Titles by Dave Matter

Most Tigers fans have taken in a game or two at the Zou, have seen highlights of "Mister Magic" Willie Smith, and remember the 2002 and 2009 Elite Eight appearances. But only real fans know the Civil-War roots of the "Tigers" nickname, the significance of Al Abram, and can name the football and basketball stars who went on to be Hall of Fame players. 100 Things Missouri Fans Should Know & Do Before They Die is the ultimate resource for true fans of the Missouri Tigers. Whether you're a die-hard booster from the days of Dan Devine or a recent supporter of the team, these are the 100 things every fan needs to know and do in their lifetime. Tigers writer Dave Matter has collected every essential piece of Tigers knowledge and trivia, as well as must-do activities, and ranks them all from 1 to 100, providing an entertaining and easy-to-follow checklist as you progress on your way to fan superstardom.

Very few college football coaches earn the distinction of becoming their programs' winningest, but Gary Pinkel has done it twice. From his nine-year tenure at the University of Toledo to his career at the University of Missouri from 2001 to 2015, Pinkel has shown he has the talent and meddle to take his teams to the top.  These remarkable achievements have been met by challenges along the way in Pinkel's personal and professional life, including a DUI and a divorce, a threatened team boycott at Mizzou which dominated national news headlines, and ultimately, a decision to step away from it all following a diagnosis of non-Hodgkins lymphoma.  In The 100-Yard Journey, Pinkel offers a glimpse into the mind of a winner as well as an honest reflection on meeting and overcoming the unexpected. Follow along from the start of Pinkel's coaching career at Kent State, the same program for which he played as a tight end, through stops at Washington and Toledo, and finally, taking over at the helm of Missouri, a program he guided to 10 bowl games in 15 years, a No. 1 AP ranking at the end of the 2007 season, and SEC Coach of the Year honors in 2014. Whether you're a Tigers fan or just interested in what makes a successful head coach tick, anyone can find something to relate to in Pinkel's personal memoirs.