University of Missouri Head Football Coach Barry Odom has added longtime defensive line coach and Southeastern Conference veteran Brick Haley to his coaching staff, as announced today, pending completion of campus human resources procedures. Haley will serve as Mizzou’s defensive line coach, a position he has coached with great success for 19 years overall, including the last 13 straight. In all, Haley – an outstanding recruiter and developer of talent – has logged 26 years as a full-time defensive coach, including three as defensive coordinator, and two as an assistant in the National Football League. Details of Haley’s contract will be released once fully executed.
Haley comes to Mizzou after spending the past two seasons at Texas, where he coached the Longhorn defensive line. This past season, Texas’ defense led the Big 12 Conference in both quarterback sacks (3.42 per game) and tackles for loss (7.6 per game), while ranking 5th and 16th nationally in those categories, respectively. In 2015, Texas ranked fifth in the NCAA in sacks. Prior to his time in Austin, Haley was at LSU for six seasons (2009-14), where he perennially directed one of the nation’s most disruptive defensive fronts. At LSU, he coached 10 defensive linemen who were selected in the NFL Draft, including a pair of first-round picks in DT Michael Brockers (No. 12 overall in 2012) and DE Barkevious Mingo (No. 6 overall in 2013). Haley’s line was key reason why the Tigers went 13-0 in the 2011 regular season and reached the 2012 BCS Championship Game.
“I’m very excited to have the opportunity to work with Brick Haley, I have had tremendous respect for him over the years,” said Odom. “He will be a great mentor and teacher for our student-athletes and will bring leadership and coaching qualities that will make Mizzou Football better in every way. I’m excited to welcome Brick, Tina and the kids to the Mizzou Family!!” said Odom.
“I’m very pleased and really excited to be joining Coach Odom’s program,” said Haley. “We haven’t worked together, but I’m very aware of him and the reputation he has in the coaching profession. I look at this as an unbelievable opportunity to work with someone who has such an impressive passion and work ethic. It didn’t take me long in our conversations to know that Coach Odom is the right guy and someone you want to work with. I believe that Mizzou is a place where the sky is the limit, and I’m looking forward to being part of the program,” he said.
Haley joined LSU in the spring of 2009 after spending two years as defensive line coach with the NFL’s Chicago Bears. In Chicago, Haley coached a line that helped the Bears rank fifth in the league in fewest rushing yards allowed in 2008. The Bears finished sixth in the NFL in sacks in 2007, with DE Tommie Harris earning a spot in the Pro Bowl.
Prior to his stop in the NFL, Haley spent three years (2004-06) as the defensive line coach at Mississippi State. He helped improve a Bulldogs defense that finished 41st in the nation in 2006 after finishing 113th a year before his arrival. Defensive end Titus Brown developed into a second-team All-SEC selection after leading the team and ranking fifth in the conference in sacks in 2006.
In 2005, Haley coached the SEC leader in sacks (third in NCAA) and tackles for loss (fourth in NCAA) in Willie Evans, who went on to spend four years in the NFL.
Before arriving at Mississippi State, Haley coached linebackers for two years (2002-2003) at Georgia Tech, where he helped the Yellow Jackets to a pair of bowl games. In 2003, he coached a first-team All-ACC performer after Tech’s trio of starting linebackers finished the 2002 season as the team’s top three tacklers.
Previously, Haley was the defensive coordinator and linebackers coach at Baylor (1999-2001) after coaching outside linebackers for one season each at Clemson (1998) and Houston (1997). The defensive line coach at Troy State from 1994-96, he was promoted to defensive coordinator following the 1996 campaign before leaving for Houston. Haley coached the defensive line at Austin Peay from 1991-93 after starting his college coaching career as a graduate assistant at Arkansas in 1990. His first coaching job was at Enterprise (Ala.) High School in 1989.
A native of Gadsden, Ala., Haley attended Alabama A&M, where he was a standout linebacker from 1984-88. He received Alabama A&M’s Inspiration Award in 1987 and was named the team’s Most Valuable Player in 1988. In 2005, Haley was inducted into A&M’s Athletic Hall of Fame.
Off the field, Haley is passionate about raising awareness for autism, and he hosts a golf tournament each year with proceeds going to his foundation: Brick Road to Success. He and his wife, Tina, have three sons: Adrian, A.J. and Jeremy.
