Dawson鈥檚 team: Norfolk State football hires former Southern head coach Odums to lead program
NORFOLK, Va. (BVM) — Dawson Odums has done introductory press conferences before. As the head football coach at Southern University in Baton Rouge, La. for the past nine seasons, including an abbreviated turn as the team鈥檚 interim head coach two games into the 2012 season, Odums knows what it is like to handle the media as the man in charge of a football program. This press conference was no different, except for the media members, the location and the team he was representing.
On Wednesday, Odums was introduced as the new head football coach at Norfolk State University following the departure of previous head coach Latrell Scott, who resigned in March to pursue other career opportunities.
鈥淚鈥檓 excited and enthusiastic about the next opportunity,鈥� Odums said. 鈥淚鈥檓 ready to roll up my sleeves, I鈥檓 ready to go to work and I鈥檓 ready to help build a program. Spartans it is time to rise up!鈥�
In Odums, the Spartans have gained a proven winner and valuable leader. Odums led the Jaguars to winning seasons in each of the last eight years as head coach and compiled a 63-35 record including a 53-17 in Southwestern Athletic Conference play. He鈥檚 also won the hardware with Southern as he led the program to four SWAC Western Division Championships and the 2013 SWAC Football Championship. Individually, Odums was also recognized as the SWAC coach of the year in 2013.
With all the success, the question on many peoples鈥� minds was, 鈥淲hy leave such a winning program?鈥� Odums answer was simple.
鈥淚 asked the same question 鈥榃hy Norfolk State?鈥� but my answer is always 鈥榃hy not?鈥欌�� Odums said. 鈥淲hen I digested everything I was able to come up with a decision. Norfolk State happened at the right time. It was time for Dawson Odums to embrace a new journey and I鈥檓 grateful for that opportunity.鈥�
Not only does Odums bring a winning pedigree with him to Norfolk, but also a strong understanding of recruiting. Having already coached at an HBCU in Southern, Odums knows what value HBCU programs can provide student-athletes and has been recruiting players by promoting these advantages for over a decade. As a former coach at fellow Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference schools North Carolina A&T and Bethune-Cookman and having also played college football at聽 HBCU North Carolina Central University where he graduated in 1997, Odums鈥� transition to Norfolk State will be considerably easier than it would have been for someone coming in with little to no experience at an HBCU.
鈥淚鈥檓 a product of an HBCU, I鈥檓 a proud graduate of North Carolina Central University,鈥� Odums said. 鈥淏eing an HBCU graduate we are proud individuals. We all have love for our product. Building of young men, I am who I am because of the coaches, the administration, the people I encountered at North Carolina Central. 鈥� I want to give back, I want to instill and deposit some of those same things that were passed on to me. I want to love these guys, care about them.鈥�
If convincing prospective student-athletes with the benefits of HBCU wasn鈥檛 enough, Odums can always lean on the success his players have had both on and off the field. During his tenure as head coach, six players have signed with teams in the NFL or CFL. In addition to their success on the field, Odums also raised Southern鈥檚 Academic Progress Rate to 952 in the NCAA鈥檚 most recent report while also having fifty-seven players earn Dean’s List honors during the fall 2020 semester.
鈥淲hen you come to college and get that opportunity, first and foremost, it鈥檚 about getting a degree,鈥� Odums said. 鈥淥ur world can only get better when we deposit these young men with a degree. 鈥� We鈥檙e about graduating. We鈥檙e about making the communities better. What makes our communities better? Having more young men ready to serve it with a degree.鈥�
Odums also believes in recruiting heavily in the state of Virginia. He is approaching recruiting by the 鈥済as tank philosophy鈥� meaning to be able to travel to the places he wants to recruit using only a tank of gas.
鈥淚 think we should be able to get everywhere with a full tank of gas,鈥� Odums said. 鈥淒.C., rural areas, I believe there鈥檚 enough talent to go around in the state of Virginia. Recruiting is the blueprint, it鈥檚 the backbone to a successful football program. You have to get out. You have to look under rocks. You have to dig. But, you鈥檝e got to build relationships. 鈥� If you build relationships and trust, people will welcome their young men to your program. Winning helps, but building relationships is what it鈥檚 all about.鈥�
While the team has not been able to put the work in on the field, with the fall 2020 season and spring 2021 season being canceled due to the pandemic, Odums knows that the players will be ready to play when that time comes. What he is more concerned about is getting the team to buy into what he is preaching in order to create a successful program.
鈥淧layers want to win, players want to play football, they want to work out, that鈥檚 the easy part,鈥� Odums said. 鈥淒oing it together, doing it for the right purpose, that鈥檚 the hard part. But, we have a process in place that allows us the opportunity to shape these men the right way. 鈥� That has to be taught. These guys don鈥檛 know that. So we have to teach certain things to them before they ever get to the field and we鈥檙e going to do that.鈥�
With his ability as a coach on the field and a leader of men off of it, Odums appears to be a perfect fit for the Spartans. Following canceled 2020 fall and 2021 spring football seasons, Norfolk State fans are eager for a return to football. Given his success over the past decade, Odums should be able to bring not only football back, but wins also.
