The Missouri Tigers are making moves - and not just on the recruiting trail. This week, head coach Eli Drinkwitz added four new assistant coaches to his staff, bringing a wave of experience and fresh perspective to Columbia ahead of the 2026 season.
Let’s break down the new faces joining the Tigers’ sideline:
John Papuchis steps in as Missouri’s new special teams coordinator and defensive assistant. Papuchis brings a wealth of experience from his time at Florida State, where he spent the past six seasons.
Most recently, he coached linebackers, but his resume also includes a four-year stint guiding the Seminoles’ defensive ends. Special teams are often the hidden heartbeat of a football program, and Papuchis’ track record suggests he’s more than capable of elevating that unit in Columbia.
Alex Atkins takes over as the Tigers’ tight ends coach, but don’t let the title fool you - this is a guy with serious offensive chops. Atkins arrived at Florida State the same year as Papuchis, initially handling the offensive line before being promoted to offensive coordinator in 2022.
He wore both hats through 2024, a rare dual-role at a Power Five program. Last season, he joined LSU as tight ends coach but was quickly elevated to offensive coordinator and took over play-calling duties.
Missouri’s tight end room just got a coach who’s seen the full field - and knows how to scheme it.
Lavorn “Chop” Harbin is now in charge of Missouri’s defensive line. Harbin has been grinding in the SEC trenches for the past five years at Tennessee, working his way up from a defensive analyst to outside linebackers coach in 2025.
That kind of internal promotion speaks volumes - it means players responded to him, and the staff trusted him. Now, he’ll bring that edge to a Mizzou front that’s looking to disrupt SEC offenses.
Garrett Riley rounds out the group as the Tigers’ new quarterbacks coach. Riley’s name might sound familiar - he was Clemson’s offensive coordinator for the past three seasons before being let go after last year.
Before that, he orchestrated TCU’s offense in 2022, guiding Max Duggan and the Horned Frogs all the way to the national title game. Riley knows how to develop quarterbacks and design explosive offenses, and now he gets a fresh start in Columbia with a chance to mold the Tigers’ QB room.
Collectively, these four bring 86 years of college coaching experience to the table. That’s not just depth - that’s a staff with serious mileage and big-game know-how.
Missouri didn’t stop there. The Tigers also added Luke Meadows as an assistant offensive line coach and Brendan Bognar as an assistant quarterbacks coach, continuing to build out a deep and versatile support staff. This follows the earlier hire of Chip Lindsey from Michigan as the team’s new offensive coordinator, signaling a full-on reboot of the offensive brain trust.
With the coaching carousel seemingly coming to a stop, the Tigers appear locked in and ready to roll into spring ball with a retooled staff that blends SEC experience, Power Five pedigree, and creative offensive minds.
And it’s not just the coaching staff that’s getting stronger.
Graham Faust, a standout senior safety from MICDS in St. Louis, has committed to Missouri.
Faust is coming off a stellar season where he earned first team all-state honors, racking up 95 tackles, two interceptions, and three forced fumbles. He also contributed on offense and special teams - a true three-phase player.
Football runs in the family, too: his father, Vic Faust, suited up at tight end for the Tigers back in the 1990s.
Adding a legacy player with that kind of production and versatility is a win for the program, especially when it comes to keeping top in-state talent home.
From the coaching staff to the roster, Missouri is clearly positioning itself for a strong 2026 campaign. The pieces are coming together - now it’s about putting them in motion.