Report: Michigan offensive coordinator Chip Lindsey emerges as leading candidate for same role at Missouri

With Missouri’s offensive coordinator position open, a familiar name has quickly surfaced as a top target. According to Matt Zenitz, Michigan Wolverines offensive coordinator Chip Lindsey has emerged as a leading candidate to fill the same role at Missouri Tigers.

“Michigan offensive coordinator Chip Lindsey has emerged as a leading candidate for the offensive coordinator job at Missouri, sources tell CBS Sports,” Zenitz posted on X, formerly Twitter. “Before Michigan, was OC at North Carolina with Drake Maye, the OC at UCF as head coach at Troy.”

The opening in Columbia came into focus when Kirby Moore was hired as the next head coach at Washington State Cougars. Moore departs Missouri after three highly successful seasons running the Tigers’ offense.

During Moore’s tenure, Missouri compiled a 29–9 overall record and won back-to-back bowl games, including the 2023 Cotton Bowl and the 2024 Music City Bowl. Since the start of the 2023 season, the Tigers averaged 32.2 points per game with Moore calling plays, establishing one of the SEC’s most consistent offenses.

With Moore now gone, Missouri head coach Eli Drinkwitz made it clear his immediate focus remains on postseason preparation before turning fully to the search.

“I’m gonna shock the fans and say I’m going to do it,” Drinkwitz joked during Tuesday’s media availability. “Honestly, I’ve been adamant with this with my team and with our players. Everybody who’s in this building’s focus has to be ‘what do we have to do to win the bowl game?’”

Drinkwitz added that once the Tigers finalize their offensive preparation, attention will shift toward identifying the right fit: “I’ve got a group of names and I’ve been looking at lists,” Drinkwitz said. “So we’ll see.”

Experience is expected to be a major factor in the decision. Drinkwitz emphasized the importance of hiring a play-caller who understands the realities of the Southeastern Conference.

“The biggest thing for me, in this league, is that this league doesn’t allow for training wheels,” Drinkwitz said. “There’s not a lot of first-time play-callers having a lot of success. You’ve got to have some battle scars.”

Lindsey’s résumé aligns closely with that description. In addition to his current role at Michigan, he previously served as offensive coordinator at North Carolina during quarterback Drake Maye’s breakout seasons, led UCF’s offense and was head coach at Troy. 

His familiarity with big-time college football and extensive play-calling background could make him a natural fit. Missouri is looking to maintain their momentum as one of the conference’s more successful programs in recent seasons.

— On3’s Daniel Hager contributed to this article.