Mizzou football hired former LSU and Florida State offensive coordinator Alex Atkins as the programs new tight ends coach. Atkins is an experienced offensive line coach of nearly two decades.
Mizzou football has hired former LSU assistant Alex Atkins as the program's new tight ends coach, per Pete Thamel.
He replaces Derham Cato, who was Missouri's tight ends coach from 2022-2024. Cato followed former Missouri offensive coordinator Kirby Moore to Washington State earlier this offseason.
Atkins has plenty of experience in high-profile roles such as the OC for Florida State, interim OC for LSU, the assistant head coach for Tulane, and the offensive line coach for multiple previous stops including LSU, Florida State, Charlotte and more.
However, he's only coached tight ends for one season: 2008 with Tennessee-Martin, Atkins' second year ever coaching.
It goes without saying that given his experience as an offensive coordinator, he's well-versed in utilizing tight ends. Trey'Dez Green led LSU with seven receiving touchdowns this season while also racking up 433 receiving yards, and Jaheim Bell broke 500 yards in the 2023 season with Atkins as his OC at Florida State.
During that 2023 season, he guided the Seminoles to the sixth-most yards per game (401.5) in the ACC. The offense, led by future NFL quarterback Jordan Travis, was electric, nearly leading the Seminoles to a spot in the College Football Playoff, which they missed largely due to an injury that ruled Travis out for the postseason.
Perhaps Atkins can specialize in helping boost the run and pass-blocking production from Missouri's tight end unit in 2026. Junior Jordon Harris is an elite blocker, but the remaining quartet of Brett Norfleet, Jude James, Gavin Hoffman and Isaac Jensen lean more on the receiving side. With Atkins experience as an offensive line coach, he could get the most blocking out of his new unit.
Atkins is now the seventh Missouri staffer to be hired this offseason, joining OC Chip Lindsey, presumed special teams coordinator John Papuchis, defensive assistant Levorn Harbin, assistant quarterback coach Brendan Bognar, director of scouting Roman Goode and scouting assistant Coleman Minnis.
Atkins has not coached alongside Eli Drinkwitz or Lindsey before, but did overlap with Papuchis, although the two coached different sides of the ball.
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