Barry Odom to Missouri: Latest Contract Details, Comments, Reaction

The Missouri Tigers’ search for a new football coach is officially over.

The school announced its decision to hire defensive coordinator Barry Odom on Thursday. Odom agreed to a five-year deal. Odom will make a guaranteed $2,350,000, with an added $1.5 million in incentives, Joe Walljasper of the Columbia Daily Tribune reported on Dec. 11. David Morrison of the Columbia Daily Tribune added the deal ran through 2021, with a two-year option after that. 

Odom played linebacker for the Tigers from 1996 to 1999 and was the team's defensive coordinator this season after serving in the same role for the Memphis Tigers from 2012 to 2014. MUTigers.com provided a list of his recent coaching experience:

Year(s)	Position
2000	Assistant Coach, Ada (Okla.) High School
2001-02	Head Coach, Rock Bridge (Columbia, Mo.) High School
2003	Administrative Graduate Assistant, Missouri
2004-05	Director of Football Recruiting, Missouri
2006	Director of Football Operations, Missouri
2007-08	Assistant AD/Director of Football Operations, Missouri
2009-11	Safeties, Memphis
2012-14	Defensive Coordinator/Linebackers, Memphis
2015	Defensive Coordinator/Linebackers, Missouri

Athletic director Mack Rhoades commented on the hire, per MUTigers.com:

"

We are extremely excited to announce Barry Odom as the new leader of the Mizzou football program. 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. 

"

Odom weighed in on the opportunity, per Morrison:

Missouri posted a video of how the team responded when it learned of Odom's hiring: 

Odom’s Memphis squad finished fifth in the nation in scoring defense and 22nd in total defense during a 10-3 campaign in 2014. Although Missouri struggled in the win department this year, its defense ranks ninth in the nation in yards allowed per game and seventh in points allowed per game.

The unit carried the Tigers this year and kept them competitive in the always-difficult SEC.

Odom will replace Gary Pinkel, who led Missouri since 2001 and is the winningest coach in program history. He won 11 games in 2014 and 12 in 2013 and reached the SEC Championship Game in both years. However, the Tigers struggled in 2015 with a 5-7 record, and the coach elected to resign after the season after being diagnosed with non-Hodgkin lymphoma in May.

Odom is familiar with the program from his time as a player and various coaching and administrative roles and will look to lead Missouri back to the top of the SEC East after a one-year hiatus.