Missouri’s Gary Pinkel has wild week that ends with reflection

Pinkel announced his retirement on Friday, claiming it’s based on health reasons.

Pinkel said he received multiple treatments in May and June, and initially planned to coach through that management.

“The most important thing…is my players, at Toledo, here at Mizzou”. “I’m going to miss interacting with them, scolding them when I have to scold them, hugging them and touching them every day”.

With Pinkel’s blueprint, Mullen is 53-34 in six-plus seasons. Among the top candidates is Rhoades’ last coaching hire, Houston’s Tom Herman, along with Justin Fuente of Memphis. “I still feel good physically, but I decided that I want to focus on enjoying my remaining years with my family and friends, and also have proper time to battle the disease and give full attention to that”.

The game had been over for almost an hour when Missouri head coach Gary Pinkel, his face worn after one of the most tumultuous weeks of his life, was asked about next Saturday’s game.

Pinkel declined to discuss his health before Monday’s news conference, which will be open to the public. He says he’ll miss his players the most.

In the postgame press conference, he said he’d had a chance to talk to the Missouri head coach and express his support. “We really believed we would come here and win and we thought we were going to win right up until the end. I tell recruits and players, ‘You’re going to have my phone number forever, and I’m going to have yours.’ They can call me anytime they need me for anything, and that’s certainly what I’ll miss the most”.

“That’s the neat thing about this business”, Pinkel said. It was really, really hard.

In May, Pinkel, 63, was diagnosed with follicular lymphoma, a form of non-Hodgkin lymphoma, a type of cancer of the blood. Jonathan Butler was on a hunger strike seeking the MU president’s ouster over indifference to racial concerns. Pinkel announced Friday he is stepping down at the… Without Coach Pinkel, none of us would meet each other.

“Words can’t express how grateful I am to the University of Missouri and all of the awesome people who make it up, from the administration to the students and our fans”.

“Can’t even begin to express all emotions that I’m going through right now”, tweeted former Missouri quarterback Chase Daniel, who plays for the Kansas City Chiefs.

“It was one of the most emotional 15 minutes of my life”, Pinkel said.

Pinkel, who recorded his 118th victory at Mizzou against BYU, will retire at season’s end, whether that’s after the November 27 regular-season finale at Arkansas or a bowl game. This has been a down year for Missouri (5-5), coming off consecutive SEC East championships, but he’s had five 10-win seasons and won five division titles.

“I love Mizzou. I came here 15 years ago”. I have never been one of those guys looking for jobs all the time. He told Missouri athletic director Mack Rhoades of his decision on Wednesday, but his timing for telling his staff and team was forced upon him.

Pinkel says he will use his time after coaching to focus on getting healthy and spending time with his wife, children and grandchildren.