Norvell adds special-teams/DEs coach; three spots remain on FSU staff
As the dust settles on the early signing period, Florida State football coach Mike Norvell's efforts to fill out his coaching staff are picking up steam.
The latest addition, reported first by Yahoo Spots on Friday afternoon, is Maryland assistant coach John Papuchis, who will coordinate the Seminoles' special teams and coach defensive ends.
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This past season, Papuchis handled special teams and inside linebackers for the Terrapins. The 41-year-old assistant coach previously served as defensive coordinator at North Carolina and Nebraska.
With Papuchis on board, seven assistant coaches have already added to Norvell's staff:
Chris Thomsen (deputy head coach/offensive assistant)
Kenny Dillingham (offensive coordinator/quarterbacks)
Ron Dugans (wide receivers)
Adam Fuller (defensive coordinator)
Odell Haggins (defensive line)
John Papuchis (defensive ends/special teams)
Chris Marve (linebackers)
The final three assistants will handle defensive secondary, offensive line, tight ends and/or running backs. Thomsen likely will coach offensive line or tight ends, depending on who else Norvell hires.
Here is information from Papuchis' bio from the Maryland official website.
Former defensive coordinator at Nebraska and North Carolina, joined the Maryland coaching staff as the Special Teams Coordinator and Inside Linebackers Coach in January 2019. Over the past 12 seasons, Papuchis has coached in one national championship game (2007) and six conference title games.
Papuchis (pronounced puh-POO-chis), a Gaithersburg, Maryland native who graduated from Quince Orchard High School, arrives at Maryland after spending four seasons (2015-18) at North Carolina. After coaching linebackers for two seasons, Papuchis was promoted to the Tar Heels defensive coordinator in 2017. During Papuchis’ four seasons in Chapel Hill, the Tar Heels won 24 games, including 19 in 2015-16, the programs most in back-to-back seasons since 1996 and 1997. In his first season as defensive coordinator in 2017, Papuchis had a pair of defensive standouts selected in the NFL Draft in M.J. Stewart (second round, Tampa Bay) and Andre Smith (seventh, Carolina). Stewart ended his career with 41 career pass breakups, a school record.In 2016, Carolina’s defense led the ACC and was 12th in the country in passing yards allowed. The Tar Heels allowed the fewest touchdown passes in the ACC and allowed the fewest touchdown receptions by wide receivers in the country.
Papuchis had an immediate impact in his first season in Chapel Hill as the Tar Heels had the nation’s most improved Power 5 defense, allowing 14.5 points fewer than the previous year. UNC also had the most improved pass defense in the country in both efficiency and yards per pass attempt, and was the fifth most improved team in passing yards per game. Carolina led the ACC in interceptions, turnovers gained, turnover margin and passes defended en route to a record-setting 11-3 season, a berth in the ACC Championship Game and a No. 15 final ranking in both national polls. The Tar Heels finished No. 12 in pass defense efficiency.
Before coming to Carolina, Papuchis served on Nebraska’s staff from 2008-14, including the last three as the Huskers’ defensive coordinator. Papuchis was the fourth-youngest defensive coordinator in the country and the youngest solo defensive coordinator when he was promoted to the position at Nebraska in 2012.
Nebraska’s defense ranked highly in Papuchis’ seven seasons in Lincoln. The Blackshirts held opponents to 10 or fewer points in nearly one-quarter of the games he coached. In addition to holding 22 opponents to 10 or fewer points, NU also held 34 opponents to 14 points or fewer. In three seasons with Papuchis coordinating the defense, Nebraska held its opponent to 14 or fewer points 11 times.
Nebraska was especially strong defending the pass under Papuchis, holding opponents to a 48.5 completion percentage in 2014, which ranked second in the country. NU also was fourth nationally in pass efficiency defense and fifth in third down defense.Before being promoted to NU’s defensive coordinator, Papuchis worked with a Husker defense that led the nation in scoring defense and pass efficiency defense in 2009. Nebraska ranked in the top 10 nationally in scoring defense twice in Papuchis’ seven seasons and once in total defense.In his last 12 seasons as a defensive assistant, Papuchis has coached four units that have ranked in the top 10 in scoring defense and total defense. A pair of Huskers - Ndamukong Suh and Prince Amukamara - are among six Papuchis players who have been drafted in the first round of the NFL Draft since 2007.
Working with the Husker defensive line, Papuchis helped Suh become a Heisman Trophy Finalist, in addition to winning the Outland Trophy, the Bronko Nagurski Trophy, the Lombardi Award and the Bednarik Award.In addition to working with the Husker defense, Papuchis also coordinated Nebraska’s special teams for four seasons from 2008 to 2011. In 2010, Papuchis was one of four finalists for the FootballScoop Special Teams Coordinator-of-theYear Award.Papuchis joined the Nebraska coaching staff after spending the previous four seasons on the football staff at LSU. Papuchis served as a defensive intern for the Tigers, assisting in every aspect of the defensive game plan and scouting reports. The efforts of Papuchis helped the Tigers rank among the nation’s top defenses throughout his time with LSU. The Tigers ranked third nationally in total defense each season from 2005 to 2007.
In 2007, the Tiger defense helped LSU to SEC and national titles, capped by a 38-24 victory over Ohio State in the BCS National Championship Game. In 2006, the LSU defense surrendered just 242.8 yards per game, the fewest by a Tiger defense since 1976. LSU led the SEC in six defensive categories and ranked in the top five nationally in four major categories. LSU finished in the top 10 nationally in all four major defensive categories in 2005, and allowed less than 270 total yards per contest.
Papuchis also coached the Tiger punters. In 2007, punter Patrick Fisher led the SEC in punting with a 44.5-yard average and earned first-team All-SEC honors. Papuchis first joined Nick Saban’s LSU staff prior to the 2004 season, helping the team earn a berth in the Capital One Bowl.Papuchis had a three-year stint as a graduate assistant at Kansas from 2001 to 2003. In 2001, he worked with the Jayhawk secondary and then assisted with the linebackers. In his final season at KU, Papuchis helped the Jayhawks earn a berth in the Tangerine Bowl.
Papuchis graduated from Virginia Tech in 2001 with a bachelor’s degree in business management. He 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 a son, John.
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