Southern's Dawson Odums expects his entire staff to return — and he stumped for a raise for all of them

BATON ROUGE, Louisiana -- After mass staff turnover following the 2015 season, Southern football coach Dawson Odums said he anticipates his entire staff to return for next year.

Considering the success the team had in spite of the obstacles it faced — whether it was the lack of spring practice, an NCAA investigation or scholarship reductions — Odums also made it clear he thinks his staff is due a bump in pay.

“You win under all the penalties,” he said. “That staff and those coaches, they’ve earned the opportunity for extensions and raises. We’ve earned that here, now. Whether we get it or not, based on the budgets and cuts, we don’t know. But we’ve earned it here.”

Southern went 8-3 in 2016, including an eight-game winning streak that ended on the final day of the season against Grambling in the Bayou Classic. It was a two-win improvement from the 2015 season, after which Odums virtually cleaned house with his coaching staff.

Odums fired three defensive assistants after last season. Co-offensive and recruiting coordinator Chad Germany added to the upheaval when he resigned.

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