‘He’s our guy.’ Dave Odom still beloved by South Carolina basketball program
Dave Odom held court and was the center of attention again at Colonial Life Arena.
Sitting on the edge of the stage, the former South Carolina men’s basketball coach swapped stories with former players Carlos Powell and Brandon Wallace at an event dubbed “Odomania” held Saturday in the arena’s lobby.
The gathering was a while in the making, and around 70 or so former Gamecock players, coaches and staff members were there to catch up with Odom, who coached the Gamecocks from 2001-08 and led them to back-to-back National Invitational Tournament championships.
Odom won 128 games at USC, third most in program history.
“I was super excited when the idea first came up. The more you talked about the more excited I got,” Odom said. “To see my former players, staff together and to bring everyone back together, it is an amazing plan. I am so excited and look forward to the next two hours.”
It was obvious how much those in attendance still hold Odom with the utmost respect.
The 83-year-old Odom hears from his former players on a regular basis. Powell, who was Odom’s first recruit at USC, says he calls his former coach two to three times a month.
“That is our guy,” said Powell, the 2005 NIT MVP who still lives in Columbia and is a basketball trainer. “Our (NIT) championship team, we talk about him all the time on how much of an impact he had on us as young men. He was a master of putting it together and making the best of any situation.”
Brandon Wallace, who played for USC from 2003-07, said Odom played a huge role in his development as a person and player. Wallace, the head girls basketball coach at Gray Collegiate, said Odom’s calm demeanor is something he tries to emulate in his coaching style.
Still, Odom could be fiery on occasions, and Wallace remembers his former coach injuring his foot during a home game after kicking the scorer’s table.
“When we came into the locker room, he was laid out on the training table and the next few days he was in a boot,” Wallace said. “That was so unlike him since he was usually so calm.
“But coach was an integral part of my growth as an young 18-year-old coming to Columbia. His steady, calm presence helped me a lot over my four years and I enjoyed playing for coach. … He definitely has been a blessing on my life.”
These days, Odom lives in Winston-Salem, North Carolina, but spends time in the summer at the beach near the Outer Banks.
Odom and his wife, Lynn, also spend plenty of time in Charlottesville, Virginia where son Ryan Odom is now the coach at the University of Virginia. The Cavaliers went 30-6 this season and made it to the NCAA Tournament in Ryan Odom’s first year.
Odom says he still keeps tabs on the Gamecocks program and how they are doing under current coach Lamont Paris, who was in attendance Saturday with members of the current coaching staff.
But the focus of the event was to reflect on Odom’s time with the program. Odom came to USC after a successful run at Wake Forest where he led the Demon Deacons for 12 seasons and coached future Hall of Famer and NBA MVP Tim Duncan.
Odom said in an interview back in 2001 that he “needed a new challenge” and coming to South Carolina gave him that. Other big names were offered or mentioned for the USC job including former UConn head coach Jim Calhoun and former Kentucky head coach Tubby Smith.
Odom still remembers his opening press conference in which former USC president John Michael Palms mistakenly referred to him as the school’s next football coach.
“Well I played football in high school and college, maybe I can do that,” Odom joked.
Odom’s first team made it to the finals of the NIT and made the NCAA Tournament two years later in 2004.
The next two seasons, the Gamecocks missed out on the NCAA Tournament but became the second team ever to win back-to-back NIT championships. The 2005 championship win featured Terrence Kinsey’s 3-pointer with 1.3 seconds to beat St. Joseph’s.
In 2006, USC came close to making the NCAA Tournament but lost to eventual national champion Florida, 49-47, in the SEC Tournament championship game. The Gamecocks beat the Gators twice in the regular season that year.
The Gamecocks rebounded and won three of their five NIT games by 10 points or more including the 76-64 win over Michigan in the championship game.
“I can tell you with all truth that the second team that won the NIT, I feel was the best team in the country,” Odom said. “We had a kind of bump in the road from getting us there (NCAA). We had a missed shot in the SEC Tournament. That was a heartbreak. But when I look back on it now and some of those kids that were on the team, we make no apologies. It was a pleasure to coach them.”
This story was originally published May 4, 2026 at 7:00 AM with the headline "‘He’s our guy.’ Dave Odom still beloved by South Carolina basketball program."
