After eight successful seasons at the helm of the Tusculum University football program, Jerry Odom has tendered his resignation as the Pioneers’ head coach announced Josh Ealy, TU Director of Athletics.
Odom, who posted a 42-38 record at the Greeneville, Tennessee school, is stepping down to accept a position at a NCAA Division I program, which will be released later by that institution.
Ealy also announced that current Tusculum offensive coordinator Kyle Dickey will serve as interim head coach of the program while a national search is conducted for Odom’s successor.
Since becoming Tusculum’s 16th head football coach, Odom led the Pioneers to the 2020 South Atlantic Conference Championship as well as a pair of SAC Mountain Division titles in 2020 and this past fall in 2023.
His 42 wins are the third-most in the 75-season history of the program as only two of his eight campaigns experienced a losing season. He also went 32-25 in league play as his team’s finished fourth or better in seven of his eight seasons with the Black & Orange.
“I want to thank Jerry for his years of service to Tusculum and our football program. He has selflessly gone above and beyond to positively impact our campus community,” said Ealy. “I know he will have success in this next phase of his coaching career. I also want to thank his wife Donna and sons, Reid and Clay for supporting our football student-athletes and staff over the years. Coach Odom will be greatly missed!”
In his eight years in Greeneville, he mentored 55 All-South Atlantic Conference standouts, 11 All-Region performers and two All-Americans. Twenty-six (26) of his players garnered Academic All-District accolades including Academic All-Americans Andrew Cantrell, Jackson Cauthen and Evan Altizer.
“The past eight years have been very special to me and to my family and I am proud of our program’s many accomplishments during our time here,” said Odom. “These were only made possible through the hard work and dedication of our student-athletes and coaches that took pride in representing Tusculum University. I want to thank my former boss Doug Jones and my current one, Josh Ealy, for all they have done for me both professionally and personally. TU will always have a place in my heart and I wish Pioneer Nation all the best in what I know will be a promising future.”
This past fall, the Pioneers went 6-5 which included a pair of victories over nationally-ranked teams including 24th-ranked Wingate and a 29-27 double-overtime win over No. 25 Mars Hill to capture the SAC Mountain Division crown and earn a berth to the SAC Championship game. TU finished with six conference wins for a second straight season as the Pioneers led the league with 17 interceptions (13th in NCAA II) while TU’s 22 turnovers gained were second in the SAC and 40th in the nation. Defensively, Tusculum averaged 3.36 sacks per game which were sixth most in the country while on special teams, the Pioneers recorded four blocked punts (1st in SAC / 8th in NCAA II).
Odom played collegiately at Florida where he was a four-year letterman at inside linebacker for the Gators from 1987-1990. He started in every game in his junior and senior campaigns on a defense that was among the nation’s top-five in total defense in 1988, 1989 and 1990. He was an All-SEC Freshman Team selection in 1987 and was tabbed to the SEC Academic Honor Roll in 1990 while also serving as the Gators’ team captain.
Odom graduated from Florida in 1991 while majoring in health and human performance with a minor in education.
He is married to the former Donna Carter of Charleston, South Carolina and they are the parents of two sons, Reid and Clay.
