SEC Network analyst Jordan Rodgers names former SEC head coach as top choice for Vanderbilt opening
After spending four seasons as the head coach at Missouri, Barry Odom is now the defensive coordinator at Arkansas in 2020. But could he soon be returning to the SEC head-coaching ranks?
SEC Network analyst Jordan Rodgers believes Odom should get that chance, as Rodgers named the former Tigers head coach as his top choice for the new opening at Vanderbilt. On Sunday, the Commodores fired head coach Derek Mason with only one game remaining on their schedule.
Now, Vandy is searching for a new head coach. And Rodgers believes Odom could be the man for the job.
“Need a proven ‘program builder” and a guy built for this. As a first thought.. Barry Odom has the DNA for this job,” Rodgers tweeted.
Odom went 25-25 during his time at Missouri, which was his first stint as a college head coach. After the Tigers went 6-6 in 2019, he was fired following their loss to Arkansas in the season finale. Odom then joined the Razorbacks’ staff, serving under first-year head coach Sam Pittman this year.
Although Odom’s time at Mizzou ended with a .500 season, he led the Tigers to some success during his tenure, including an eight-win season in 2018 that resulted in a bowl appearance for the second straight year.
It will be interesting to see whether Odom gets legitimate consideration for the Vanderbilt job or whether the Commodores will have other candidates that they have more interest in. Considering Mason was just fired, they’re likely not too deep into their coaching search just yet.
Anybody that has Jordan Rogers’ endorsement basically has no chance to get the job, because he’s persona non grata at his alma mater.
Why hire this retread? — go with a young offensive innovator who can create points
Exactly. Will Muschamp is available guys.
The problem with hiring a young offensive genius is that he’ll always be on a fast track to a bigger program. At a place like Vanderbilt, I think having prior school ties is important, thinking like Pat Fitzgerald. Not sure if anyone applies.
This would be a give up hire which would generate no excitement at all.
I think Odom is in the same boat as Muschamp. A good DC who should give up on being a HC.
Just like Derek Mason, and the main choice is who you put around you. Coach O is a defense man: with a great staff- National Champs-, with two bad coach choices 3 wins 4 losses with dark road ahead. Great head coaches are recruiters first, game managers second, and staff recruiters third.
I’m thinking someone who is a billionaire construction company owner who a) doesn’t need the money they’ll offer and b) can build the facilities that Vandy needs.
There might be one available now that the election is done.
Thanks for trying to give us that W but Missouri didn’t lose to Arkansas in 2019
I was thinking the same thing.
I like the idea of a former construction mogul who now will have a lot of free time on his hands except when he’s in court trying to stay out of jail. Perhaps he can fund everything Vandy needs and then you can change the name of the school to Trump University. Oh wait, that might not be such a good branding idea. ..
They wouldn’t have to change the school colors, as one is already gold.
And why wouldn’t it be a good branding idea? One of the greatest presidents this country has ever had with his name on a building at your school? Only schools like Harvard and Yale can boast of such things in this day and age.
What? Vandy is a very liberal school. They aren’t doing anything related to Trump.
Odom is not ready to be a HC and may never be. Come on guy, that’s a ridiculous name to throw out there. No offense to Odom at all, but just admit that Vandy will never again have a decent football program. And if Odom wants redemption as a HC..good grief..it AIN’T going to be at Vandy, unless success there will be forever more measured by 3 and 4 win seasons.
Odom couldn’t get it done at a better program, why would he be a good fit for a lesser one? He was overated as a DC at both Memphis and Mizzou, and only got the HC job at Mizzou because almost nobody wanted to consider it after Pinkel’s disastrous final year.
He got it because they needed to get a sense of culture back into Mizzou. A sense of family.
Plus he was the hottest up-and-coming hire out there. If we didn’t hire him, Memphis or SOMEBODY would have. He was worth the “risk”
No.
Gary Pinkel was 118 wins and 73 losses at Missouri. In 2013 and 2014 he gave Missouri exactly what they needed to recruit a solid lasting division champ challenger. What did Pinkel’s staff, including Odom, do to build on this? Because the next 4 years Odom and his staff dropped Missouri to 25 and 25. Barry Odom will always be well liked by the athletes he coaches. A few coaches can’t be like-able, but even when they can’t….. they can still be great coaches. I don’t know how Barry Odom is progressing as a coach in 2020. The most simple way to judge it would be to look at the average points allowed at Arkansas in 2019 (average 37) through 12 games…… compared to 2020 (average 31) through 8 games.
Vandy has shown it needs someone offensively minded, not defensively minded and can recruit.
Jeff Monken Army coach would be a great hire.