Early in the week, even after the appeal was denied, all of my information was that this was going to be the final game Barry Odom coached at Missouri. I had quite a few people tell me the outcome today wouldn't impact the decision and some time over the weekend, Missouri would officially be in the market for a coach. I didn't post it for two reasons:
1) I don't believe reporting "this is expected to happen" or "this is going to happen unless something changes" is the way to go with things this big
2) I didn't have it from anywhere that I 100% knew it was rock solid and couldn't be wrong or change
It may still happen. However, later in the week I got some indications that a final decision had not been made. As I've told you guys previously, there are people who think that Odom should return and get at least another year.
I don't think the decision hinges on the outcome of today's game. There's not a big difference between 5-7 and 6-6; either one is a huge disappointment with this schedule. Nobody would argue that. I believe it more comes down to whether the Mizzou administration feels confident it can land a coach who is viewed as a significant upgrade (yeah, I know there will be responses that ANYONE is a significant upgrade and you don't care who the coach is as long as it's Barry Odom...that's fine for you to feel that way, but it's also not really true. This is not the end of the Kim Anderson era where not only does absolutely everyone know it's time, but it's been time for a full year.)
Make no mistake, there is definite consideration to fire Odom. I believe there has been some back channel exploration of candidates. But I'm certain the staff has not been informed of a decision one way or another. And I believe that as of right now, that decision hasn't definitively been made. I'm certain it will be made--at least privately--at some point in the next 48 hours and probably even the next 24. If we get word that it has been made and we are confident in that information, we will tell you. Hopefully if that happens, either way, we can tell you prior to any official release from the school.
One way or another, it's going to be an interesting weekend. If Odom is fired, we've got a hot board ready to go and will have full analysis of why it happened and what comes next. If he stays, we'll have an explanation of why that is and analysis from that point of view as well. I don't believe either way that anything will be known today. I believe tomorrow is the earliest news is likely to develop. But obviously we'll be working our sources and following it until we have a resolution one way or the other.
1) I don't believe reporting "this is expected to happen" or "this is going to happen unless something changes" is the way to go with things this big
2) I didn't have it from anywhere that I 100% knew it was rock solid and couldn't be wrong or change
It may still happen. However, later in the week I got some indications that a final decision had not been made. As I've told you guys previously, there are people who think that Odom should return and get at least another year.
I don't think the decision hinges on the outcome of today's game. There's not a big difference between 5-7 and 6-6; either one is a huge disappointment with this schedule. Nobody would argue that. I believe it more comes down to whether the Mizzou administration feels confident it can land a coach who is viewed as a significant upgrade (yeah, I know there will be responses that ANYONE is a significant upgrade and you don't care who the coach is as long as it's Barry Odom...that's fine for you to feel that way, but it's also not really true. This is not the end of the Kim Anderson era where not only does absolutely everyone know it's time, but it's been time for a full year.)
Make no mistake, there is definite consideration to fire Odom. I believe there has been some back channel exploration of candidates. But I'm certain the staff has not been informed of a decision one way or another. And I believe that as of right now, that decision hasn't definitively been made. I'm certain it will be made--at least privately--at some point in the next 48 hours and probably even the next 24. If we get word that it has been made and we are confident in that information, we will tell you. Hopefully if that happens, either way, we can tell you prior to any official release from the school.
One way or another, it's going to be an interesting weekend. If Odom is fired, we've got a hot board ready to go and will have full analysis of why it happened and what comes next. If he stays, we'll have an explanation of why that is and analysis from that point of view as well. I don't believe either way that anything will be known today. I believe tomorrow is the earliest news is likely to develop. But obviously we'll be working our sources and following it until we have a resolution one way or the other.
