Missouri head coach Eli Drinkwitz announced the addition of four new assistants to the Tigers’ staff for the 2026 season on Wednesday: John Papuchis, Alex Atkins, Lavorn “Chop” Harbin, and Garrett Riley.
Papuchis will oversee special teams and assist on defense, Atkins takes charge of the tight ends, Harbin will coach the defensive line, and Garrett Riley will lead the quarterbacks.
Several returning staff members are also expanding their roles. Derek Nicholson adds co-defensive coordinator to his duties, Brian Early becomes the Tigers’ pass-rush specialist while continuing to coach edge defenders, and Jacob Yoro takes on pass-game coordinator responsibilities in addition to his work with safeties.
“We’re thrilled to welcome Alex, Chop, John, and Garrett to our staff,” Drinkwitz said. “They bring tremendous work ethic, recruiting skill, deep knowledge of the game, and a great ability to connect with our players. We’re excited to have them and their families in Columbia, and we’re ready to get to work.”
Additional hires include Luke Meadows as assistant offensive line coach and Brendan Bognar as assistant quarterbacks coach.
John Papuchis joins Mizzou after six seasons at Florida State, where he coordinated special teams and coached defensive ends and linebackers. His units produced 16 NFL Draft picks, seven All-Americans, four conference Players of the Year, and one Rookie of the Year. Papuchis’ special teams excelled nationally, highlighted by punter Alex Mastromanno and kicker Ryan Fitzgerald earning AFCA first-team All-America honors in 2024, the first punter/kicker duo from the same school to do so. Defensively, he developed NFL-caliber defensive ends, including first-rounders Jared Verse and Jermaine Johnson II.
Alex Atkins arrives after the 2025 season at LSU, where he coached tight ends and served as run game coordinator. Atkins previously spent nearly five years at Florida State, including a season as offensive coordinator in 2023 that helped FSU reach No. 5 in the final CFP Poll and the Orange Bowl. His career also includes stops at Charlotte, Tulane, Georgia Southern, and Tennessee-Chattanooga.
Lavorn “Chop” Harbin comes from Tennessee, where he spent five seasons coaching defensive line and outside linebackers, contributing to a defense that ranked in the FBS top 10 in six categories during the Volunteers’ 2024 CFP season. A respected recruiter, Harbin played a key role in developing edge rushers James Pearce Jr. and Joshua Josephs, who excelled against top SEC opponents.
Garrett Riley, former offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach at Clemson, TCU, and SMU, will guide the Tigers’ quarterbacks. Riley’s resume includes mentoring Cade Klubnik at Clemson, helping TCU to the 2022 Fiesta Bowl and CFP National Championship Game, and winning the 2022 Broyles Award as the nation’s top assistant coach. His offenses consistently rank among the nation’s best in scoring and total yards, developing standout quarterbacks along the way.
