First-year Missouri athletic director Jim Sterk didn’t hire Barry Odom, but he believes in his second-year football coach.
“I’ve been impressed with him and just how he handled the kids, the players, both with wins and how they handled losses,” Sterk said.
While Odom’s debut season — the Tigers missed out on a bowl game after starting 2-7 before closing the campaign with two wins in the final three games — fell short of expectations, Sterk wasn’t says he dismayed by the growing pains.
“I knew going into that season, you’ve got a new head coach, new defensive coordinator, new offensive coordinator, and you’re in the SEC — that’s a tough deal,” Sterk said.