BREAKING: Barry Odom Top Candidate To Replace Mike Norvell At Memphis, Likely Out As Bud Foster Replacement At Virginia Tech
Virginia Tech likely won’t be landing former Mizzou head coach Barry Odom as its next defensive coordinator to replace Bud Foster.
A source close to the Memphis football program told Sports Illustrated Odom is the clear top candidate to replace Mike Norvell (as reported earlier by multiple outlets, Norvell is leaving to take over at Florida State). The source also stated that Odom has the support of several influential Memphis boosters, so I’d be stunned if an announcement wasn’t coming in the very near future.
There have been rumors linking Odom—who was the defensive coordinator at Memphis when Justin Fuente was head coach—to the Virginia Tech vacancy all week.
Multiple sources close to Virginia Tech football confirmed there have been conversations with the Odom but wouldn’t elaborate further.
While many Hokies fans may be disappointed considering Odom’s impressive track record leading defenses for multiple programs, Virginia Tech athletic director Whit Babcock was likely waiting for this news and will now pursue another candidate. Torrian Gray, anyone? I don’t have anything firm on Gray—other than the majority of Hokies fans would embrace him with open arms—but it will be interesting to see where the search leads with Odom almost surely off the table unless there’s a miracle.
