Missouri football has been active in the 2026 transfer portal cycle, which has taken the forefront of the program's top news. The team has earned the commitments — an even official signs for some — of 11 new transfers despite the portal being open eight days. 

Not to be overlooked, however, is the reloading of its coaching staff. The Tigers hired former Florida State special teams coordinator, defensive ends coach and linebackers coach John Papuchis before the portal opened, but have since hired four new staffers in a two-day span from Jan. 9 to Jan. 10. 

Here's what you need to know about head coach Eli Drinkwitz' newest staff members. 

Drinkwitz reportedly brought in Riley for a currently unknown offensive role — although recent events have indicated a strong possibility Riley will be the quarterbacks coach, but that'll be addressed shortly. 

Riley is fresh off of a three-season stint as Clemson's offensive coordinator under Dabo Sweeney. Clemson ranked top-six in the Atlantic Coast Conference for total passing yards in each of Riley's seasons, peaking at No. 3 in 2024. He coached once-highly-touted NFL prospect Cade Clubnik in each of those three seasons, with the most success coming in 2024, when Clubnik threw for 3,639 yards and 36 touchdowns to just six interceptions. 

Clemson also ranked top-six in the ACC for season total rushing yards in 2023 and 2024, before falling to No. 11 in 2025, helping lead to Clemson's worst offensive season under Riley. Luckily for Riley, Missouri's new offensive coordinator, Chip Lindsey, specializes in the run game and can lead that department while Riley hones in on the development of new Missouri transfer quarterback Austin Simmons. 

Riley will likely become the program's new quarterbacks coach, given former Missouri quarterback coach Sean Gleeson has reportedly accepted a job at Kansas State. 

A few of Riley's other notable stops include working under Drinkwitz at Appalachian State as the running backs coach in 2019, spending the 2022 season as the OC for an electric TCU offense that reached the National Championship and a two-season stint as SMU's OC from 2020-2021. 

Bognar has updated his X bio to read "Assistant Quarterback Coach @ The University of Missouri #MIZ". It's safe to assume that will be his role with the program, operating under Riley. Missouri's quarterback development regime has now entirely shifted, with the exception of Drinkwitz. Moore and Gleeson are out, while Lindsey, Riley and Bognar move in. 

Bognar, a St. Louis native, spent last season as Florida State's assistant QB coach working with Thomas Castellanos. He spent the previous three seasons with Samford (2024) and Central Florida (2022-2023). Bognar's most productive season was his 2022 season with UCF, where he helped coach quarterback John Rhys Plumlee tally 3,412 total yards and 25 total touchdowns.

The importance? That was Bognar's only season working under Lindsey. The pair will now reunite at Missouri in hopes of setting up Simmons, Matt Zollers and Gavin Sidwar up for success. 

Harbin is reportedly being hired to Missouri as a defensive assistant with the exact role currently unknown, although there's a few safe guesses. He's spent the past five seasons on Tennessee's staff, operating as the outside linebackers coach in 2025, a senior defensive analyst from 2022-2024 and a defensive analyst in 2021. 

Harbin also coached defensive line and defensive tackles at Louisiana, served as a director of scouting and defensive analyst at Auburn, and was a scouting assistant with the Atlanta Falcons. 

Tennesse football's website credits Harbin with playing a "significant role" in the development of 2025 NFL Defensive Rookie of the Year candidate James Pearce Jr., who played under Harbin at Tennessee for each of his three collegiate seasons. 

Harbin has 16 career playoff appearances as a coach between bowl games and the College Football Playoff. While his role isn't yet confirmed by the team or specified, he'll bring valuable postseason, scouting and edge-development experience. 

Minnis is expected to join Missouri's personnel staff, following Harbin from Tennesee to Columbia. He served as a defensive scouting analyst for the 2024 and 2025 seasons, and was a personnel / recruiting student assistant for the Volunteers from 2021-2024. 

Goode, like Bognar, updated his X bio to confirm his hiring, reading "Director of College Scouting @mizzoufootball". 

Goode served in the same role for Georgia Tech in 2024 and 2025, as well as being a scouting intern with the Tennessee Titans in the summer of 2025, a personnel / recruiting analyst  for Tennessee from 2022-2024 and a recruitment specialist at Alabama from 2019-2022. 

He'll bring four stops of high-level scouting experience to his new role atop of Missouri's program.