No joy ride for Pinkel

Loss in home finale makes for ‘Grumpy Man’

In this Saturday, Nov. 14, 2015, file photo, Missouri head coach Gary Pinkel leaves the playing field after an NCAA football game between Missouri and BYU at Arrowhead Stadium in Kansas City, Mo. (Matt Hellman/Missourian via AP, File)(Chris Lee/St. Louis Post-Dispatch via AP, File)

FAYETTEVILLE -- Missouri's first game at Reynolds Razorback Stadium Friday will be the last visit for Gary Pinkel as head coach of the Tigers.

It also could be Pinkel's final game at Missouri, where he holds the school record for victories with a 118-72 record in 15 seasons.

Pinkel, 63, announced Nov. 13 he will resign at season's end to focus on his treatment for non-Hodgskin's lymphoma, a form of cancer which affects the immune system.

Missouri (5-6, 1-6) needs to beat Arkansas to become bowl eligible after winning back-to-back SEC East titles and going a combined 23-5 the previous two seasons -- including 14-2 in conference play. A victory would also guarantee Pinkel another game to coach.

There's a possibility the Tigers could receive a postseason bid with a 5-7 record because there might not be enough eligible teams to fill the 80 bowl slots.

Pinkel said it will be Missouri Athletic Director Mack Rhoades' decision whether to accept a bowl invitation at 5-7.

"I have not even thought about that," Pinkel said Monday at his weekly news conference. "Obviously, I want to win the football game. That's where my focus is."

Pinkel's final home game was Missouri's 19-8 loss to Tennessee last Saturday.

The outcome didn't stop Missouri offensive linemen Evan Boehm and Connor McGovern from putting Pinkel on their shoulders and carrying him off the field.

Pinkel couldn't allow himself to enjoy the ride, the way retiring Virginia Tech Coach Frank Beamer did in his final home game when his players carried him after North Carolina's 30-27 overtime victory against the Hokies

Beamer was smiling and waving to the crowd, but Pinkel had a pained look on his face with his head bowed. Pinkel said after the game he felt he'd let his players down.

Monday Pinkel tried to explain his reaction and how it was to difficult to show appreciation immediately after a loss for the way his players honored him and how the fans cheered for him.

"I felt bad after the game being 'Grumpy Man' when everybody's being so nice to me," Pinkel said. "I just can't separate the two.

"You win or you lose, and I don't like to lose."

Pinkel said he doesn't want to be the focus of what's happening at Missouri.

"Our players and coaches right now, transition's going to be taking place," he said. "They have no idea what's going to happen."

Pinkel said it's the same situation at every school that is replacing its coach, a lengthy list that includes Missouri, South Carolina, Southern California, Miami, Illinois and Maryland among others.

"Now, this is the first time I've ever been part of it, fortunately as a coach in my business," said Pinkel, who also holds the Toledo coaching record for victories with a 73-37-3 record in 10 seasons with the Rockets. "Obviously, you worry about the focus of your football team and being able to play their best.

"My job is to get them to do everything they can to do that."

Arkansas Coach Bret Bielema said Monday Pinkel has been a tremendous coach for Missouri.

"He's been there a long time for all the right reasons," Bielema said. "He does things above board."

Bielema said he admires the way Pinkel always answers questions directly and never wavers when he's dealing with the media.

"You ask about anything in his program, he has the answer because he knows it through and through," Bielema said. "I have the utmost respect for him.

"Kids talk about how they love playing for him. They'll obviously be very, very motivated on Friday. We'll definitely have a few words before the game and I'll wish him the best of luck moving forward."

Bielema said if Arkansas were not playing Missouri, he'd be among those coaches cheering for Pinkel to win.

"Absolutely," Bielema said. "I think Coach Pinkel probably has that [support] from a lot of coaches because he's a very genuine guy."

It was a tumultuous season for Missouri even before Pinkel announced he was stepping down.

Junior starting quarterback Maty Mauk hasn't played since Week 4 because of undisclosed disciplinary reasons. He was suspended on the Tuesday after Missouri's 21-13 loss to Kentucky, was briefly reinstated during a bye week, and was suspended for the remainder of the season.

He's been replaced by true freshman Drew Lock.

Then a week before Missouri played BYU in its 10th game, a group of about 30 black players said they would not participate in team activities until Tim Wolfe was removed as president of the University Missouri system, in a show of support for graduate student Jonathan Butler, who was waging a hunger strike because he believed Wolfe had been unresponsive to racial incidents on campus.

Pinkel said he supported his players, Wolfe resigned the Monday before the BYU game, the Tigers resumed practice and beat the Cougars 20-16 in Kansas City, Mo.

"Our players have been going through an awful lot of stuff," Pinkel said. "We're trying to put that up on the shelf and focus on where we're at right here and right now, and that's playing your best."

Pinkel is expected to have a job assisting the Missouri athletic department, possibly in a fundraising capacity, but his exact role hasn't been determined.

"Lord knows I've got to do something," he said. "I just can't sit around. I'd like to do something of significance, help out in any way I can.

"When I'm finally done coaching, whenever that happens, I'll sit down and talk about that."

Pinkel said he suspects his life will be different when he steps out of the coaching limelight after the season ends.

"In six months nobody will care," he said. "I'll just be Joe Schmuck walking around."

Sports on 11/24/2015