Missouri was in a sort of coaching nirvana for nearly a decade. The Tigers’ administration, from the mid-2000s until 2015, never really had to think twice about their football coaching situation.
Gary Pinkel was a great coach. And Gary Pinkel would never leave Mizzou.
It doesn’t get much better than that. A great coach who wants to stay at a mid-level power five job is hard to come by. When you find such a coach, you hold on as long as possible. That’s what Missouri did.
And now here we are.
Gary Pinkel was the exception, not the rule.