One more down, seven more to go (for now).
In a move that will surely sit well with those already in the locker room and meeting rooms, Missouri announced late Thursday night that it has hired Barry Odom as its new head football coach. Odom played his college football at Mizzou (1996-99); spent six years with the Tigers on the administrative side of the football operations (2003-08); and served two stints as an assistant -- 2009-11 and 2015. the latter stint saw him serve the role of defensive coordinator after holding the same job at Memphis from 2012-14.
Odom had been a candidate at Memphis, which it was reported tonight would be announcing the hiring of Arizona State offensive coordinator Mike Novell as its head coach at a press conference tomorrow. That news triggered Mizzou moving swiftly on retaining Odom after what was described as a national search for a replacement for the retiring Gary Pinkel.
“We are extremely excited to announce Barry Odom as the new leader of the Mizzou football program,” athletic director Mack Rhoades said in a statement. “We had the opportunity to visit with a number of excellent coaches throughout our search. At the conclusion of that process, Coach Odom was the clear choice to serve as our next coach. He is a man of high integrity and possesses all the qualities you look for in a successful head coach. He has an undeniable passion for Mizzou, a strong track-record of success at each level of his career and a clear vision to mentor our student-athletes and lead our program to even greater heights.”
“I’m tremendously honored to have this opportunity,” said Odom. “It’s something I’ve thought about for a long time as I’ve made my various stops leading up to this point. I understand the responsibility we have to not only carry on the tradition of excellence that Gary Pinkel has built here, but also to help this program reach new heights. Mizzou means the world to me and to my family, and we couldn’t be more proud and excited to be in this position. There are so many people I am thankful for from throughout my career – they are responsible for allowing me to learn and understand all the facets of building a program – that I couldn’t name them all. I’m grateful to Chancellor Hank Foley, President Mike Middleton, the Board of Curators and Mack Rhoades for their faith in me, and to Gary Pinkel for his support over the years. I can’t wait to get started.”
With Odom’s hiring, there are currently seven FBS openings for head coach: Louisiana-Monroe, North Texas, Rutgers, South Carolina, Syracuse, Tulane and Virginia. South Carolina is expected to be the next domino to fall, although Virginia could be on the verge of being filled as well.
