University of Missouri Hires Barry Odom as Head Football Coach - East Idaho News
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University of Missouri Hires Barry Odom as Head Football Coach

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Getty 120315 Mizzou?  SQUARESPACE CACHEVERSION=1449196162096Photo by Ed Zurga/Getty Images(COLUMBIA, Mo.) — The University of Missouri has named its next head football coach, choosing to promote defensive coordinator Barry Odom to the role, following the retirement of former head man Gary Pinkel due to health concerns.

The university announced Thursday night that Odom had agreed in principle to a five-year contract to take over the program, with details to be approved by the school’s Board of Curators later this month. A press conference was scheduled for Friday afternoon.

Odom, 39, spent 2003 through 2011 in the University of Missouri football program, including as a director of operations and director of recruiting. He left the school in 2012 to take a defensive coordinator job at the University of Memphis, and returned to Mizzou as their defensive coordinator this past season.

Missouri Director of Athletics Mack Rhoades said the school was “extremely excited” to introduce Odom as the new head coach. Calling Odom “the clear choice” and “a man of high integrity,” Rhoades said he hopes Odom can take the Tigers to “even greater heights.”

Odom said he was “tremendously honored to have this opportunity,” and that the school “means the world to me and to my family.” He played football for Missouri in the late 1990s.

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