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'I’ve got something to prove': All access with Barry Odom

The Tigers were at rock bottom and Odom was on the hot seat. However, he never doubted that a turnaround was on the way.
Nov 24, 2017; Fayetteville, AR, USA; Missouri Tigers head coach Barry Odom during the second quarter against the Arkansas Razorbacks at Donald W. Reynolds Razorback Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Nelson Chenault-USA TODAY Sports

COLUMBIA, Mo. — “I better have a chip on my shoulder because I’ve got something to prove.”

After starting out his second season as Mizzou football coach at 1-5, that chip wasn’t the only thing on Barry Odom’s shoulders.

“There were some times where I tried to do too much,” Odom said. “I tried to call the defense, I tried to do all the things within the program, and I had some really good people around me, but I didn’t allow them to do some of their jobs.”

The Tigers were at rock bottom and Odom was on the hot seat. However, he never doubted that a turnaround was on the way.

“Finally we started playing with some confidence,” Odom said. “We started playing with a little bit of an edge, and luckily for my guys they started having success from the work they were putting in.”

Mizzou rattled off six wins in a row and earned a bid to the Texas Bowl. Odom says the 2017 run laid the framework for what’s to come.

“The guys that we have coming back on our roster that have meaningful snaps, that have experience and the foundation process of what our program is, the way we work out, the way we go to class, the things that we’re doing that really matter when it comes down to those three and a half hours on a Saturday afternoon, have put us in a really good spot,” Odom said.

Odom will have two big senior weapons on both sides of the ball at his disposal in 2018.

On offense, record-setting Heisman hopeful quarterback Drew Lock is back and ready to grow under new offensive coordinator Derek Dooley.

“The amount of time he is putting in trying to be a good quarterback, trying to lead this team is unmatched,” Odom said. “He’s doing a lot of things behind the scenes to make himself really good.”

On defense, East St. Louis native and defensive line monster Terry Beckner Jr. is also back for his senior campaign. In the middle of the team’s losing streak last season, the then-junior came to Odom and took the leadership reigns for the defense.

“He said number one, I’m coming back for my senior year, number two there’s no doubt we’re about to break through and get this done and number three, I want you to put the team on my shoulders and I’m going to help you go get it done,” Odom said. “To me that speaks volumes of what kind of kid he is, what kind of competitor he is and how much he cares about this program.”

Odom’s relationship with his players goes beyond 'X's and 'O's. His office door is always open to chat, or even play the occasional video game. “I’ve got three kids of my own, but I really feel that I’ve got 117 other guys that every decision that I make affects them greatly,” Odom said.

On the recruiting trail, if it’s up to Odom, the city of St. Louis will play a big role in the future of Mizzou football.

“I understand the connection with the city of St. Louis and the University of Missouri,” Odom said. “Great players have come out of that city forever, and moving forward in the next few years it’s such a great, athletic city for us that can really provide a great structure to go win a championship.”

He’s coaching at his alma mater, with the security of a brand new contract extension and star players all over the field. But don’t think for a second that Barry Odom is content.

“Don’t ever relax and think that you’re there and you’ve arrived because you haven’t,” Odom said. “There’s a long way to go, but we’re getting there and it’s a lot of fun doing it with this group.”

Mizzou football will begin its 2018 campaign on September first, facing off against UT Martin at home at Faurot Field.

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