Eli Drinkwitz should be commended for employing Corey Batoon.

Eli Drinkwitz should be commended for employing Corey Batoon.

In the midst of reading this article’s leade, Corey Batoon is in Columbia, Missouri, getting used to his new role as Mizzou’s defensive coordinator. Perhaps he is attending HR lectures.

He might be signing documents. Maybe he’s Face Timing recruits while sipping coffee! You most likely had no idea who Corey Batoon was or cared about his morning routine at this time last week.

That’s because he didn’t make many of our big lists of prospective Mizzou defensive coordinators. Jim Leonhard was our suggestion as a potential candidate. DJ Smith seems to be the internal selection. Those of us with higher aspirations speculated that Jesse Minter would like to don a new Block M. The Hawaiian native, however, is now in charge of spearheading Mizzou’s “Death Row” defense.

In the first year of the CFP’s 12-team structure, he is notably expected to help an attack that hopes to lead Mizzou to a postseason bid and prevent a significant drop-off for a club that will lose the majority of its players.

For any coach, let alone one who hasn’t worked as a DC at a Power Four college, that would be an intimidating assignment.

There hasn’t been any controversy over Batoon’s appointment (it appears that winning the New Year’s Six may bring out good vibes beyond appointing a defensive coordinator!), but Drinkwitz’s arrival time was longer than expected.

A program that is growing and plans to run for the CFP in 2024 ought to be able to find a desirable candidate really fast.

If you’ve been following Eli Drinkwitz (or listening to Before the Box Score),

you’ll be aware that everything happened slowly and subtly, just the way Drink likes it.

Drinkwitz likes to work in private and takes his time in selecting

the person he believes will be the best match for him at this particular moment.

Perhaps some of those former candidates were still in the running, or perhaps Batoon was the right person all along.

Perhaps Drinkwitz didn’t have a definitive choice until after multiple interviews!

It’s undoubtedly a different approach to business in today’s college football landscape.

In less than a week, Alabama took Nick Saban’s spot. In 48,

Washington took Kalen DeBoer’s spot.

In 24, Arizona took Jedd Fisch’s spot! In contrast,

Drinkwitz needed a little more than 500 hours to extend the job offer to Batoon. But things have worked out thus far.

Eli Drinkwitz has had four coordinators in his four years as head coach of Mizzou—three on defense and one on offense.

After spending a season on Barry Odom’s staff,

Ryan Walters was hired away by Illinois after a year of retention.

He will soon begin his third season as head coach of Purdue.

Possibly Drinkwitz’s worst choice as head coach,

Steve Wilks was a slow learner for the college game before returning to the NFL.

This season,

he is a top candidate for head coach and will lead the 49ers defense in Super Bowl LVIII in two weeks.
Before being hired by LSU as the highest-paid assistant in the nation,

Blake Baker elevated Mizzou’s defense to the top 20 in each of its seasons.
After just one season,

Kirby Moore got a contract extension with the Tigers after turning the team’s offense into one of the top 15.

I’m not sure how you felt at the time about the three hires.

However, it wouldn’t be incorrect to state that they were all, at most, hotly contested.

Wilks had been a defensive coordinator in the NFL for 16 years, but he was out of a job.

As a defensive coordinator, Baker lacked significant and sustained success,

making him a journeyman defensive coach.

Moore hadn’t coached at a large high school and had only served as

the offensive coordinator at Fresno State for one season.

None of Drink’s hiring were hailed as no-doubters, at the very least.

Nevertheless, three of the men who worked for him now hold higher positions.

Following the Tigers’ battle to repel other Power 5 apps from capturing him.

This is not to argue that Batoon will perform in the same manner as Drinkwitz’s other four coordinators.

The challenge with coaching appointments at this level is that a value judgment cannot be made immediately.

The evaluation of Corey Batoon’s Mizzou performance will come in time.

Perhaps after a season he burns out and returns to coaching mid-majors.

Alternatively, perhaps he keeps the train moving and Mizzou plays in the CFP the following season.

In any case, Eli Drinkwitz’s unconventional hiring methods call for some degree of trust.

Many of our long lists didn’t include Corey Batoon to handle the significant turnover Mizzou’s defense is experiencing.

But Drinkwitz says he’s the best person to accomplish it.

His decisions in that area have typically been correct.

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