How Dennis Gates Revived Missouri Basketball’s Winning Spirit
Head coach Dennis Gates joined Missouri three years ago after three years at Cleveland State. In his third year, Gates has completely taken control of the program. The Missouri Tigers are 20-6 and just thumped the number four team in the country, 110-98. This Missouri team is loaded with talent, and Dennis Gates has brought a level of comradery and swagger during this NIL era that is rarely seen in teams.
In his first season at Missouri, Gates brought immediate success to the program. Missouri placed fourth in the SEC with an overall record of 25-10. It was Missouri's highest win total in 11 seasons and its first NCAA Tournament victory in 13 seasons. Dennis Gates looked to keep the momentum going into his second season, but it did not go as planned. The Tigers finished last in the SEC with zero conference wins and a final record of 8-24. The pressure was on Gates to deliver, and he has done so. The Missouri NIL fund got a donation, and they have used it to restructure their roster, which is one of the deepest in the country. Gates consistently plays 10 players every game, with a good mix of transfers and returners. Missouri can compete any night, as you never know who will get hot. However, it has been the three Kansas kids who have been the most consistent for the Tigers this year: Mark Mitchell, Tamar Bates, and Caleb Grill. All three are transfers coming from different schools and have bought into the culture that Dennis Gates has created.
To explain the culture that coach Gates has created, it is the perfect mix of grit and swag. He wants his players to showcase their skills but demands a specific energy every second of the game. We saw this in their win against Alabama, who was coming off a loss to top-ranked Auburn, their third win against an AP top-five team. Then, after the game, we saw how much this Missouri team has bought in, as they all huddled and yelled around their coach during his post-game press conference while posing together and shushing the camera. They were letting the country know that Dennis Gates and Missouri have arrived, and they are a team to look out for come March.
