Drinkwitz fills final spot on coaching staff
The final spot on Eliah Drinkwitz's Missouri staff has been filled. The Tigers are expected to hire former Mississippi State offensive line coach Marcus Johnson to fill the same role at Mizzou, the school announced Friday afternoon.
Johnson spent the last two years in Starkville as part of Joe Moorhead's staff. Prior to that, Johnson spent seven years under David Cutcliffe at Duke. He was a strength and conditioning assistant for two years, an offensive quality control coach for three and the offensive line coach in Durham for two.
""I'm excited to add Marcus and his family to our family at Mizzou," said Drinkwitz in a release. "The experience he brings as a player and coach in the SEC, coupled with the success he's had as a player in the NFL and developing a lot of guys who have made it to that next level, make this a great hire for our program."
Johnson, a native of Coffeeville, MS, played his college ball at Ole Miss, where he was a second-team all-SEC selection as a senior. He was picked in the second round of the 2005 NFL Draft by the Minnesota Vikings and spent four seasons there plus one with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.
The hire of Johnson gives Drinkwitz a full complement of ten assistant coaches. Here is the rundown:
OFFENSE: Bush Hamdan, Curtis Luper, Marcus Johnson, Casey Woods
DEFENSE: Brick Haley, D.J. Smith, David Gibbs, Charlie Harbison, Ryan Walters
SPECIAL TEAMS: Erik Link
Specific responsibilities and salaries have not yet been announced by Mizzou, but that should happen in the next few days.