Sports Briefs: Missouri football coach Odom gets $2.35M in 5-year deal

Published 10:06 am Saturday, December 12, 2015

COLUMBIA, Mo. — Missouri football coach Barry Odom will make $2.35 million annually in a five-year contract approved Friday by the Missouri System Board of Curators.

The contract includes $450,000 in base salary and $1.9 million for various appearances on radio and TV and other duties. It also provides performances bonuses of $250,000 for winning a Big 12 championship and $250,000 for reaching a New Year’s Day bowl game once each during the contract term.

He replaced Gary Pinkel, who resigned because of health issues.

Odom also gets a country club membership, use of two university vehicles and reimbursement for spousal travel.

Odom would owe a buyout of $2.35 million if he accepted another college or NFL position on or before Feb. 28, 2019, with decreasing buyout terms in subsequent seasons.

Saban hires Pruitt to run defense

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TUSCALOOSA, Ala. — Alabama hired Jeremy Pruitt as defensive coordinator after he served in that role at Georgia and Florida State.

Crimson Tide coach Nick Saban announced the hiring of the former Alabama assistant Friday. Pruitt was on Mark Richt’s staff at Georgia and fills the vacancy that was created when Kirby Smart became coach of the Bulldogs.

“He did an outstanding job in the six years he was with us and did the same at Florida State and Georgia after that,” Saban said in a statement. “Jeremy is obviously an excellent defensive coach, and also does a great job in terms of recruiting and developing relationships with players. We’re pleased and happy to have Jeremy and his family back in Tuscaloosa.”

Alabama didn’t release contract details pending approval by the Board of Trustees. Smart had been making about $1.5 million.

Pruitt spent the past two seasons running the Bulldogs defense, which ranks eighth nationally in total yards allowed and is first in pass defense.

He was defensive coordinator and secondary coach for Florida State’s national championship team in 2013 before joining Richt’s staff.

Pruitt was on Saban’s staff from 2007-2012, working as defensive backs coach the final three years. He worked with first-round NFL draft picks Mark Barron, Dre Kirkpatrick and Dee Milliner.

Pruitt played two seasons at Alabama under Gene Stallings after transferring from Middle Tennessee.

“This is a special opportunity for me to come back to the University of Alabama,” Pruitt said.