Mizzou fires coach Barry Odom after four years and tumultuous end to season
After a tumultuous season that saw the Missouri Tigers collapse from the Top 25 into a five-game losing streak, football coach Barry Odom was fired Saturday morning.
“This decision was not an easy one,” Mizzou athletic director Jim Sterk said at a Saturday news conference. “But it was necessary.”
Odom’s firing follows a frenzied few days for the university after the NCAA denied Missouri’s infractions appeal Tuesday. It upheld a postseason ban for the football, softball and baseball teams. Other sanctions include recruiting restrictions and scholarship limitations, which the next Mizzou coach will inherit.
At a Tuesday news conference to discuss the NCAA’s decision, Sterk said the postseason ban would not affect how he evaluated Odom’s future. Sterk reiterated how that decision would be made after the season. Four days later, Sterk fired the fourth-year coach. Defensive line coach Brick Haley will serve as interim coach until a permanent hire is made.
“As a program, we had tremendous momentum heading into 2019 with the opening with our south end zone project, along with other strategic investments into the program,” Sterk said. “We lost a great deal of energy over the last half the season, which caused great concern as we looked to the future.
“A national search is underway and confidentiality around this time will be critical. Therefore, I won’t be accessible for public comments or comment on any search till the next football coach is hired.”
Sterk said he will use the same coaching search firm that he utilized when he hired basketball coach Cuonzo Martin. Mizzou paid Parker Executive Search $80,000 before hiring Martin.
“It’s a very important hire for not only athletics but also the institution,” Sterk said. “We’re an economic driver as far as exposure to the institution, but also to the region here.”
Asked on Friday after the Tigers’ 24-14 win over Arkansas if he knew of his job security, Odom said he was unsure.
“No idea,” Odom said when asked what’s next. “I’m just going to wake up in the morning and go to work.”
The decision to fire Odom comes one year after the now-former coach was handed a contract extension through 2024, raising his base pay to $3.05 million — a $600,000-per-year raise at the time.
Odom, 43, replaced Gary Pinkel in 2015, compiling a 25-25 overall record and going 13-19 in the SEC. Mizzou finished 2019 with a 6-6 record but will not play in a bowl game because of the NCAA-imposed one-year postseason ban.
After starting the season 5-1 and being ranked No. 22 in the AP Top 25, Mizzou crumbled in a five-game losing streak. The offense, after averaging 38.8 points in MU’s first six games, disappeared down the stretch.
The Tigers defeated Arkansas to snap their losing streak. But by then, the damage had been done and dreams of an SEC East division title had faded. As the losses piled up, chatter about Odom’s job security intensified.
As Mizzou plans to buy out Odom’s contract, it owes him his base salary of $450,000 multiplied by the number of years remaining, plus $150,000 for each year he was coach. With five seasons still left from 2020-24, the buyout would be about $2.85 million.
A former Mizzou linebacker, Odom played for the Tigers from 1996-99. He returned as Pinkel’s defensive coordinator for the 2015 season following three years (2012-14) in the same position at Memphis. Odom previously held such positions as director of football operations and safeties coach for Pinkel before leaving for Memphis.
Odom guided Mizzou to back-to-back bowl appearances in 2017 and 2018.
This story was originally published November 30, 2019 at 10:16 AM.