Dave Odom
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Dave Odom (born October 9, 1942) is currently the men's basketball coach at the University of South Carolina. He previously held the same position at Wake Forest University, and was also an assistant coach at the University of Virginia.
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[edit] Playing Career
Dave Odom began his career in sports at Goldsboro High School as the captain of his football, basketball, and baseball teams. After graduating in 1961, he attended Guilford College where he played quarterback on the football team for three years, as well as playing basketball for all four years. As a senior in 1965, Odom was named the school's most outstanding athlete. He was also inducted into the Guilford College Athletics Hall of Fame in 1983.
[edit] Early career
After graduation in 1965, Odom accepted a job as the coach of Goldsboro High School while enrolled at East Carolina University in pursuit of a masters degree in physical education. Odom coached Goldsboro High School for four seasons between 1965 and 1969. After graduating from East Carolina in 1969, Odom took a job at Durham High School. He coached at Durham for seven years (1969-1976) where he was voted his league's coach of the year five times.
[edit] Early Collegiate Career
Odom began his collegiate coaching career as an assistant at Wake Forest University in 1976 under head coach Carl Tacy. After three years at Wake Forest (1976-1979), Odom became the head coach at East Carolina University, where his squad compiled a 16-11 record, the school's best since 1965. Odom stayed with the program until 1982, when he was offered a chance to return to the ACC as an assistant at the University of Virginia.
As an assistant at Virginia(1982-1989) under head coach Terry Holland, Odom participated in some of the school's most successful seasons, including 5 NCAA berths and a trip to the Final Four in 1984. During this time, Odom coached future No. 1 NBA draft pick Ralph Sampson, who graduated in 1983. Odom departed Virginia in 1989 to return to Winston-Salem as the head coach of Wake Forest University.
[edit] Wake Forest
Upon his arrival in Winston-Salem, Odom inherited a team that had suffered four straight losing seasons under head coach Bob Staak. In his 12 seasons(1989-2001) as head coach, Odom compiled a record of 240-132, making him the second-winningest coach in Wake Forest history, as well as the second highest winning percentage in school history. During this time, Wake Forest earned 7 straight NCAA Tournament appearances and one NIT championship.
Odom was named ACC coach of the year in 1991, 1994, and 1995. He led his team to back to back ACC Championships in 1995 and 1996. Much of the success during these two years is attributed to star center Tim Duncan, whom he recruited as a player in the U.S. Virgin Islands in 1994. In 1995, along with Duncan, the team put up a 26-6 overall record and defeated North Carolina by the score of 82-80, with the victory coming on a last second shot by point guard Randolph Childress. In 1996, the team successfully defended their title with a record of 26-6 by defeating Georgia Tech by a score of 75-74.
[edit] South Carolina
Odom left Wake Forest to accept the job as head coach of the University of South Carolina in 2001, replacing former coach Eddie Fogler. During his tenure at South Carolina, his team has earned one NCAA tournament bid, and has made three appearances in the NIT Championship, winning it twice. He was named SEC Coach of the Year in 2004.
[edit] Head Coaching Records
| Season | Regular Season Conference Record | Overall Record | Postseason Result |
|---|---|---|---|
| East Carolina University 1979-1980 | n/a | 16-11 | None |
| East Carolina University 1980-1981 | n/a | 12-14 | None |
| East Carolina University 1981-1982 | n/a | 10-17 | None |
| Wake Forest University 1989-1990 | 3-11 | 12-16 | None |
| Wake Forest University 1990-1991 | 8-6 | 19-11 | NCAA berth |
| Wake Forest University 1991-1992 | 7-9 | 17-12 | NCAA Berth |
| Wake Forest University 1992-1993 | 10-6 | 21-9 | NCAA Berth |
| Wake Forest University 1993-1994 | 9-7 | 21-12 | NCAA Berth |
| Wake Forest University 1994-1995 | 12-4 | 26-6 | ACC Championship, NCAA Berth |
| Wake Forest University 1995-1996 | 12-4 | 26-6 | ACC Championship, NCAA Berth |
| Wake Forest University 1996-1997 | 11-5 | 24-7 | NCAA Berth |
| Wake Forest University 1997-1998 | 7-9 | 16-14 | NIT Berth |
| Wake Forest University 1998-1999 | 7-9 | 17-14 | None |
| Wake Forest University 1999-2000 | 7-9 | 22-14 | NIT Championship |
| Wake Forest University 2000-2001 | 8-8 | 19-11 | NCAA Berth |
| University of South Carolina 2001-2002 | 6-10 | 22-15 | NIT Finals |
| University of South Carolina 2002-2003 | 5-11 | 12-16 | None |
| University of South Carolina 2003-2004 | 8-8 | 23-10 | NCAA Berth |
| University of South Carolina 2004-2005 | 7-9 | 20-13 | NIT Championship |
| University of South Carolina 2005-2006 | 6-10 | 23-15 | NIT Championship |
[edit] Trivia
- One of Odom's sons, Ryan Odom, is an assistant coach at Virginia Tech.
- Odom has coached two No. 1 overall NBA draft picks, Ralph Sampson (1983) as an assistant at the University of Virginia, and Tim Duncan (1997) as head coach at Wake Forest.
| Preceded by: Larry Gillman |
East Carolina University Head Men's Basketball Coach 1979–1982 |
Succeeded by: Charlie Harrison |
| Preceded by: Bob Staak |
Wake Forest University Head Men's Basketball Coach 1989–2001 |
Succeeded by: Skip Prosser |
| Preceded by: Eddie Fogler |
University of South Carolina Head Men's Basketball Coach 2001–present |
Succeeded by: current |
[edit] External links
- USC Biography at USCsports.com
| Current Head Men's Basketball Coaches of the Southeastern Conference |
|
John Brady (LSU) | Billy Donovan (Florida) | Dennis Felton (Georgia) | Mark Gottfried (Alabama) | Stan Heath (Arkansas) | Andy Kennedy (Ole Miss) | Jeff Lebo (Auburn) | Dave Odom (South Carolina) | Bruce Pearl (Tennessee) | Tubby Smith (Kentucky) | Kevin Stallings (Vanderbilt) | Rick Stansbury (Mississippi State) |
