Mizzouri is poised to enlist Brian Early from Houston as their defensive line coach.
According to a report by 247sports’ Matt Zenitz on Wednesday, the Missouri football team is finalizing the hiring of Brian Early, who currently serves as the defensive line coach at Houston, for the same position with the Tigers. Despite being retained by new Houston head coach Willie Fritz in December, Early has opted to take the position with Missouri.
This move comes following the departure of former Missouri defensive line coach Kevin Peoples, who joined LSU as an assistant coach on Jan. 12. Peoples’ decision to move to Baton Rouge may have been influenced by former Missouri defensive coordinator Blake Baker, who accepted the same position at LSU on Jan. 5. Missouri subsequently hired Corey Batoon, the former defensive coordinator at South Alabama, as Baker’s replacement on Jan. 26.
During his tenure at Missouri, Peoples primarily focused on mentoring the edge rushers and defensive ends, while fellow defensive line coach Al Davis concentrated on the interior players. It is anticipated that Early will continue in Peoples’ footsteps and work with the exterior players.
Early joined Houston’s coaching staff on Jan. 18, 2019, after spending five seasons in the same role at Arkansas State. Throughout his time with the Cougars, he has coached seven all-conference selections and contributed to the development of six NFL players. Under his guidance, Houston ranked in the top 15 nationally for sacks and tackles for loss (both total and average) during the 2021 and 2022 seasons.
Moreover, Early played a significant role in recruiting from junior colleges during his tenure at Houston. Notably, he was instrumental in persuading wide receiver Nathaniel “Tank” Dell to commit. Dell, a third-round rookie in 2023, played a pivotal role in the Houston Texans’ recent success before suffering a season-ending injury.
Missouri head football coach Eli Drinkwitz and his staff are optimistic that Early’s impressive track record will translate to success in Columbia, Missouri, and that he and Batoon will contribute to the development of a strong defense in the upcoming 2024 season.
