It wasn't what anybody had in mind. ODU's (4-8) record in 2018 was the worst in the young program's history. There were dramatic highs, dismal lows and everything in between.
Over the last two days, Bobby Wilder started with the changes. 6 coaches, including the defensive coordinator will not be coming back. Wilder says it's time to look at everything, including himself.
The problem areas include most everything on defense, where the Monarchs found themselves at the bottom of most every category in Conference USA. On offense, ODU had a hard time running the ball.
The positives include quarterback Blake LaRussa who will return for his season senior. He is fresh off of a 3,000 yards passing season. Freshman running backs LaLa Davis and Will Knight also form the nucleus for a promising future in the backfield. On defense, tackle machine Lawrence Garner is also coming back for more. He is presently a sophomore.
Will there be a large scale overhaul? Coach Wilder says this about that, "Everything right now, needs to improve. Now, the philosophy of the program won't change. You don't throw the baby out with the bath water. We've had the ability to be successful here and play good football."