Missouri football coach Drinkwitz hopes people 'buy into a collective mission'

COLUMBIA - Missouri football coach Eliah Drinkwitz started his Wednesday Zoom meeting with media wearing a Tiger logo mask, cracked a few jokes, lost his internet connection halfway through and answered the few football questions he got as enthusiastically as possible.

It's been a strange first eight months on the job for Drinkwitz, who has still been a Division I head coach for fewer than two years in total. His program did not create a depth chart for spring practices, or the three it was able to hold before the coronavirus pandemic ground everything to a halt in mid-March. And he has taken a conservative approach, at least publicly, in relaying his goals and expectations.

Drinkwitz is also uncomfortable speaking out of turn in regards to best practices during the pandemic - he has said more than once, as someone who is not a doctor or an epidemiologist his opinion should hold little sway - and in many ways has picked his words carefully as he tries to find his footing in a new state, conference and administration.

But while the pandemic resurges across the U.S. as people tire of dealing with it, Drinkwitz has been a visible part of both the Southeastern Conference's and Missouri's campaigns to encourage mask use and social distancing to preserve the shot at a fall football season, a crucial income source nationwide.

"I don't believe I have power; I have influence," Drinkwitz said. "There's a certain amount of influence from being the head coach of an SEC school, from being the head coach at the University of Missouri and having the logo on your chest. It gives you a certain amount of credibility when you make conversations. And so I think what we're trying to do is encourage people that it's okay to wear a mask. It's okay to do it.

"I get there's arguments on both sides. I get that it, for some reason it's been politicized. I just happen to believe it happens to be good public health policy. Does it solve all the problems? I don't know, I'm a football coach. I know how, in order to get things done everybody has to buy into a collective mission. For us to end COVID, we've got to buy into a collective mission that may not be a perfect plan."

The SEC put out a video on social media Monday morning showing the conference's football coaches, from Alabama's Nick Saban to Vanderbilt's Derek Mason, wearing school-themed masks next to the words "Wear your mask" and changing colors to match the corresponding school. The University of Missouri and the athletic department started a hashtag campaign, #MaskUpMizzou, Friday to align with the City of Columbia's mandatory mask order that went into effect that evening.

Boone County has 317 active cases, 10 active hospitalizations and three deaths due to COVID-19 infection as of Wednesday. The state of Missouri has 28,826 total cases and 1,093 deaths.

"I don't know, I guess I'm frustrated with the fact that, even when people argue against it," Drinkwitz added. "It's like, why are we not willing to try it? It's gotten to the point where supposedly on Twitter you've got the Corona bros and then you've got the, you know, the guys who think it's fake. And now you've got both sides grouped against each other. I'm just rooting for the United States of America, and I'm just rooting for us to beat the disease. I don't care who's right or wrong."

There was also football news to discuss. Missouri's football team began socially distant workouts Monday at Faurot Field, including running sprints. Coaches were allowed to attend workouts, as these events are now termed "mandatory" per the NCAA's calendar. Coaches were not permitted to attend previous workouts starting in June, "voluntary" workouts, but with the shift beginning Monday, football programs are permitted eight hours of weight training, conditioning and film review per week, through July 23, after which there is a two-week period permitting 20 hours of in-person contact with two off days per week.

Because Missouri's first game is still scheduled to be Sept. 5, the program could start its fall preseason camp Aug. 7.

"I told my wife (on Tuesday) I couldn't be more excited to coach the football team," Drinkwitz said. "You want to just talk about great kids who are hungry to do exactly what we're asking them to do who, who have bought into everything we've asked them. They're doing everything within their power to please the coaching staff, to buy into social distancing, to adjust to change. And they're being courageous and they're being tough and thrilled, just absolutely thrilled."

Drinkwitz said he and his offensive staff have tried to do as much work as possible to make sure Missouri can use its on-field time efficiently, working through Zoom with players so they don't have to repeat the first three days of offensive install from spring practice. It is difficult to tell what has stuck, he added, because the players are not on the field physically executing the plays.

He also raved about receiver Keke Chism, a graduate transfer from Angelo State.

"I don't have a tremendous sense of what we have, because I haven't seen all the pieces work together," Drinkwitz said. "I do know that we've added some really good pieces, and the fact that nobody asked about Keke Chism on this phone call blows my mind, because that dude's an absolute freakin' stud and a steal, and couldn't be more excited about this young man transferring into our program and being just an unbelievable person.

"Great character, former high school quarterback that's really developed himself into a tremendous player and potential NFL player, and to be able to add him with a young man like (Virginia Tech transfer Damon) Hazelton on the outside, I mean, our quarterbacks, whoever our quarterback is, has added to tremendous weapons that are going to be tremendous."