Odum said it was tough to leave his alma mater, but the chance to work with June Jones was too good to pass up (photo by SMU athletics).

When a young assistant coach takes a new job, especially when he has a chance to work for a revered head coach like June Jones, the assistant’s decision usually takes no time at all. Chances are the new job — in addition to the prestige of working with a coach like Jones — often includes a promotion, more money, or perhaps the chance to move closer to home.

But in the case of new secondary coach Derrick Odum, the move to Dallas also included a factor that made his decision difficult: the school he left also happens to be his alma mater; Odum played safety and cornerback at the University of Utah from 1989-92. While coaching the Utes, he helped turn defensive back Eric Weddle (who now plays for the San Diego Chargers) into one of the premier defensive players in the country, and helped convert former walk-ons Steve Tate and Casey Evans into all-conference players. Odum said the allure of working with Jones and his experienced staff was just too much to forego.

“Leaving Utah was very difficult,” Odum said. “I know a lot of people around there, they know me, so it was almost like I carry a little bit of clout because I’d been there as a player.

“But this was just a great opportunity to expand a little bit, get with coaches who have NFL experience. June Jones has been in the NFL, Frank Gansz has been in the NFL — I love Utah to death, but when I got a chance to join up with June here — how do you turn that down?”

Odum said he was familiar with Jones from coaching against him when Odum was a member of the University of Houston Staff and the Cougars played against Jones’ Hawaii team in the Hawaii Bowl.

“Their defensive coordinator, Greg McMackin — he and I got to know each other and became pretty close,” Odum said. “He said he wanted me to coach with him at some point.

“After I got hired here (at SMU), he got the head coaching job at Hawaii. I knew I really wanted to work with June. Greg and I talked, and even he thought it was a better fit for me here, for my family.

Perhaps nothing Odum can say will endear him more to PonyFans — who lamented the large cushion defensive backs gave opposing receivers in years past — than his description of the style of play he plans for his new charges.

“I’m coming from a background of ‘press man’ defense – I don’t like to play off (the line of scrimmage),” Odum said. “The guys really liked that this spring. We might get some more (pass interference) calls, but we’re going to be aggressive.”

Since taking over the team, Jones has said several times that he was pleasantly surprised by the talent on the team he inherited. When asked about the secondary, Odum echoed Jones’ analysis.

“I think we have some good players – we just don’t have a lot of depth, but that’s what working on through recruiting,” he said. “But these guys are working hard, they’re hungry and they want to do things the right way – I feel really confident with what we’re doing on defense.”

Odum stressed that playing time would be earned based on competition and performance in practice, but he did cite a couple of players who already have made strong impressions on their new position coach.

Odum said of his new home, "there's a lot to sell" at SMU (photo by Webmaster).

“(Safety) Rock Dennis great job this spring, and I expect great season from him,” Odum said. “The first thing was, he got out of spring uninjured. He’s kind of our Bob Sanders back there — he’s not big, but he’ll fly around and really hit you. I’m all about production on the field. I don’t care how big they are — as long as my guys make plays, they’re big enough. Some guys who are smaller, sometimes they fight their way to being successful. Rock can be one of those guys.

“(Cornerback Bryan) McCann … no question, he does have a lot of speed, but what makes him good is he’s coachable – he’s a really ‘headsy’ player. Eric Weddle is the same type of guy, real ‘headsy.’ He’s able to understand what’s going on in front of him. I see a great future for Bryan, if he keeps working hard. He has all the ability in the world, and he has a chance to be a really special player.”

Odum was a member of the University of Houston staff in 1993 and 1994, and still has ties in the Houston area. Not coincidentally, part of Houston falls into his recruiting area, as does a “big section of Dallas” and some southern suburbs, like DeSoto and Cedar Hill.

“We’ve got three guys (on the staff) recruiting in Houston, and I’m one of them,” he said. Because of my time at UH, and the fact that I still have some ties down there, it was really a natural fit.”

There have been some in years past who have suggested that SMU’s academic standards and financial cost create obstacles that make recruiting players for the Mustangs difficult. Odum said that is not the case, and said he uses those very stigmas to help when he’s out on the recruiting trail.

“One thing that’s great about SMU, that I like to sell, is the academic part,” he said. “If there’s a school that costs $45,000 a year to go there, and I’m giving someone a chance to go there for free — that would spark my interest,” he said. “The teacher/student ratio is really good, and parents like that. You put that up against a state school with 30,000 or 40,000 students, and they can’t compete with that.

“Plus, SMU has a great tradition in football, and it’s the only school in Dallas, which is such a great city. There’s a lot to sell.”

Of course, very little sells — to recruits, to alumni or certainly to fans — like winning, and the 2007 Mustangs won just once last year. Nonetheless, Odum said that’s about to change.

“Last year, they had a rough year, and a lot of the games were close, but the record wasn’t what they wanted,” Odum said. “We’re here to change that.”