Missouri Valley College football Head Coach LaQuentin Black announces the hiring of three new assistant coaches to his staff going into the 2026 season. Those three new coaches including Kevin Griffin, Barrett Mathews and Melvindrick “MJ” Johnson.

Griffin joins the Viking football coaching staff as the Associate Head Coach, and will serve as the Defensive Coordinator and Defensive Line Coach. Griffin comes to Missouri Valley after spending last season as Co-Defensive Coordinator, Defensive Line Coach and Special Teams Coordinator at NCAA Division III Bluffton (Ohio). He also served in the Defensive Coordinator role at NAIA programs Madonna (Mich.), Langston (Okla.), and Bethel (Kan.). At Langston, Griffin led one of the best defensive units in the NAIA. His 2019 defense was ranked No. 1 in the Nation in rush defense, rush yards allowed and opponent’s third down conversion, and was ranked No. 4 in total defense. In 2021, Griffin’s defense ranked No. 6 in total defense and No. 5 in opponent’s third down conversion. He coached five NAIA All-Americans at Langston from 2018-2022, including two Sooner Athletic Conference Defensive Player of the Year award winners and 24 all-conference selections.

Mathews will join the staff as the Tight Ends Coach. In 2025, Mathews was the Head Coach at Lawton Eisenhower High School in Lawton, Oklahoma., and built the program to its largest participation in school-history. Prior to his tenure at Lawton Eisenhower, Mathews has spent time as an assistant coach since 2019 at Legacy High School, DeSoto High School and Odessa Permian High School in Texas. Mathews played NCAA Division I football at the University of Texas, as a tight end, fullback and wide receiver, and was a student-athlete on the 2009 National championship team. He also spent time as a fullback with the Houston Texans in 2013.

Johnson comes back to the Viking football program as the Running Backs Coach. He returns to the program after playing as tight end and quarterback for Missouri Valley during the 2023 and 2024 seasons. In 2025, Johnson was the Co-Offensive Coordinator and Wide Receivers Coach at Ellsworth Community College in Kansas. He coached two NJCAA First Team All-Region selections, and coached an offense that averaged 275 yards per game and 24.7 points per game.

The 2025 season was the first under Head Coach LaQuentin Black and produced four selections to the Heart of America Athletic Conference All-South Division Team and eight NAIA Scholar Athletes.