Drinkwitz ended his press conference Tuesday with a heartfelt speech to Mizzou fans.
Head Coach Eliah Drinkwitz met with the media on Tuesday afternoon, as Missouri’s fall camp came to a close. The Missouri Tigers will begin their season in only eight days, visiting Murray State on August 31st.
Following a remarkable season in which Missouri won eleven games, expectations are sky-high. Missouri has not been ranked this high in the preseason AP poll in more than 15 years, and the Tigers will start the season ranked 11th in the USA. Coach Drinkwitz raised an important remark, emphasizing the distinction between expectations and standards.
“Expectations are external. That is what everyone else outside of this building feels we should, could, or are capable of. Internally, we discuss standards, and for us, the standard is how we practice, how we carry ourselves, our focus and energy, the basic values that we live by, and the goals that we want to achieve. I believe we worked extremely hard to meet those every day. I was happy of our guys’ consistency in meeting those requirements.”
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Coach Drinkwitz has a lot to say about the season ahead. While things are looking up for the program, and there has been a lot of good news out of camp, Missouri has yet to sell out its home opener versus Murray State. Coach Drinkwitz offered a passionate message to all Mizzou supporters, encouraging them to come out and support the team from the start.
“Our challenge is to sell out the first game. We’re a top-11 program coming off a Cotton Bowl victory, and if we don’t sell out the first game, I believe we’re not quite there as a fan base. Okay? That’s just the reality. Do not sit on the sidelines and wait…Come and watch this team. “Be excited and embrace this team.”
