Former Lenoir-Rhyne University head coach Ryan Odom has been announced by director of athletics Tim Hall as the new head coach of the men’s basketball team, replacing former coach Aki Thomas. Odom will attempt to bring UMBC to their first double-digit wins season since 2008-09.
Odom joins UMBC after serving just one season as Lenoir-Rhyne’s head coach, where he lead the school to a fourth place finish in the NCAA Division II tournament, and a 21–10 record.
Under Odom, Lenoir-Rhyne finished the season as the best in the nation at three-pointers per game, averaging 12.4 and finished ninth in the nation in scoring at 90.1 points a game. Last season, UMBC finished fifth in the America East Conference in three-pointers made with only 6.8 (no team in the conference averaged higher than 10) and sixth in scoring with 72.1 points per game.
Odom previously served as an interim head coach for University of North Carolina at Charlotte and led the team to an 8–11 record during his time as head coach. Before the promotion he was an assistant and then an associate coach with the program that in 2013 played in the National Invitation Tournament.
During his college career, Odom was a former four-year starter and team captain for Hampden-Sydney College. Odom left the school as the leader in career three-point field goals and fourth in assists.
Odom’s father, Dave Odom, is the retired men’s basketball coach and coached for University of South Carolina and Wake Forest University. The elder Odom is a three-time Atlantic Coast Conference coach of the year and was also previously named the Southeastern Conference coach of the year. Dave Odom also led his teams to three NIT championships.
