Says Missouri has tremendous high school football but also wants a footprint in Texas and the SEC.
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Odom returned from Memphis on Wednesday without taking the job.
“I’m tremendously honored to have this opportunity”, said Odom.
“It’s hugely important for us to find the right fit for us moving forward”, Odom said. When Pinkel first met Odom, who had expressed interest in being a GA at Mizzou, Pinkel recalls most of his assistants vouching for Odom, telling Pinkel, “We’ve got to get this guy because he’s a sharp young guy”.
“I didn’t hire Barry Odom to be coach Pinkel”, Rhoades said. So, when it was announced last night that defensive coordinator Barry Odom would be taking over the reigns, the players were a little excited.
Contracts must be approved by the Board of Curators, which will vote to approve Odom’s financial package in a meeting in St. Louis on December 10. “Coach Odom had other options”.
That was despite a lethargic offense that scored nine points or less in five games this season, the primary reason for Missouri’s disappointing 5-7 record. Missouri was ranked fourth in the nation in yards allowed per play (4.3). For now, he said there’s also an urgency to recruit. Prior to his time in Memphis, Odom was safeties coach at Missouri (2009-11) and served in a variety of administrative and operations roles with the program since 2003.
“I think that’s pretty neat”, Anderson said. “So I think he’ll be able to fill those shoes”.
Pinkel agreed. His first couple of years as a head coach at Toledo he tried too much to imitate his mentor, former Washington coach Don James. Pinkel established a winning football culture at Missouri and Odom has been involved enough to have absorbed this knowledge.
I take it they like Missouri’s decision.
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“He’s remarkably competitive”, Pinkel said. “He loves his players, and they know he loves them”.
