Missouri hires defensive coordinator Odom to replace Pinkel

He played for Missouri from 1996-99 and worked at various positions within the program from 2003-11. He left in 2012 to coach at Memphis before returning to Missouri this season as the defensive coordinator.

That’s when Missouri announced that Odom would succeed Gary Pinkel as the 32nd football coach in program history.

Missouri will hold a press conference to introduce Odom on Friday. The possibility of Odom becoming a head coach – somewhere – has been a common question this season, and even before.

Odom was also the head coach at Rock Bridge high school from 2001 to 2002.

Barry Odom’s dream job is no longer a dream as of 8 p.m. Thursday.

Missouri was ranked seventh in the nation in scoring defense last season, allowing 16.2 points, and was also among the national leaders in tackles for loss.

Odom was a Missouri linebacker in the late 1990s.

“I’m tremendously honored to have this opportunity”, said Odom.

“Mizzou means the world to me and to my family, and we couldn’t be more proud and excited to be in this position”. On Tuesday, though, negotiations reportedly broke down and Odom returned to Columbia.

Just Tuesday, sources told KOMU 8 News University of California head coach Sonny Dykes had interviewed with Rhoades in Denver.

The move comes hours after Memphis bypassed Odom for Arizona State’s Mike Norvell.

The school made the announcement Thursday evening.

Odom will be a popular choice with current and former players and also understands the dynamics on campus that led to the team joining campus-wide protests over the administration’s response to racial tensions. “I can’t wait to get started”. “And at the same time he’s someone who’s innovative, who has his own ideas, can take that framework and grow with it”.