COLUMBIA, Mo. (AP) — Missouri dismissed quarterback Maty Mauk from the football program Thursday after a series of missteps that included three suspensions over the past four months.
New coach Barry Odom said he met with Mauk in December and gave him a fresh start. But Missouri suspended Mauk again this week after a brief video was posted to Twitter. It shows a person appearing to snort a white, powder-like substance and the tweet mentions Mauk by name.
Odom said Thursday he believed the video was from “a long time ago,” but it was clear Mauk had violated team rules in recent weeks and that was the reason for the dismissal. The decision to kick Mauk off the team came three days after the video was posted.
“I also made it very clear what our expectations would be moving forward,” Odom said of their December meeting. “After gathering information and speaking with a number of individuals this week, it is clear Maty has failed to live up to those expectations.”
Odom said the school would offer to help Mauk get his life and academic career straightened out.
“Our hope is that he will grow from this and we wish him the very best in his future endeavors,” Odom said.
Mauk, a junior, was suspended on Nov. 1 following an incident at a downtown bar not long after returning from a suspension on Sept. 29 for an undisclosed violation of team policy.
The move, coupled with the decision of backup Eddie Printz to transfer, leaves little doubt Drew Lock will be the starter next year. Lock was thrust into the job as a freshman last season after Mauk’s stumbles, and the Tigers offense was among the worst in the country, scoring in single digits in five of the last seven games.
The decision increases the degree of difficulty for Odom, a first-time Division I head coach who was promoted from defensive coordinator in November following Gary Pinkel’s decision to retire while dealing with cancer. The program has been busy putting the finishing touches on recruiting for national signing day, which is next Wednesday.
Pinkel resigned with one game to go, leaving as the school’s winningest coach. But Missouri was 5-7 last year, a major drop-off after winning consecutive SEC East titles.
Mauk was 17-5 as the starter. In 2014 he was sixth in the SEC in total offense while throwing for 25 touchdowns.
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