2014 — which included a 14-3 Cotton Bowl victory over the then No. 7 ranked Ohio State Buckeyes. The success was invaluable for Missouri, who’s been searching for that level of play since hiring Eli Drinkwitz in 2020.

However, Drinkwitz doesn’t want his guys hanging on to last year’s successes for too long. While the 11-2 finish breeds hope of a consecutive 10-plus-win season, the Tigers headman revealed his unique mindset by quoting one of the most unique college football coaches of all time.

“We kind of have a Mike Leach approach,” Drinkwitz explained during an appearance on the Jim Rome Show. “He has one of the greatest sayings. If you ever YouTube — ‘We don’t talk about last year. That was last year. We’re talking about this year.’ And I’ll say this, we do have the talent. But we can’t rely on anything that we accomplished last year other than the belief in the preparation that we put in can produce results.

“I can’t predict how the ball is going to bounce. I can’t predict what going to Texas A&M is going to be like, or going to Tuscaloosa, or playing Vandy at home. There are so many different things in the game of football that are unpredictable, but I do think that in every single one of those games, our football team will be prepared and talented enough to compete.”

Drinkwitz explained how he needs Missouri to approach each game with a 1-0 mentality. Pointing out the SEC’s new divisionless system, “everbody’s really running their own race,” he said. Concentrating on the task at hand without looking ahead or in the rearview mirror will be key to the Tigers efforts in 2024 according to the Mizzou headman.

Not only does the SEC’s move to dissolve its long-standing division format, but it coincides with the additions of former Big 12 Conference opponents Texas and Oklahoma joining the SEC’s ranks. Missouri will host the Sooners, but will not battle Texas during the regular season.

A matchup between the Tigers and Longhorns in the SEC championship game isn’t off the table, either. It’s been 54 years since Missouri has won a conference championship in football — and doing so in 2024 would be certainly be one way to end that streak given league’s the added competition.