****Official 2014 Missouri Tigers Football Thread****

['Hamas' Jenkins]

None of this matters. Fire Pinkel.

[KChiefs1]

Originally Posted by TomBarndtsTwin

Mizzou will be fine w/o Steck.

Our D-Line coach is the one we can't afford to lose.

Keep Kul & hire Odom!

[KChiefs1]

Originally Posted by Discuss Thrower

Missouri state should have went the UAB route.

Title IX ****s that school so hard they can't compete in any sport.

Why do they play football there?

[KChiefs1]

Originally Posted by duncan_idaho

My guess: Promote Kuligiowski to asst. DC and bring Odom back to be asst. DC and LB coach.



Odom has been really impressive at Memphis.

Columbia Tribune:

Barry Odom

Even as a college freshman, Barry Odom could own a room.

That’s what struck A.J. Ofodile when he first met the Missouri linebacker in Columbia in 1996. Ofodile, who had finished his Tigers career three years earlier, was back in town hanging out with former teammates and working out in the weight room. Odom was a first-year player fresh out of Ada High School in Oklahoma.

And, man, did he have a presence.

“He was a guy that always kind of stood out,” said Ofodile, head football coach at Rock Bridge. “It’s funny, even as a young guy like that, he was a guy that commanded the respect of a much older person, just with his maturity and how serious he was about things. He just demands a tremendous amount of respect.”

That aura has served Odom well throughout his entire football career, from an All-State high-school player to becoming the seventh-leading tackler in Missouri history to a two-year stint as Rock Bridge’s head coach only two years out of school to nine years on the Tigers’ football staff in varying capacities to three years as defensive coordinator at Memphis, one of the most improved teams in the FBS this season.

Odom has the substance to back up that gravitas. It’s why head Coach Justin Fuente isn’t the only name on the Memphis staff that gets passed around in coaching vacancy discussions as the carousel whirrs.

His defensive coordinator is a hot name as well.

“I’ve realized that the opportunity I have right now is very unique. I enjoy it,” Odom said. “I love the guys that I work with, work for. We’ve been able to build something pretty special. When you do a good job, you’re recognized for it, and people start to call on you at times. That’s the way the business goes. I don’t know where I’ll end up from here. Kind of like our approach on building our program, I’m convinced if you keep your head down, roll your sleeves up and go to work, that everything’s going to work out the way it’s supposed to work out.

“I’m going to be a head coach someday. That’s my goal at some point. Whether or not that works out, I don’t know. I’m just going to keep doing what I do, and if the right situation comes along that it looks like I’ll be a good fit for that program, then we’ll see how it works out.”

Memphis had gone 3-21 in two seasons before Fuente arrived. The task facing the former TCU co-offensive coordinator as he started his first head-coaching job looked more like resurrection than rebuilding.

As a former quarterback during his player career and offensive coach after his playing days, Fuente had a certain personality profile in mind when it came to his defensive coordinator.

“When I interviewed with him, he told me, ‘I want a guy to come run the defense and be a head coach of the defense,’ ” Odom said. “It’s been awesome because, every week, he’ll ask me, ‘What do we need in practice to make us better defensively?’ He’s done it every week since I’ve been here. If I say we need” a two-tight-end set “for four periods, he lines up our offense in whatever we need to give us a look. That’s unique.”

In 2011, the year before Odom’s arrival, Memphis’ defense gave up 491 yards per game and ranked 117th in the FBS, better than only New Mexico, Ball State and Kansas. In 2012, that number decreased to 383.6 yards per game, 51st in the FBS.

Last year, it was 370.7, good for 39th in the nation. This season, the Tigers are 22nd in the nation at 343.3 yards allowed per game. That’s one spot and 1.1 yards per game better than Missouri.

Odom’s defense, combined with an efficient, balanced offense overseen by coordinator Darrell Dickey and Fuente, has helped the Tigers reverse their record from 3-9 to 9-3 this year, earning a share of the American Athletic Conference title in their first year playing in the league.

Memphis, which plays BYU in the Miami Beach Bowl on Dec. 22, has its first winning season since 2007 and its first piece of a conference title since 1971, when it played in the Missouri Valley.

“Anytime you’re in a situation where, over and over and over, you’re working and not having success, usually, just human nature, you’re going to struggle a little bit mentally,” Odom said. “Your attitude. The focus on what it takes to be successful. The attitude and changing the culture of what the expectation level was, that was maybe the most difficult thing to overcome early on. And still, that’s not something that you wave a wand and it’s fixed overnight. That’s still ongoing.

“That has to do with the competitive nature and spirit of the guys you bring into your program. Then you’ve got to set up an environment where they’ve got to work, enjoy what they’re doing and understand that this is the program. And that this program works.”

Odom said he’s borrowed pieces of coaching philosophy from every staff he’s ever been a part of, including that of Missouri Coach Gary Pinkel and defensive coordinator Dave Steckel. Odom was a Tigers graduate assistant in 2003, recruiting director for the next two years, then director of operations from 2006 through 2008 before becoming safeties coach for three years.

When it came time to run his own defense, Odom drew on prior experiences and meshed it with the personnel available at Memphis. The Tigers lacked line depth, so he ran a 3-4. Through recruiting, Memphis can be a bit more multiple now, but it’s still a system that allows an outside linebacker such as Tank Jakes to rack up 15½ tackles for loss, six sacks and earn AAC co-Defensive Player of the Year honors.

“They’re very aggressive, unconventional, unpredictable. Kind of a nightmare in terms of all the different looks they give you and what all you have to account for,” Ofodile said. “They put the most athletic guys they can out on the field at every position. There’s a lot of speed, movement, unconventional ways of getting into things so you really don’t, presnap, know what you’re getting. That’s incredibly difficult, especially when you put good athletes out there doing it. He’s put together a great defensive scheme. The results speak for themselves.”

Ofodile worked on Odom’s staff at Rock Bridge before taking over as head coach in 2003. The two became friends shortly after their initial meeting 18 years ago and remain close, keeping in contact to swap shop talk and when Odom swings through the state on his recruiting trips.

Memphis has signed two Rock Bridge offensive linemen — Michael Stannard and Jace Neville — in the past three years.

“There really is no limitation to what he’d be good at in that realm. I think he’d be a tremendous head coach at the college level,” Ofodile said. “He’s done a tremendous job with every other post he’s been given. He’s proven himself every step of the way. I think anybody would be mistaken to think he wouldn’t do the same thing as a head coach.”

Odom can save that for later. Only 38 and already defensive coordinator at an FBS school, he has the luxury of time.

He says he still follows Missouri’s exploits closely and is “forever indebted” to the school and its football program. That was the starting point.

The end point is still to be determined.

“I’ve been really, really fortunate to be around good people. That’s more important to me than anything else,” Odom said. “If you don’t enjoy going to work every day, it’s not much fun. No matter how good or bad you are. Fortunately, wherever I’ve been, it’s been awesome.

“I don’t take that for granted one day, because I know it doesn’t have to be that way. I feel fortunate that’s the case.”

[Titty Meat]

Will Mizzou still get the Davis twins with Steckels departure?

[Saul Good]

Originally Posted by Chocolate Hog

Will Mizzou still get the Davis twins with Steckels departure?

I haven't heard a thing on them lately, but I don't think it would have much impact. The D-line coach is our stud, and he's not going anywhere. If Odom doesn't get the DC job, Kul will.

[Sully]

I don't think the Davii are coming. Their tweets are still pretty Nub slanted.

[Saul Good]

As long as they're still technically Nebraska commits, you have to consider Nebraska the favorites.

[Titty Meat]

I would have thought after the meeting with Riley they would have made a statement about staying committed. They haven't.

[duncan_idaho]

Originally Posted by Chocolate Hog

I would have thought after the meeting with Riley they would have made a statement about staying committed. They haven't.

Yeah. I think that race is still open, especially with their uncle being disconnected from the program (Saw he landed a job with UNLV).

[Titty Meat]

Originally Posted by duncan_idaho

Yeah. I think that race is still open, especially with their uncle being disconnected from the program (Saw he landed a job with UNLV).

There Uncle doesn't coach you are thinking of the guy who was recruiting them John Garrison who's a Blue Springs grad and a shitty coach. I think they are going to be at Mizzou.

[Pitt Gorilla]

Originally Posted by Chocolate Hog

There Uncle doesn't coach you are thinking of the guy who was recruiting them John Garrison who's a Blue Springs grad and a shitty coach. I think they are going to be at Mizzou.

It's still up in the air, but I'd give NU the edge.

[duncan_idaho]

Originally Posted by Chocolate Hog

There Uncle doesn't coach you are thinking of the guy who was recruiting them John Garrison who's a Blue Springs grad and a shitty coach. I think they are going to be at Mizzou.

My bad.

I knew their uncle played there and was still involved somehow, and saw something about their relationship with Garrison being a key.

Still, point stands. Still have the family ties through their uncle, but Kazcynski (sp?) and Garrison moving on does not help Nebraska.

[Pitt Gorilla]

Originally Posted by duncan_idaho

My bad.

I knew their uncle played there and was still involved somehow, and saw something about their relationship with Garrison being a key.

Still, point stands. Still have the family ties through their uncle, but Kazcynski (sp?) and Garrison moving on does not help Nebraska.

Wouldn't it be great if family ties helped land Mizzou recruits?

[Captain Obvious]

Any new word on Hentges? I know Mizzou was still making a push for him but haven't heard anything for a while.

[Saul Good]

Originally Posted by Captain Obvious

Any new word on Hentges? I know Mizzou was still making a push for him but haven't heard anything for a while.

Not a lot of chatter on him. The speculation is that he is looking at Mizzou still but is worried that Bama will drop him like a bad habit if it's confirmed that he's exploring his options. Sounds like if he is considering a switch, nobody will know until he signs the papers.