Odom Speaks.

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Q: I get asked this twice a day so I’ll ask you once. Was (defensive line coach ) Craig Kuligowski under consideration for the staff or was he not the right fit?

A: Yeah, I think anytime you go in and there’s change, to get the right fit for who you’re hiring and who you’re bringing in, you want to allow (the head coach) some flexibility in having an opportunity to put the staff together. Craig has done an unbelievable job of coaching the defensive line. I’d venture to say he’ll have a great opportunity to do that at that position or possibly a coordinator spot.

Q: Pat Ivey’s not coming back as your strength coach. Was that your decision or did it come from the administration?

A: Mack Rhoades has done a great job through this process working together but allowing the head coach to help and make the decisions on the assistant coaches and the head strength coach. Pat’s done a great job over how many years he’s been at Missouri. Pat’s worked himself into a role that he’s a doctor and is a talented guy and will be successful where he ends up.

Q: There’s always turnover in a recruiting class with verbal commitments after a coaching change. Is there any message you can give to Mizzou fans who are saying, ‘Oh my god, they lost another commitment!’

A: It happens every year. If you look at what’s happened at Georgia, what’s happened at Miami, what’s happened to everyone that’s had a head-coaching change and even places that haven’t had head-coaching changes. … This has happened every year, but people don’t always see it. I’ve lived it for 12 years every day fighting to keep a kid committed. They may decommit, but there’s a long time between now and the first Wednesday in February. I feel very strongly that on that Wednesday we’re going to have a class that everyone’s pretty excited about.

Right after I got the job I think we had two guys jump in right away and commit. In the last couple days there have been four or five who opened it up but (said), ‘Missouri’s still my No. 1.’ That’s recruiting. Unfortunately a lot of times there are reservations not commitments. That’s the nature of the game. That’s the nature of what we do. At the end of this recruiting cycle we’ll have guys who ultimately fit what we want culturally, academically and athletically on Mizzou’s campus.

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