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COLUMBIA, Mo. – University of Missouri Football Head Coach Eliah Drinkwitz added another veteran coach to his staff, announcing Brian Early as defensive line/edge coach Thursday.
Early, who has 30 years of coaching experience, comes to Mizzou after five seasons coaching the defensive line at Houston. Assistant Coach Al Davis will continue to coach the Tigers’ interior defensive linemen. Early was on staff at UH with MU offensive line coach Brandon Jones from 2021-22.
“Brian’s a coach that’s been on our radar for a while now,” Drinkwitz said. “We love his energy and passion for the game, and his commitment to being an elite student of the game to give his players every advantage. The numbers don’t lie and whether it’s been at Houston or Arkansas State, Brian’s guys are technically sound, know how to rush the passer and have been highly productive in the sack and tackle for loss categories.”
Since 2020, Early has tutored six student-athletes who made 53-man NFL rosters including four draft selections and two free agent signees. Houston, with Early overseeing the defensive line, is one of just seven schools nationally with a defensive lineman selected in the NFL Draft in each of the last three seasons, along with Alabama, Florida, LSU, Michigan, Ohio State and Wisconsin.
Seven of his Houston charges snagged all-conference honors, including the program’s first Big 12 Conference accolades in 2023 with defensive lineman Nelson Ceaser earning First-Team honors and Jamaree Caldwell picking up Second Team accolades. Ceaser led the Big 12 with 9.5 sacks while Caldwell ranked fifth in the league with 6.5.
A strong recruiter of junior-college players, Early oversaw the Cougars’ JUCO efforts and played a role in several players coming to UH, including wide receiver Tank Dell (2023 NFL Draft: 3rd round, Houston Texans), defensive back Gervarrius Owens (2023 NFL Draft: 7th round, New York Giants) and defensive back Damarion Williams (2022 NFL Draft: 4th round, Baltimore Ravens).
“What Coach Drinkwitz and the Missouri football program are building makes this opportunity so appealing,” Early said. “All you have to do is turn on the tape from the Cotton Bowl and see the competitive fire of this team. Something To Prove isn’t just a catch phrase at all, it’s a lifestyle and the type of thinking I’ve embraced throughout my coaching career. I can’t thank Coach Drinkwitz enough for allowing me this opportunity and I’m excited to cut it loose with our edge rushers!”
Prior to his Houston stint, Early spent five seasons in the same role at Arkansas State. He led a defensive front that produced the Sun Belt Defensive Player of the Year in three consecutive seasons from 2016-18. Early coached Ja’Von Rolland-Jones all four years of his collegiate career, guiding him to two Sun Belt Defensive Player of the Year honors and finishing with 43.5 sacks to rank second on the NCAA’s all-time list.
A-State ranked among the top 41 teams nationally in both sacks and tackles for loss in each of his five years and he also tutored at least two all-conference selections on the defensive line each season. The Red Wolves made five straight postseason appearances and won back-to-back Sun Belt Conference titles in 2015 and 2016 with a combined 15-1 record.
Early has deep ties to the state of Arkansas with previous coaching stops at Central Arkansas, Arkansas-Monticello and three Arkansas high schools. Prior to A-State, he most recently served as the University of Arkansas Defensive Quality Control Coach in 2013. His journey to Arkansas State also included a stop on the coaching staff at Minnesota State-Mankato.
He began his coaching career in 1994 as defensive coordinator and strength and conditioning coordinator at Greenland High School. The Monticello, Arkansas, native graduated from Arkansas-Monticello in 1994. Early and his wife Nanci have four children – Sydney, Aivery, Camryn and Dre.
Mizzou, coming off an 11-2 season with a Top 10 postseason ranking and win in the 88th Goodyear Cotton Bowl, opens 2024 against Murray State on Saturday, Aug. 31 inside Memorial Stadium.
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