Memphis defensive coordinator Barry Odom takes same position at Missouri
Missouri will turn to a familiar face to fill its vacancy at defensive coordinator.
The school announced Tuesday morning that Barry Odom, a former Mizzou linebacker and assistant coach, will take over as defensive coordinator, beginning Jan. 1.
Odom, who just finished his third season as defensive coordinator at Memphis, will replace Dave Steckel, who accepted the head-coaching job at Missouri State on December 14.
"We're really excited to have Barry and his family back at Mizzou," said Mizzou head coach Gary Pinkel. "He's done an outstanding job at Memphis these past three years. He's coached with us before, and it's great to see someone professionally advance himself and go do such a great job elsewhere. I know he was sought after by several other power five schools recently, so we feel very fortunate to have him with us."
Odom played linebacker for the Tigers from 1996-99 and ranked fifth in school history with 362 career tackles when his career ended. He coached at the high school level for a few years before joining the Mizzou staff as a graduate assistant in 2003.
He also served as director of recruiting and director of football operations with the program before becoming a full-time assistant in 2008, when he coached the team’s safeties. He held that role until 2011, when he was hired by Justin Fuente to be the defensive coordinator at Memphis.
"It goes without saying how excited I am to have this opportunity," said Odom. "I have such a deep respect for the success that Coach Pinkel and his staff have had since I've been away. Transitioning to a new conference is very challenging, and all they've done is get better at everything. When you look nationally at winning percentage, APR, graduation rates, Mizzou is the total package and it's absolutely one of the top football programs and athletic departments in the country. I'm excited to do my part to continue to add to that, and our family is excited to be part of it again."
In three seasons under Odom’s watch, the Memphis defense improved from 117th nationally to No. 22 in total defense this season. With a win over BYU in the Miami Beach Bowl on Monday, Memphis finished 10-3 and reached double-digit wins for the first time since 1938.
"It's always tough to leave a place that's been as good to me as Memphis has, and I can't thank Coach (Justin) Fuente enough for the opportunity he provided for me," Odom said. "Being a part of this building process for the last three years has made me a better coach, and I'm proud to know that it's in better shape now than what we came into."
For more Missouri news, visit PowerMizzou.com.
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Sam Cooper is a contributor for the Yahoo Sports blogs. Have a tip? Email him or follow him on Twitter!
