The University of Missouri has wasted little time in tapping its current defensive coordinator, a Mizzou alumnus, as its next head coach. According to an athletic department release:
The quest for the University of Missouri's next head football coach has concluded, and after a thorough national search, Mizzou Director of Athletics Mack Rhoades has selected current assistant coach and defensive coordinator Barry Odom to guide the program into the future. Odom has agreed, in principle, to a five-year deal that makes him the 32nd head coach in MU history, with financial details of the contract to be released when approved by the MU Board of Curators at its regularly-scheduled meeting December 10-11.
Odom has spent a total of 14 years associated with the Mizzou football program, including six in an administrative capacity (2003-08), four as a coach (2009-11, 2015) and four as a highly-successful student-athlete (1996-99).
He spent the past four seasons as a defensive coordinator, including three at Memphis (2012-14) and one at Missouri, where his units were considered among the best in the nation, according to the school:
[The] Tigers ranked ninth in the nation in total defense [this season], allowing just 302.0 yards per game. Since the NCAA began tracking defensive statistics in 1978, this marks the first time in MU history that Mizzou has had a top-10 defense. Odom's defense was also ranked seventh nationally in scoring defense (16.2 avg.), seventh in pass defense (169.2 avg.) and second in tackles for loss (8.8 avg.).
NEWS: #Mizzou Football Announces Barry Odom as its 32nd Head Football Coach #MizzouMade39 https://t.co/aMRFKnki62 pic.twitter.com/E4mMPdcKul
— Mizzou Football (@MizzouFootball) December 4, 2015
