Missouri football officially announces multiple new coaches for 2026

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Missouri football confirmed Wednesday in a news release that the program officially has hired four new coaches for the 2026 season, including a new quarterbacks coach and special teams coordinator.

Former Clemson offensive coordinator Garrett Riley has joined the Tigers as their new QBs coach. John Papuchis, who was previously Florida State’s special teams coordinator, is taking the same position with Missouri and also will be a defensive assistant. 

Elsewhere, former LSU assistant Alex Atkins has joined as the team’s tight ends coach, former Tennessee assistant Levorn ‘Chop’ Harbin has been added as MU’s new defensive line coach.

“We’re thrilled to add Alex, Chop, John and Garrett to our coaching staff,” Mizzou coach Eli Drinkwitz said in a release. “All four bring a tremendous work ethic, are fantastic recruiters, have a deep understanding of the game and a strong ability to connect with our players. We’re excited to welcome them and their families to Columbia, and we are all ready to get to work.”

Former FSU coach Brendan Bognar also is on board as an assistant quarterbacks coach, and Luke Meadows has joined the Tigers as an assistant offensive line coach, per the release.

The Tigers also have added new titles to three defensive coaches who already were on staff. 

Linebackers coach Derek Nicholson has added co-defensive coordinator duties, defensive ends coach Brian Early is also now the team’s “pass-rush specialist,” and safeties coach Jacob Yoro is the team’s new pass-game coordinator.

The Tigers had quite a bit of coaching turnover this offseason, beginning with ex-offensive coordinator Kirby Moore taking over as the head coach at Washington State. Chip Lindsey is Mizzou’s new offensive coordinator, a move that already was confirmed in December.

Moore brought former MU tight ends coach Derham Cato with him to Wazzu. Atkins, who filled in as LSU’s interim OC last season after numerous midseason coaching changes in Baton Rouge, will take over Cato’s role.

Riley, who is a former Broyles Award winner but was fired as Clemson’s OC after the 2025 season, replaces Sean Gleeson as the program’s QB coach. Gleeson was named the offensive coordinator at Kansas State earlier this month.

Papuchis takes over for Erik Link, who is now the special teams coordinator at New Mexico. Link had been the only special teams coordinator in Drinkwitz’s entire career as a head coach.

Harbin is taking over the role previously held by Al Davis, who resigned in May 2025 and recently was hired at Missouri State.

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That does appear to more or less finalize Mizzou’s assistant coaching staff for the 2026 campaign. 

As part of Drinkwitz’s most-recent contract extension, he was given an extra $4 million to spend on his staff salary pool, taking the Tigers’ total from $12 million to $16 million per year.

This article originally appeared on Columbia Daily Tribune: Missouri football officially announces multiple new coaches for 2026

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