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MU athletic director Laird Veatch already has voiced a desire to invest more into the program. In the transfer portal, the Tigers have landed a pitcher from one of the top NCAA Division II schools in the country and a former Southwestern Athletic Conference freshman of the year.

The revamp has also included new coaching hires, and the Tigers made one official Tuesday with the acquisition of lauded pitching coach Drew Dickinson. The move comes in the wake of Tim Jamieson’s departure from MU as the longtime head coach-turned-pitching coach stepped down in May.

Dickinson, who starred as a pitcher at the University of Illinois, was drafted by the Oakland Athletics in 2002 and played seven years in the minor leagues. After his playing career ended, Dickinson became a successful pitching coach at both his alma mater and, most recently, Virginia.

In Charlottesville, Dickinson played a big part in UVA’s consistent excellence on the mound during his six-year stint with the Cavaliers. They sported a team ERA of 4.02 from 2021-24, which ranked No. 10 in college baseball. Dickinson also oversaw the developments of 2021 second-round pick Andrew Abbott, 2022 third-round pick Nate Savino and 2023 fifth-round pick Connelly Early.

“Drew’s incredible track record speaks for itself,” MU head coach Kerrick Jackson said in a press release. “He’s developed elite arms, competed deep into the postseason and helped build one of the most consistently productive pitching staffs in the country.”

The Cavaliers reached the College World Series three of the last five seasons with Dickinson leading the pitching staff. This season, Virginia missed the NCAA postseason but the team’s pitching staff had a 4.68 ERA that ranked third in the Atlantic Coast Conference.

Previous to Virginia, Dickinson was an assistant coach for eight years with the Illini, including Big Ten championship team that posted a 50-10 record in 2015 and reached the Super Regionals in the postseason.

Under Dickinson, Illinois saw a pair of pitchers go in the first round of the MLB Draft: Tyler Jay in 2015 (No. 6 to the Twins) and Cody Sedlock in 2016 (No. 27 to the Orioles).

Earlier this month, Brian O’Connor left after 22 seasons as Virginia’s head coach to take the same position at Mississippi State.

“This is an incredible opportunity, and I’m beyond excited to join Mizzou baseball,” Dickinson said in a news release. “This program has a proud tradition of producing high-caliber pitchers, and I can’t wait to build on that legacy while competing in the best baseball conference in the country. I’m grateful to Coach Jackson for believing in me and trusting me to help shape the future of this staff.”

Dickinson’s hire comes at a time when Mizzou desperately needed reinforcements on the pitching staff, both with players and coaches.

Mizzou’s 2025 team had an ERA of 9.19 this season, the second-worst mark among power four teams. The next-closest power four team in ERA was BYU at 7.04. The Tigers have finished in the SEC’s bottom four in team ERA every season since 2020.

Mizzou’s pitching cupboard is far from empty, even with the loss of top starter Will Libbert to the University of Mississippi via the transfer portal. Keyler Gonzalez, who played two seasons at Division II Nova Southeastern, announced his transfer to Mizzou earlier this month. The Sharks have historically been one of NCAA Division II’s top programs, producing a couple of major league standouts in J.D. Martinez and Miles Mikolas. Across both seasons, Gonzalez tallied a 3.78 ERA in 133.1 innings pitched. Mizzou also added nine pitchers in the 2025 recruiting class, four of which are from Missouri.