Eli Drinkwitz and Missouri football have their new defensive coordinator the school announced Saturday.

Corey Batoon, who previously held the same title at South Alabama, will take over the defensive coordinator duties. He replaced Blake Baker, who left to take the defensive coordinator job at LSU under Brian Kelly.

"Our intent from the start of this search was to identify a leader for our death row defense who has proven success as a coordinator, and equally as important, is aligned with the philosophy of our defense," said head coach Eli Drinkwitz in a news release. "Corey has been a part of championship-level teams at every stop along his path. He's a veteran coach who's battle tested, and has an ability to break things down and teach the game at a high level. I'm excited to see him bring those skills and experience to fit with our defensive approach."

More: Missouri basketball records its second-lowest point total in loss to Texas A&M

Batoon has been the defensive coordinator at South Alabama since 2021 and brings 32 years of coaching experience with him to Columbia. The Jaguars ranked among the Top 25 nationally in nine different statistical categories between the 2022 and 2023 seasons.

In terms of points allowed, the Jaguars' defense ranked 66th in the nation in 2021, 26th in 2022 and 29th in 2023, where the team allowed just 21 points per game.

Before arriving in Mobile, Alabama, Batoon spent the 2020 season on Hugh Freeze's staff as an assistant at Liberty, where the Flames went 10-1, and was also Hawaii's defensive coordinator from 2018-19. Batoon has also made stops at Arkansas State, Florida Atlantic, Mississippi, Montana, Northern Arizona, Pierce Junior College, and St. Mary's. In 1996 he was an assistant coach at Central Missouri in Warrensburg, Mo.

"The energy, passion and plan that Coach Drinkwitz has is absolutely incredible. I am truly grateful to him for allowing me an opportunity to coordinate the Mizzou defense," said Batoon. "As coaches, we want to challenge ourselves among the best of the best, and Missouri is in that mix. Just watching them from afar this past season, you could tell the program has a specialness to it and the upward trajectory is apparent. I can't wait to meet the rest of the staff and players and get to work."

As the Tigers new leader on the defensive side of the ball, he'll have big shoes to fill with Baker leaving. During Baker's tenure at MU, the Tigers improved to becoming one of the best defenses in the SEC. It will be up to Batoon to help keep the momentum going on that side of the ball.

A native of Hawai'i, Batoon, 55, played collegiately at San Diego Junior College (1986-87) and Long Beach State (1988-89).

This article originally appeared on Columbia Daily Tribune: Mizzou officially hires new defensive coordinator