Football
- Title:
- Special Teams Coordinator / Defensive Assistant
- Email:
- fbrecruiting@missouri.edu
John Papuchis was named Mizzou’s special teams coordinator and defensive assistant coach in January of 2026 after six seasons as Florida State’s special teams coordinator along with coaching defensive ends and linebackers.
Papuchis’ players have earned 55 all-conference recognitions, four conference Player of the Year awards and one Rookie of the Year. He has coached 16 NFL Draft picks, highlighted by Jared Verse’s selection at No. 19 overall by the Los Angeles Rams in 2024, and seven All-Americans, including the first defensive player to earn Associated Press Player of the Year honors. Papuchis won the 2007 national championship as part of the staff at LSU and has coached in seven conference title games.
Papuchis’ six years Tallahassee saw his special teams units excel with multiple first team All-America honors while his defensive ends produced at a rate few others could match. This past season, placekicker Jake Weinberg connected on 12-of-19 field goals and all 46 extra-point attempts in 2025 while punter Mac Chiumento averaged 44.0 yards per punt. The Seminoles led the nation in kickoff return defense (8.5 ypr) while the punt return unit was 30th nationally averaging 11.58 yards per return.
Punter Alex Mastromanno (2021-24) and placekicker Ryan Fitzgerald (2021-24) proved to be two of the best in the nation during their four years starting for the Seminoles. In 2024, Fitzgerald joined Mastromanno as an AFCA first team All-American to become the first punter and kicker duo to earn first team All-America honors from the same school in the same season. Mastromanno was a finalist for the Ray Guy Award and Fitzgerald was a finalist for the Lou Groza Award.
Mastromanno led the country and set a single-season ACC record with his average of 49.3 yards per punt as a senior. Fitzgerald was perfect on the season, connecting on 13 field goal attempts and 14 PATs. He was 5-for-5 from over 50 yards to tie the single-season school record.
In 2023, Mastromanno was a second-team All-American and Florida State’s first Ray Guy Award finalist, while Fitzgerald earned third-team all-conference accolades. Fitzgerald was 19-of-21 on field goals and a perfect 58-for-58 on PATs in 2023. He led the ACC with 115 points and 58 made PATs. Special teams also produced a first team All-American long snapper James Rosenberry and three All-ACC performers, including first team all-conference return specialist Keon Coleman. Samuel Singleton Jr. was a FWAA Freshman All-American kick returner. FSU was one of just two teams nationally with a kickoff return touchdown each season from 2022-24.
The Seminoles also blocked four field goals in 2023, tying the single-season program record and leading the nation, as part of their five blocked kicks in 2024, which ranked third in the country. Florida State blocked 14 total kicks, the seventh-highest total in the country, during Papuchis’ time at FSU.
Papuchis made an immediate impact on special teams his first season on staff, vaulting FSU back into the realm of the nation’s elite in 2020. The Seminoles tied for second in the NCAA with five blocked kicks, including two blocked field goals, two blocked punts and one blocked PAT.
Defensively, Papuchis developed a litany of NFL-caliber defensive ends during his tenure at FSU, including All-Americans Jared Verse (2022 & 2023), Patrick Payton (2022), Jermaine Johnson II (2021). Verse and Johnson II were first-round picks in the NFL Draft, while Janarius Robinson and Joshua Kaindoh were both selected in the 2021 NFL Draft. Payton is also expected to be selected in the 2026 NFL Draft.
Papuchis came to Tallahassee after coordinating Maryland’s special teams and coaching inside linebackers in 2019. He previously was the defensive coordinator at North Carolina and Nebraska while also serving as special teams coordinator at Nebraska.
In 2019, Maryland had a special teams efficiency rating of 67.4 to rank 11th in ESPN’s efficiency rankings. The Terrapins were one of only four Power 5 teams with at least one kickoff return touchdown and punt return touchdown. Maryland led the Big Ten and ranked 11th in the country with an average of 13.67 yards per punt return. Javon Leake was the 2019 Rodgers-Dwight Big Ten Return Specialist of the Year and a first team All-Big Ten return specialist. He led the conference and ranked third in the nation with 804 kickoff return yards, while his school-record-tying two kickoff return touchdowns were the most in the Big Ten and fifth nationally and his Big Ten-leading average of 26.8 yards per kickoff return was 13th in the country.
Papuchis spent the 2015-18 seasons at North Carolina, serving as linebackers coach his first two seasons before being promoted to defensive coordinator for 2017 and 2018. He made an immediate impact in 2015 as the Tar Heels posted the most improved Power 5 defense in the country. North Carolina allowed 14.5 fewer points per game than the season before while leading the ACC in interceptions, total takeaways, turnover margin and passes defended while tying the single-season school record with 11 victories, posting their first 8-0 ACC mark and ranking 15th in the final national polls.
In his first season as defensive coordinator, Papuchis helped direct M.J. Stewart, a second-team All-ACC performer and second-round pick by the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, and Jacksonville native Andre Smith who was taken in the seventh round by the Carolina Panthers. Stewart ended his career with a school-record 41 pass breakups.
Papuchis spent seven seasons at Nebraska and was the Huskers’ defensive coordinator for the last three. He was the youngest solo defensive coordinator in the country when he was promoted to the post in 2012. In his three seasons coordinating the defense, Nebraska held 11 opponents to 14 or fewer points. In 2014, his defense ranked second in the country by allowing a completion percentage of just 48.5 while also ranking fourth nationally in pass efficiency defense at 104.83 and fifth in third-down percentage at 30.1.
His first four seasons in Lincoln were spent coordinating special teams and coaching the defensive line. He was one of four finalists for the 2010 Football Scoop Special Teams Coordinator of the Year. On defense, he coached back-to-back Big 12 Defensive Player of the Year winners in Ndamukong Suh and Prince Amukamara. In 2009, Suh won the Outland Trophy, Bronko Nagurski Trophy, Lombardi Award and Bednarik Award while also being a Heisman finalist. Suh, the first defensive player to earn AP Player of the Year honors, was picked second overall in the 2010 NFL Draft. Papuchis also helped Amukamara become a unanimous All-American and the Big 12 Defensive Player of the Year in 2010 before being drafted 19th overall by the New York Giants.
From 2004-07 Papuchis was on staff at LSU assisting in every aspect of the defensive game plan and scouting reports. He helped the Tigers rank among the nation’s top defenses, placing in the top three in total defense each season from 2005 through 2007. The 2007 team won the SEC and national championships, defeating Ohio State 38-24 in the BCS National Championship Game.
Papuchis also coached the punters at LSU. In 2007, Patrick Fisher led the SEC with an average of 44.5 yards per punt and was a first team All-SEC selection. Papuchis’ first year on Nick Saban’s staff was 2004, and he helped the Tigers reach the Capital One Bowl.
Papuchis began his career as a graduate assistant at Kansas from 2001-03. In 2001, he worked with the secondary and assisted coaching the linebackers.
Papuchis graduated from Virginia Tech in 2001 with a bachelor’s degree in business management and earned his master’s degree in sports administration from Kansas in 2003. Papuchis and his wife, Billie, have three daughters, Addyson, Sophia and Rylee, and two sons, John and Jack.
THE PAPUCHIS FILE
Hometown: Gaithersburg, Maryland
High School: Quince Orchard
College: Virginia Tech (2001)
Wife: Billie
Kids: Addyson, John, Jack, Rylee, Sophia
COACHING EXPERIENCE
|
Year |
School |
Position |
|
2026-Pres. |
Missouri |
Special Teams Coordinator |
|
2025 |
Florida State |
Special Teams Coordinator/Linebackers |
|
2020-24 |
Florida State |
Special Teams Coordinator/Defensive Ends |
|
2019 |
Maryland |
Special Teams Coordinator/Inside Linebacker |
|
2017-18 |
North Carolina |
Defensive Coordinator |
|
2015-16 |
North Carolina |
Linebackers |
|
2012-14 |
Nebraska |
Defensive Coordinator |
|
2011 |
Nebraska |
Specia lTeams Coordinator/DL/Recruiting |
|
2008-10 |
Nebraska |
Special Teams Coordinator/Defensive Line |
|
2004-07 |
LSU |
Defensive Intern |
|
2001-03 |
Kansas |
Graduate Assistant |
