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Another Gator headed for ECU
By Denny O'Brien
©2002 Bonesville.net
It looks like John
Thompson won't be making the trek from Gainesville to Greenville alone.
Jerry Odom (Photo: UF SID) |
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According to a published
report in The Gainesville Sun, Thompson, who last week was named the new
football coach at East Carolina, has selected Florida linebackers coach Jerry
Odom as the new Pirates defensive coordinator. He joins Jerry McManus, who will
remain on the Pirates staff.
Odom, 34, who was in his third year as a Gators assistant, played linebacker at
Florida from 1987-90.
Before joining the Florida staff as a graduate assistant in 2000, Odom spent
four seasons at New Smyrna Beach High School in Florida, where he served as the
assistant head coach and defensive coordinator. Prior to that, he had brief
stints at Apopka and Colonial high schools and has strong recruiting ties in the
Sunshine State.
"Jerry wants an opportunity to run the defense and he feels like he'll have an
opportunity to do that at East Carolina," Gators coach Ron Zook told The Sun.
"Jerry did a great job for us. The key (for Florida) is to get a guy in here
comparable to him."
Odom, like Thompson, will continue his duties with Florida in the Outback Bowl
before heading to Greenville.
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02/23/2007 01:45 AM
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