Gary Pinkel

Born in Akron, Ohio, in 1952, Gary Pinkel played college football as a tight end for Kent State University from 1970 to 1973, where he received his bachelor’s degree in education. His coaching career began shortly after graduation, serving as a graduate assistant at Kent State and later as an assistant coach at the University of Washington and Bowling Green. He honed his skills under legendary coach Don James at Washington for 12 seasons, holding the offensive coordinator position for six of those years before taking his first head coaching role.

Pinkel’s head coaching journey commenced in 1991 at the University of Toledo, where he built a formidable program over 10 seasons, achieving a 73-37-3 record. His tenure at Toledo culminated in a Mid-American Conference championship in 1995 with an undefeated regular season and a Las Vegas Bowl victory. In 2001, Pinkel moved to the University of Missouri, inheriting a program with limited recent success. Over 15 seasons, he transformed the Missouri Tigers into a nationally recognized team, leading them to five 10-win seasons, 10 winning seasons, and six bowl victories, becoming the winningest coach in the program’s history. Under his leadership, Missouri achieved a No. 1 AP ranking in 2007 and won two SEC East Division titles in 2013 and 2014 following the school’s move to the Southeastern Conference.

Pinkel’s career is marked by his ability to develop players, with 26 selected in the NFL Draft under his guidance at Missouri, including seven first-round picks. His dedication to his players extended beyond the field, notably supporting a player boycott for social justice in 2015. He retired at the end of the 2015 season due to non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma, concluding a distinguished 25-year coaching career with an overall record of 191-110-3. In recognition of his significant contributions to college football, Gary Pinkel was inducted into the College Football Hall of Fame in 2022.