Columbia, Mo. -- After recording a 10-win season at Toledo this fall, Gary Pinkel has been hired as the football head coach at the University of Missouri. Chancellor Richard Wallace and Director of Athletics Michael Alden made the announcement this afternoon at a news conference held at the University's Reynolds Alumni Center.

Pinkel, 48, succeeds Larry Smith who was relieved of duties following a 3-8 season. Smith was the Tigers' head coach for seven seasons, guiding MU to a 33-46-1 record. Pinkel is the 31st head football coach in Missouri history.

"Gary Pinkel has impressed everyone involved with this search," said Alden. "I've known Gary since 1986, when I was at Arizona State, he was the offensive coordinator at Washington. We competed against him regularly. I have since followed his career at Toledo, and I know that he's an exceptional coach and a person who embodies all the qualities we're looking for in a head coach at Missouri."

Pinkel has guided the Rockets to 73 overall wins and 53 conference victories in the past 10 years, more than any other Mid American Conference school. During that time frame, Toledo has finished in the top three of the conference or in the conference's west division eight times, including three first-place finishes. The Toledo program also has had more first-team academic all-conference picks in Pinkel's coaching reign than any other league school. UT had 14 student-athletes listed on the MAC academic honor roll this season.

"I am honored to be named the head football coach at the University of Missouri," said Pinkel. "To have the opportunity to coach in a major conference the caliber of the Big 12 is a coaches' dream."

The Rockets are 49-16-1 since 1995 and have posted an impressive 23-2 conference home mark. Toledo went 11-0-1 in 1995, winning the Las Vegas Bowl, and became the first MAC school to be ranked in both the Associated Press and CNN/USA Today season-ending polls in 20 years.

Prior to taking over the Toledo program, Pinkel spent seven seasons (1984-90) as the offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach at Washington after serving as receivers coach for five seasons (1979-83). Washington went 104-37-3 in those 12 seasons and finished in the top three of the Pac-10 10 times. A total of 10 players, highlighted by five quarterbacks, under his guidance at UW play or have played in the NFL.

A two-time all-conference tight end at Kent State, Pinkel also earned honorable mention All-America honors in 1973. He was a 1997 inductee into the Kent Athletic Hall of Fame. He spent two seasons (1974-75) as a graduate assistant at Kent before spending one season (1976) as a graduate assistant at Washington. He was wide receivers coach at Bowling Green for two seasons (1977-78).

Pinkel earned a bachelor's of science degree from Kent in 1975 with a double major in health and physical education. He did postgraduate work at Kent and Bowling Green.

He and his wife, Vicki, have three children: daughter, Erin, and two sons, Geoff and Blake.

Pinkel Timeline