As I posted earlier, guy was looking to bail at all costs
From the UNLV message board:
If true. That what explain when the department hushed up. Odom was not on our radar but fell into our lap once his Tulsa deal fell through. UNLV probably started scrambling with excitement to put a deal together.
It’s like when an NFL teams has already planned on a player in the draft because the guy they could use isn’t expected to be on the board. Things happen and you have to take that person off the board.
Casual fans will be like “who?” But this is a really good hire. Can and will recruit well. can and will coach defense. Let’s see who we can get as OC etc.
If so good at defense why did the Hogs regress each of the three years he was here? Not disagreeing, but wondering what makes you think he can coach a good defense? Either he can’t coach a good defense or he didn’t recruit the right players. But if he can coach and he can recruit, what gives?
I think it’s hard to say he did a good job at Arkansas. Was he challenged with prior poor recruiting, the Hogs poor record over the last decade, the Pandemic? Sure. Some valid excuses. But, I’m not sure our defense is in any better shape than it was 3 years ago.
So, nothing else to do but reboot.
Getting a HC job to me isn’t bailing. It’s bettering yourself.
Hard to be a DC or OC when you’ve had a taste of running your own program.
You can look at this any way you desire, but I figure Sam told Barry it would be best to start looking, right now. Sam sees the issue with our defense, and he wants to go another direction.
Yea he’s mistaken on the “recruit well” part. Is a good coach though.
I think that assumption is wrong but it’s your opinion. He had a bunch of walk-on’s playing on the back end of the defense this year
Recruiting on defense is not a new challenge and a fresh start without being critical of Odom is pretty clearly decipherable by looking at the wall. Good luck to Coach Odom and his family as they go to that Nevada destination.
So who we go after now?? Would Charlie strong be a good candidate, could we pull him from Miami. He is an Arkansas native.
Big difference in the SEC and the MWC, I’m sure he ll do just fine, wish him nothing but the best
The thing we have to do is hang on to Scherer. We have to make it worth his time financially to want to stay here. He would be the huge loss here IMO.
We can find as good as or better DC but Scherer is a great recruiter and is bringing in two absolute studs that we cannot afford to lose
I wish him well
That’s the wrong take here- at least until we know the terms of the contract. HC>DC last time I checked.
It is official.
I wonder who is on Sam’s short list. He has surely been making calls to see who he can bring in. I can’t imagine he doesn’t already have some folks ready to replace Odom. And I agree that I hope we can hang onto Scherer. I doubt UNLV can beat what we can pay.
Odom clearly upgraded our defense from the 3+ years prior to his arrival. I can’t see it any other way. He is a top tier DC who has coached with one hand behind his back. No coach can prepare for injuries, not like we had them.
That said, there are others who are talented, and might be superior recruiters. Or, at the least, bring a new approach that helps us win. We have talent in the pipeline, provided we can retain them. Wish him the best, and look forward to the latest Pittman staff upgrade, because he has upgraded every time he has hired a coach.
Don’t feed the troll, Cody.
No arkansas ties unless best choice. Prefer young and dynamic with good recruiting ties.
Would be curious if Ohio state is looking for a scapegoat for loss to Michigan and, if so, would Jim Knowles leave. Man is making almost 2 million there and we paid Odom 1.85 million.
What we don’t needs is to lose bowman and LB coach. Need guys who can recruit.
Would also call Ryan walters on bielema’s staff and see if that Brooke’s finalist liked his time in arkansas.
Finally, while it is saban’s defense, Pete Goldwing is a good young coach with Texas and southern contacts for recruiting.