GRADING GARY PINKEL

GARY PINKEL'S REPORT CARD

Before alleged Missouri Tiger football fans start whining about the 2009 season and what might have been, they should look at Gary Pinkel's body of work over the past nine seasons.

Sure, Mizzou could have been 10-2 this year and perhaps should have been. We should have held the lead against Nebraska in the "gully-washer game"; and we should not have let Baylor run (and pass) the Tigers off Faurot Field. We stole one from Kansas on the final play of the regular season, too.

Having said that, look back at what MU football was before Pinkel arrived on his black iron horse (read Harley-Davidson). In the nine years before his hiring, Missouri's overall record was 37-62-3, a winning percentage of 36.2. Since 2001 the Tigers are 67-45 for a 59.8 winning percentage. In the modern era only Dan Devine had a better winning percentage (66.7).

MU had two winning seasons from 1992 to 2000. During Pinkel's tenure, Mizzou has six winning seasons. Larry Smith had some limited success with a moribund program, taking the Tigers to bowl games in his fourth and fifth campaigns (1997 and 1998). Pinkel has engineered six bowl appearances, including this year, the Tiger's fifth consecutive invitation to post-season play. No team in Missouri history has more consecutive bowl appearances.

Gary Pinkel put Brad Smith in black and gold. He took a chance on an undersized Chase Daniel who led the Tigers to a #1 national ranking. He recruited a solid 4-star prospect in Blaine Gabbert to replace a record-setting quarterback and manufactured another winning season in what most describe as a "rebuilding year".

Before Pinkel's arrival in 2000 (2001 season), Missouri was sliding quickly back past mediocrity and into the black hole of college football despair. His no nonsense approach to his job and his players helped change the mindset of some prima donna recruits who were forced to man up and accept responsibility in the classroom, in the community and on the field. Ten of Pinkel's recruits are now making a living in the NFL. That may not be up there with Oklahoma and Texas but it is a vast improvement over the pre-Pinkel era. While his recruiting classes don't really jump out at the casual observer, he has, for the most part, closed Missouri's borders. He has mended the fences with St. Louis high school coaches too.

There are some negatives to consider, as well. Coach Pinkel may be too loyal to his assistants. Our defensive secondary has been a concern for the past few years. We just give up too many yards, too many catches and too much space to receivers. The spread offenses in the Big XII provide too many opportunities for short passes going for long gains. Quarterbacks like Colt McCoy, Sam Bradford and, yes, even Sod Reesing, have picked us apart.

Until the final two games of this season, Missouri had not rebounded from a single halftime deficit, which brings into question Pinkel's game management and ability to adjust on the fly. To the die-hards, our 5-4 record against Kansas isn't nearly good enough, but the game is now a marquee event in Kansas City and has provided tremendous exposure for the program.

MU's record against the Big XII South since 2001 isn't good: 10-17; but 10 of those losses were against the Red River rivals. Pinkel is 0-10 against Bob Stoops and Mack Brown. Until he climbs those hills, MU will be considered a little brother in the conference pecking order. But remember, recruiting against OU and UT has always been an uphill battle.

No, Missouri is not at the top of the heap; but it has been in the bright spotlight of national attention under Pinkel's watch. That hasn't happened since the days of Uncle Al Onofrio's annual upsets.

Yes, there is room for improvement; but Gary Pinkel has put the football program back on sound footing. He is recruiting solid citizens, producing exciting skills players and he is winning a lot of games. For my money, he is the right man at the right place at the right time.

My grade: A-minus.

The Real Don Steele

12/3/09