2015 will be the last season that we see Gary Pinkel as the head coach of the Missouri Tigers football team
Missouri Tigers head coach Gary Pinkel will be retiring at the end of the season due to health reasons, according to Dave Matter of the St. Louis Post Dispatch. Back in May of this year, Pinkel was diagnosed with Lymphoma.
Sources confirm that Gary Pinkel will announce his resignation. Story coming.
— Dave Matter (@Dave_Matter) November 13, 2015
Correction: Pinkel retiring not resigning
— Dave Matter (@Dave_Matter) November 13, 2015
Pinkel is one of the longest tenured coaches in the game right now, having taken over the Tigers in 2001 when they were still a part of the Big 12. During their final years as a member of the conference, Pinkel had the team as competitive as ever, which may have earned them the invitation to the SEC that they ultimately ended up taking.
While many expected them to fail in the SEC, after a struggle their first year in the conference, they proved they belonged. The last two seasons Pinkel has led this team to the SEC East title and an appearance in Atlanta for the SEC Championship Game. While they were unsuccessful both times, they still proved a lot of people wrong in regards to the notion that they would sink in the mighty SEC, even in the East division.
Recently, Pinkel made his biggest mark on the university when stood by a protest from his football team who were fighting against racial acts that were committed on campus. While other coaches would have run away from the controversy, Pinkel stood right there with his players for the fight.
The Missouri head coach will remain with the team until Dec. 31 or if another coach is hired prior to then.