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Mizzou introduces Steve Wilks, gives him a bag of cash
Monday represented the first opportunity Missouri fans had to get to know Steve Wilks, new coordinator of defense under Eli Drinkwitz.
In a morning press conference, Eli Drinkwitz spoke about the process of hiring Wilks before turning the microphone to Wilks himself. The new DC talked about a lot of things, including his excitement to coach Trajan Jeffcoat, but noted that longevity was key in choosing his destination.
“When I talk about longevity, Coach Drink just got here last year,” Wilks said Monday at his introductory news conference. “He’s going into his second year. When you look at what he’s put in place, the direction in which his program is going, I just felt in line with his vision and his expectation.”
It definitely has to feel good to have some security, especially for a coach who was canned less than a year after he started each of his previous two jobs.
Then again, securing a hefty bag probably didn’t hurt either.
Steve Wilks’ contract with #Mizzou
— Power Mizzou (@PowerMizzoucom) January 25, 2021
Year 1: $800K base salary, $200K retention bonus paid on February 15 2022
Year 2: $1 million base salary (starts March 2022), $200K retention bonus paid on July 15, $200K retention bonus paid on December 15
Could be up to 2 yrs/$2.4 million
Two years for a total of $2.4 million may not seem like a lot for a football coach these days, but as the St. Louis Post-Dispatch points out, it’s the most money an assistant has ever made at the University of Missouri.
During the press conference, Eli Drinkwitz also confirmed that former Raiders DL coach Jethro Franklin is in the hiring process with the university.
Drinkwitz said Mizzou is in the process of finalizing the deal for new D-line coach Jethro Franklin, says it was an opportunity to have a "fresh start"
— Dave Matter (@Dave_Matter) January 25, 2021
You can watch the full press conferences below, courtesy of ABC 17 News:
Ignore the weird thumbnails. The press conferences are actually in there.
Yesterday at Rock M
More Links:
- Offensive lineman Thalen Robinson, a member of the 2019 recruiting class, is headed to the transfer portal.
Have learned that Missouri offensive lineman Thalen Robinson has entered the transfer portal. Was a member of Mizzou’s 2019 recruiting class.
— Matt Zenitz (@mzenitz) January 25, 2021
PowerMizzou updated its running scholarship chart to reflect the news.
- PowerMizzou subscribers can read Gabe DeArmond’s Monday morning thoughts and an interview with 2022 WR recruit Decoldest Crawford.
- Big ups to Dru Smith, who is once again the SEC’s player of the week after two outstanding performances against South Carolina and Tennessee.
Another one #Mizzou's Dru Smith is the @SEC Player of the Week!#ToTheFinishLine pic.twitter.com/3tDMRSD8yK
— Mizzou Hoops (@MizzouHoops) January 25, 2021
- Mizzou Hoops once again finds itself moving on up in the AP poll, topping out at No. 12 in this week’s Top 25.
- Jeff Gordon’s tipsheet at the Post-Dispatch includes a lot of national notes about Cuonzo Martin’s team, including complimentary comments from Tennessee head coach Rick Barnes.
- If you’re looking to sign up for ESPN+, Rock M Nation now has an affiliate link: click Here for ESPN+ Now!
- If you’re looking to sign up for a new streaming service, you can try FuboTV: click HERE for FuboTV access — FuboTV now has ESPN, CBS, FS1 and more sports channels.
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