Dennis Gates Reaches Career Milestone in Mizzou's Win Over Mississippi State

A statement win was also a milestone one in the six-year career of the Missouri Tigers head coach.

Joey Van Zummeren | Feb 1, 2025

Feb 1, 2025; Starkville, Mississippi, USA; Missouri Tigers Head Coach Dennis Gates reacts against the Mississippi State Bulldogs during the second half at Humphrey Coliseum. Mandatory Credit: Wesley Hale-Imagn Images / Wesley Hale-Imagn Images

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Missouri Tigers

Dennis Gates has a little more to celebrate in the Missouri Tigers' blowout win over Mississippi State.

The No. 20 Tigers won 88-61 over the No. 14 Bulldogs, marking the sixth win in league play for Missouri in the Southeastern Conference. Gates' squad has already more than doubled their overall win total from last season, sitting at 17-4 on the year.

The win also marked the 100th career win for Gates as a head coach. He earned 50 with Cleveland State from 2019-'22, and earned his 50th in year 3 with Missouri on Saturday.

"It just means I got the right players playing hard for me," Gates said of the accomplisment to Mizzou Radio in an interview after the win. "We recruit how we recruit, but once we recruit them, they become family forever,"

A lot more wins leading this team to come 📈#MIZ 🐯 https://t.co/fAMAXv8azq pic.twitter.com/4zG966MftH
— Mizzou Hoops (@MizzouHoops) February 1, 2025

Gates has emerged as a National Coach of the Year candidate for the 2024-'25 season, leading a turnaround for the Missouri program. After going winless in the Southeastern Conference last year, Missouri has started this season 6-2, only behind No. 4 Alabama and No. 1 Auburn.

"I told everybody that would listen to me," Mississippi State head coach Chris Jans said in a press conference after the game, "that they're [Missouri] the best team in the country, not just the SEC, that nobody's talking about."

Missouri now has four ranked wins on the season. Saturday's win over Mississippi State was the most lopsided SEC victory in Gates' tenure with the Tigers.

Missouri is poised to make the NCAA Tournament for the second time in three seasons under Gates, with the 45-year-old coach having his team on a promising trajectory.

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