Report: Mizzou picks TCU's Cross as defensive coordinator – STLtoday.com
11:05 a.m.
COLUMBIA, Mo. • On Thursday, new Missouri coach Barry Odom hired his offensive coordinator. On Friday, he landed his defensive coordinator. DeMontie Cross, a former Mizzou safety and currently the co-coordinator and linebackers coach at TCU, will be MU’s coordinator and coach linebackers at his alma mater, the school announced.
Cross, 41, a St. Louis native who played at Hazelwood East, lettered for the Tigers from 1994-96 and finished his career as the team’s all-time tackles leader.
“DeMontie is an outstanding addition to our staff,” Odom said. “He’s really established himself as one of the top defensive minds in college football, and he’s had success at every stop he’s been at over the years. I’ve witnessed him on the road recruiting, he’s relentless and has done a great job of establishing meaningful relationships in a number of geographic areas. I know he’ll be a great mentor and leader who will relate well with our guys. I expect DeMontie to bring some great ideas and concepts defensively to us that will build on what we’ve been able to do this past year. Obviously he has great enthusiasm, excitement and passion for Mizzou, and we’re proud to have him back here.”
“I’m so excited to have this opportunity to work with Coach Odom and contribute to a place that has given me so much,” Cross said. “Mizzou is in my blood, it’s the place that made me the man and the coach that I am today. It’s also a dream come true for me to work alongside a guy I’ve known for so long. Coach Odom and I have had a strong bond on and off the field, and I’m excited to come in and support him and his vision in every aspect imaginable. I’m honored he’s put his trust in me this way. Mizzou has already established a good reputation on defense, so all I’m looking to do is come in and put my own twist to it and try to make it even better. My players will know that a sense of urgency, attention to detail, and playing with enthusiasm and energy are the things that are most important to me. I think people enjoy watching a defense that plays that way.”
Cross was teammates with Odom for the 1996 season at Mizzou. Cross stayed at MU for two years as a graduate assistant, working with the outside linebackers in 1999. Since then, he’s been a college assistant at Sam Houston State (2000), Iowa State (2001-05), Kansas (2012) and TCU (2013-15). Cross spent five seasons (2006-10) with the Buffalo Bills as a defensive assistant and special teams coach. He came to TCU in 2013 as linebackers coach and was promoted to co-defensive coordinator for the 2015 season. TCU plays Oregon in the Alamo Bowl on Jan. 2.
Missouri did not release terms of Cross’ contract.
Odom has targeted former Southern California assistant Chris Wilson for the defensive line position, a source said. Wilson, 46, has been a defensive line coach at five power conference schools: Colorado (2000-04), Oklahoma (2005-09), Mississippi State (2010012), Georgia (2013) and USC (2014-15). He also served as special teams coordinator at Oklahoma and defensive coordinator at Mississippi State. Wilson was among four USC assistants new Trojans coach Clay Helton fired earlier this month.
Wilson, who turns 47 in January, is a native of Richardson, Texas, and played linebacker at Oklahoma.
A possible target for the offensive line coaching duties is former Atlanta Falcons tight ends coach Chris Scelfo, a source said. Scelfo, 52, has been a college offensive line coach at Oklahoma, Marshall and Georgia and served as Tulane’s head coach from 1999-2006. He was the Falcons tight ends coach from 2008-14.
Odom has hired Utah State assistant Josh Heupel to serve as offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach. He’s also retained three of former coach Gary Pinkel’s assistants: Andy Hill, Cornell Ford and Ryan Walters.
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