Lamar Odom wants to be to a Division I college hoops program what Coach Prime has been, is, and perhaps will be to the Colorado football program: a big-name celebrity head coach who can overhaul a culture and make a sleeping giant a winner again.
"I love what is doing,” Odom said to Arash Markazi of The Messenger (h/t BuffsBeat). “I think I could do the same in basketball. You give me a program and I’ll recruit and I’ll take them to the Elite Eight and the Final Four. We’ll definitely be able to sell tickets for the first couple of seasons. That’s for damn sure. I just want to coach. I love to see young men grow and get better. I want us to play the game the right way. I want these young men to represent their school the right way. If you give me a program, I promise you I’m going to live in the gym and turn that team around.
“I can’t wait to be called Coach Odom or 'Coach O' -- That would be a dream come true for me. I want to coach in college because you have guys who are more willing to learn. I think it will be great to teach college kids. It’s something I’m passionate about. It’s something I want to do. I think it will happen."
Lamar Odom can be to Louisville what Coach Prime is to Colorado football
If we're trying to find a comparison to what Colorado football was before Coach Prime took over in December 2022 -- a team devoid of hope that had made a once proud program's fanbase anything but proud -- in the basketball realm, look no further than Louisville basketball.
The Cardinals, a three-time national champion on the hardwood whose last championship was in 2013, are facing hard times under Kenny Payne; a former Card who's in over his head in his first head coaching job. Louisville has the facilities and the history to be relevant, but need a head coach who can bring excitement back to The Derby City.
Is Odom that coach? He's not only a two-time NBA champion, but Odom is a former celebrity by way of dating Khloe Kardashian.
He doesn't have the cache Coach Prime does in his sport, but if Odom can ace an interview, why not give him a chance? He's certainly more qualified than Payne is at Louisville, at least.