Mizzou wrestling is heading into a season with a farewell built into the calendar. Brian Smith announced Wednesday that the 2026-27 campaign will be his last as the Tigers’ head coach, closing the book on a 29-year run that turned the program into a national player.
Smith was hired on May 5, 1998, and the university has already lined up the next man for the job: current associate head coach Kendric Maple will take over after Smith retires. For now, though, the focus stays on the mat, where Smith still wants one more strong finish.
“I’m grateful that I can leave this program in a position of strength,” Smith said in a press release. “We have outstanding coaches, an incredible staff and a talented young team.”
The announcement came after Mizzou opened its season at the Missouri Duals on Monday, and Smith made it clear the Tigers are still aiming high in his final year. There’s plenty left to play for, and the closing stretch now carries extra weight with his departure looming after the season.
Smith’s résumé at Mizzou is loaded. In 28 seasons, he has gone 354-130-3 and guided the Tigers to 12 straight conference team championships from 2012-23. His teams also brought home two NCAA team trophies, finishing third in 2007 and fourth in 2015.
The individual success has been just as striking. Under Smith, Mizzou has produced 72 All-Americans, 66 conference champions and 10 individual NCAA champions. His coaching tree and roster history also include names that reached the international stage, among them Olympic medalist J’den Cox and two-time NCAA champion Keegan O’Toole, who joined the staff beginning in the 2025-26 season.
Maple gives the program a built-in bridge into the next era. He is entering his eighth season at Mizzou and fifth as associate head coach, and during his time in Columbia he has helped develop seven All-Americans. Before arriving in 2019, Maple coached at Nebraska and Purdue after a standout career at Oklahoma, where he won the 2013 NCAA championship at 141 pounds.
For Smith and Maple, the message is the same right now: keep the attention on this season.
“Our focus remains on making this season a special one for Coach Smith and our team,” Maple said.
With Smith’s final season underway, every dual and every postseason step now carries a little more meaning for the Tigers as they try to send their longtime coach out on a high note before the program turns the page to Maple.
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