Missouri football coach Barry Odom said Monday that his decision to fire defensive coordinator DeMontie Cross over the weekend had “zero to do with on-the-field performance.”
The dismissal came Sunday night, a day after Missouri opened its Southeastern Conference schedule with a 31-13 loss to South Carolina. But the performance — or nonperformance, as Odom qualified it — had no bearing on Cross’ dismissal, he insisted during a teleconference with reporters.
“More to do with philosophical differences would be the biggest deciding factor in making the move,” Odom said. “I feel very, very strongly about the staff we have in place to mentor and guide our student-athletes in every area of their life, not just on the football field but in every area — academically, socially and how to treat others with great respect and make our society better.