Inductees

Look at the body of work – the state championship games in his time as both a head coach and assistant, plus the number of wins and so forth – and the natural assumption is that Greg Oder had this dream even as a youth football player.

Not so, said Oder, one of the state’s most successful high school football coaches.

“I actually tried to avoid it. Everyone was telling me to do something with my mind, coaching doesn’t pay, etc.,” Oder said. “But my dad was my biggest influence.  He said he knew a lot of people with a ton of money that weren’t happy. He told me to do something that I enjoyed, because I’d be doing it for the rest of my life.”

The Show-Me State is all the better for his decision, and the Missouri Sports Hall of Fame is proud to induct Oder with the Class of 2020.

Oder was 148-55 overall, leading Blue Springs South from 2001 to 2015. His Jaguars reached four state championship games, winning three state titles (2006, 2011, 2015) and earning a runner-up in 2008. His teams also won four conference crowns and four district titles.

A 1981 Milan High School graduate, Oder began his coaching career as an assistant at Kirksville High School in 1986. His first head coaching job was at Plattsburg, where earned a 27-8 record in three seasons.

When Blue Springs South opened in 1992, he was hired as defensive coordinator, working under coach Dave Ross and then coach Buddy Young. He helped the program reach a 69-30 mark, including a state runner-up in 1995.

All this after not declaring his major – physical education – until his sophomore year at Truman State University.

“When I decided to major in P.E., we had to write a paper on why we wanted to go into education and coaching,” Oder said. “The head of the P.E. department called me in to his office after he read mine. I was scared to death. I thought he was going to tell me I couldn’t write well enough to be in college. Instead, he told me I was doing it for the right reasons.  That made me feel good about my decision.”

Football had long influenced Oder. In Milan, he and classmates were in full pads as early as kindergarten-level teams. He played at Truman State and graduated in 1986.

Over the years, he coached freshmen, then assisted varsity teams, and advanced to defensive coordinator.

Kirksville defensive coordinator Gary Eagen showed him that it wasn’t the Xs and Os but how to have a passion for players. At Blue Springs South, Ross and Young were great influences, too.

“I learned that being positive works much better than being negative,” Oder said. “I learned a lot of football, how to treat players and how to run a program. They both took a chance on me, and I appreciate them both very much.”

At Plattsburg, Oder would read about Blue Springs, Rockhurst and Jefferson City football games and their traditions.

He helped create one at Blue Springs South.

“We were lucky enough to coach some fantastic kids who were also great football players,” Oder said.

Memorable games included: the first Blue Springs South-Blue Springs showdown in 1994 when both were 10-0; the 2008 quarterfinal win (14-9) vs. Rockhurst, which had beaten Blue Springs South 42-14 in an ESPN season-opener; and a 2011 semifinal win in which his team coughed up a 20-0 halftime lead, but eked out a 28-21 win.

In state championship games, the Jaguars beat Christian Brothers College High School each time: 41-7 in 2006, 40-37 in 2011 and 37-28 in 2015. The 2011 game featured seven lead changes, with the Jaguars scoring the go-ahead TD with 2:10 left. In the 2015 game, his Jaguars trailed 21-6 but scored 31 of the game’s final 38 points.

Oder has since been an assistant at Mill Valley (Kan.) High School.

What a career, enhanced by the support of his wife, Christi, and children Mayleigh, Marquese and Micah. When the kids were toddlers, instead of staying home, Christi would take them to see Oder’s teams and sit in a truck on a hill. He also is Dad to Jacob.

“(Christi) told me she admired the passion that I had for my job and the kids I coached. So she sacrificed to support me in what I was doing. Unbelievable,” Oder said. “I’m so thankful that she encouraged me to chase my dream.”