Pinkel says he’s staying at Missouri

It’s unclear if Washington has reached out to Missouri’s Gary Pinkel about its head-coaching vacancy, but Pinkel made it clear Thursday: He’s not going anywhere. In a national interview on ESPN Radio, Pinkel responded to a question about the job at UW, where Pinkel spent 12 years as an offensive assistant. Earlier this week, coach Steve Sarkisian left UW for the head-coaching job at Southern Cal. A few media outlets have listed Pinkel as a potential replacement. “I coached there for 12 years, and Don James is my mentor,” said Pinkel, whose No. 5 Tigers (11-1) play No. 3 Auburn (11-1) at Atlanta on Saturday for the SEC championship. “I’ll be quite frank: I’m staying at the University of Missouri. I’m a Missouri Tiger, and I’m going to stay a Missouri Tiger.” – St. Louis Post-Dispatch