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.
"As a program, we had tremendous momentum coming into the 2019 season with the opening of the new south end zone facility as well as other strategic investments in our football program," Mizzou athletic director Jim Sterk said in a statement announcing the move. "However, we lost a great deal of that energy during the last half of the season. This decision was difficult to make but 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 evaluates Odom's future. Sterk reiterated how that decision will 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.
"Mizzou enjoys a winning football tradition and has the necessary resources and commitment to compete at the highest level," Sterk said. "We strive to achieve excellence, and we expect to compete for Southeastern Conference titles, consistently play in the postseason and represent Mizzou the right way on and off the field.
"A national search is underway and confidentiality during the process is critical. Thus, I will have no further public comments regarding the search process until the announcement of our next head football coach is made."
Asked on Friday after the 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 giving the former coach an extension, raising his base pay to $3.05 million, what was a $600,000 raise at the time. It also extended the contract two years, running through the 2024 season.
Odom, 43, replaced Gary Pinkel in 2015, compiling a 25-25 overall record and 13-19 in the SEC. Mizzou finished 2019 with a 6-6 record but will not play in a bowl game because of the one-year postseason ban.
After starting the season 5-1 and ranked No. 22 in the AP Top 25, Mizzou crumbled in a five-game losing streak. The offense, after averaging 38.8 points in the first six games, disappeared down the stretch. The Tigers defeated Arkansas to snap the losing streak.
The damage had been done as dreams of an SEC East division title faded. And as the losses piled up, chatter about Odom's job security heated up.
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. Also $150,000 for each year he was coach. With five seasons still left from 2020-24, it would be about $2.85 million.
The former Mizzou linebacker played from 1996-99. He returned as Pinkel's defensive coordinator for the 2015 season following three years from 2012-14 at the same position at Memphis. Odom previously held positions such as director of football operations and safeties coach for Pinkel before leaving for Memphis.
Odom leaves after guiding Mizzou to back-to-back bowl appearances from 2017-18.
