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Mizzou Set to Hire Corey Batoon as New Defensive Coordinator

Originally posted on Missouri Tigers on SI
By Joey Van Zummeren | Last updated Jan 26, 2024 2:26 PM ET

It appears that the Missouri Tigers finally have found their new defensive coordinator. According to Pete Thamel of ESPN, Missouri has offered a contract to Southern Alabama defensive coordinator Corey Batoon. The contract is not yet agreed to. Batoon has spent the past three years as Southern Alabama's defensive coordinator, where the Jaguars ranked in the top 27 in scoring defense in each of the past two years.

Batoon has been in coaching since 1991, where he started out as an assistant coach for Pierce Community Colllege in California. Missouri head coach Eli Drinkwitz and Batoon have never been on the same staff, but both worked at Arkansas State in the early 2010's. Batoon worked as an assistant coach for the team from 2009-'11, and Drinkwitz as a co-offensive coordinator and running backs coach in 2012 and '13.

Batoon has SEC experience as he took on many roles at Ole Miss under coach Hugh Freeze from 2012-'16. Following his stint at Ole Miss, Batoon became an assistant coach for Florida Atlantic where he would wear many hats. He assisted with the team's special teams, safeties and was also a co-defensive coordinator during the 2017 season. The coaching veteran would then take roles at Hawaii and Liberty before accepting the job at Southern Alabama.

The defensive coordinator role opened up for Missouri in early January after coordinator Blake Baker accepted the same job at LSU, becoming the highest paid assistant in the nation. Baker had spent two seasons as Missouri's defensive coordinator, leading the Tigers to being one of the top defenses in the SEC.

This article first appeared on Missouri Tigers on SI and was syndicated with permission.

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