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Two candidates closely linked with the Missouri opening officially accepted other jobs Sunday, while a third got offered an FBS head coaching position.
Defensive coordinator Barry Odom, quietly the most talked-about name among local media and a figure supported strongly by at least some of the current players, has been offered the Memphis job, the Commercial Appeal has reported.
Missouri DC Barry Odom has been offered Memphis coaching job. Odom was new Va. Tech coach Justin Fuente's DC at Memphis from 2012-14.
— Phil Stukenborg (@phil_stukenborg) November 29, 2015
Source: Barry Odom has been offered the head job at Memphis https://t.co/H2uO9fr5b7
— FootballScoop (@FootballScoop) November 29, 2015
The Memphis job, of course, was vacated by new Virginia Tech coach Justin Fuente, whom some Mizzou fans hoped would bring his offense with him to Columbia.
Odom served as Fuente’s defensive coordinator with the Memphis Tigers from 2012-14 before returning to Mizzou, where he served various positions from 2003-11. Odom also played football at Missouri from 1996-99.
He did a tremendous job at Mizzou in 2015, replacing Dave Steckel, who left to become a head coach. Odom’s ’15 defense finished No. 3 in the SEC in points allowed per game (16.2) and No. 4 in yards allowed per game (302.0) despite a wealth of injuries, dismissals — and the pressure applied to the unit by the team’s on abysmal offense.
Odom always has stated that he wants to become a head coach some day. He reportedly will interview at Mizzou for a second time this week, though that was before Memphis offered him its head coaching job.
Temple’s Matt Rhule also has been linked to the opening at Missouri. Toledo’s Matt Campbell, whose name has circulated in conjunction with the Mizzou job, accepted the head coaching position at Iowa State on Sunday.
The school wins leader Gary Pinkel announced a few weeks ago that he will retire so he can enjoy the rest of his life and battle non-Hodgkin lymphoma.
UPDATE (4:30 p.m. ET): At least one reporter has refuted that Barry Odom has any sort of offer from Memphis beyond being included in an initial list. So there are conflicting reports.
Memphis source: No job offer made to any candidate (including Barry Odom). List is being put together for review. Will be an actual search
— Adam Rittenberg (@ESPNRittenberg) November 29, 2015
An itinerant journalist, Christopher has moved between states 11 times in seven years. Formally an injury-prone Division I 800-meter specialist, he now wanders the Rockies in search of high peaks.
