The first question to address is "What does Odom want his defense to be?"
If his heart's with the read-and-react thing, he needs to go with that. But after the last half of the season, I'm not sure it is. It appears he's not sure either.
-- November 29: Question No. 1 for Missouri's offseason: What does Barry Odom want his defense to be?
Odom said he plans to ask the eight current assistant coaches on his staff to return. That’s everyone from the 2016 season except defensive line coach Jackie Shipp, whom Odom fired before the final game against Arkansas. Odom took over the play-calling duties from defensive coordinator DeMontie Cross with five games left in the season, but Odom indicated he won’t fire anyone else on the staff. Cross and offensive coordinator Josh Heupel are under contract through the 2018 season. [...]
Odom made it clear he plans to resume the defensive play-calling duties in 2017. It’s unclear if any staff titles will change. As for the defensive scheme, Odom will stick with the system he used in the final five games. No more of the read-and-react scheme that required linemen to read formations and contain their gaps.
-- Post-Dispatch: Odom plans to keep Mizzou’s football staff intact
Odom said he will continue to call the defense next season, but input from Cross, safeties coach and co-defensive coordinator Ryan Walters and cornerbacks coach Greg Brown will remain crucial.
"Throughout the course of the week, we build the defense together, and, throughout the course of the game, I’m not making every call," Odom said. "There’s constant communication going on with Ryan and DeMontie and Greg. … We ended up working pretty well together, so I’m excited about that moving into the offseason and the spring and into fall camp in the season."
KC Star: Missouri football coach Barry Odom seeks continuity as he enters pivotal offseason
PowerMizzou: Odom looks back and ahead
The Trib (Blake Toppmeyer): Q&A (Part II): Odom discusses attendance drop, recruiting, etc.
Barry Odom took questions from some Mizzou beat writers on Monday and checked Question No. 1 off the list. He wants Missouri to retain some of the more aggressive features it boasted over the last month of the season, and he wants to press forward with the staff he's already got on hand (plus a new defensive line coach).
This makes sense, really. We know he has skewed from the Gary Pinkel script at times over the last year, and we know he will do so again. But if he's moving forward with a "Fix the problems with the guys you've got, and don't fire guys simply in the name of change" perspective, that's certainly straight from the Pinkel/Don James philosophy.
More football
Glen Elarbee is a delight
And so is Alec Abeln.
@AlecAbeln @Jcoop50 https://t.co/grU7TYh0M4
— Jonah Dubinski (@Jonah_Dub79) December 6, 2016
@Jonah_Dub79 @AlecAbeln @OLineWorld65 I'd take a "short" guy that is violent and intentional, over the "prototype" that plays indecisive.
— Jon Cooper (@Jcoop50) December 6, 2016
@Jcoop50 @Jonah_Dub79 @OLineWorld65 where do the short guys that melt at the point of attack fall into this?
— Alec Abeln #⃣5⃣7⃣ (@AlecAbeln) December 6, 2016
@AlecAbeln @Jonah_Dub79 that's the rare combination only a select few can achieve ⛄️
— Jon Cooper (@Jcoop50) December 6, 2016
@Jcoop50 @Jonah_Dub79 @AlecAbeln -Good ones don't melt;They strain/scramble for the next opportunity to get better. Duh..,
— Glen Elarbee (@Gelarbee) December 6, 2016
@Gelarbee @Jcoop50 @Jonah_Dub79 Coach, I miss ya already.
— Alec Abeln #⃣5⃣7⃣ (@AlecAbeln) December 6, 2016
The latest in recruiting
B&G Illustrated: NC RB Larry Rountree Recaps Missouri Official Visit
The big news from this department yesterday wasn't really news ... but is sort of news.
I'm still committed to Missouri but My recruitment is Open
— call me Dõs (@aubmiller126) December 5, 2016
That would be Mizzou LB commit Aubrey Miller saying he was keeping his Mizzou reservation but looking around at other options just to be sure.
Recruiting's fun! But if the coaches can look around, the kids can, too. Supposedly Demontie Cross taking a home visit with Miller pretty soon (he might have last night), so we'll see if this subplot continues.
Year-in-review season is underway
PowerMizzou: 2016 in Review: Defensive Line
~14 hours to Miami (Ohio)
MUtigers.com: Tigers Take On Miami (Ohio) On Tuesday at Mizzou Arena
Post-Dispatch: Hughes off to streaky start for Mizzou basketball team
KC Star: Missouri men’s basketball team searching for ways to end slow starts