Mizzou offensive line coach takes job at Purdue

COLUMBIA, Mo. (KMIZ)

Former Mizzou offensive line coach Marcus Johnson is moving to West Lafayette, Ind. Johnson will be doing the same job for the Purdue Boilermakers, as the team heads into its first spring camp under head coach Ryan Walters.

Walters and Johnson worked together at MU in 2020, when Walters served as the Tigers' defensive coordinator.

"It's exciting to be reunited with Marcus and bring him here to Purdue," Walters said in a press release. "Marcus is a bulldog on the recruiting trail and commands attention as a coach. His expereince as a player and now a coach will immediately help our guys in the offensive line room. Marcus' character aligns with our program's core values."

Johnson has seven years of expereince coaching offensive lines, as he coached at both Duke and Mississippi State before coming to Columbia. He was also the run game coordinator for Mizzou in 2022. In his time in that role, the Tigers rushed about 158 yards per game and 19 touchdowns. Not to mention, for the first time since 2018, the MU run game featured three 400-yard rushers: Cody Schrader, Brady Cook and Nathaniel Peat.

Johnson's departure comes right after MU finished up the majority of its spring camp. The Tigers hosted a spring game for family and alumni on March 18 and the ABC 17 sports team in attendance did not see Johnson at the scrimmage.

Head coach Eli Drinkwitz will now be on the hunt for a new offensive line coach. He just hired a new offensive coordinator, Kirby Moore, in January.