Former players, parents, and even some old teammates gathered at the New Frontiers Camp in Dowelltown last Saturday afternoon to honor a man that, for several around the county, is the only head Tigers’ baseball coach they have ever known.  The event was a surprise party for Scott Odom, who has been a part of the Tigers’ coaching staff for 20 years and recently announced he is retiring from high school coaching. 
"I wasn’t expecting this," Odom told the Smithville Review.  "I thought I was going out somewhere with my wife and this is a nice surprise."
Odom served four years as an assistant coach with the DCHS Baseball Tigers, and 16 as the team’s head coach.  In that time Coach Odom led the team to 320 wins and 115 losses, a 73.5 winning percentage. 
In a letter, Odom announced his retirement from high school coaching, stating that he wanted to spend more time with his family. "Thank you for giving me the chance to coach this program. However, now I have young children of my own and have felt the strong need to spend as much time with them as possible and to actually have the time to coach them. My father died when I was a high school. So, it is always in the back of my mind that I want to be around as long as I can and have as many memories with my children as we can have.  April (my wife) and I have talked about this for several years now. She has always been very supportive of me coaching. However, I made the decision before the season to retire. I never wanted this to become a distraction to the team this season. I don’t like or care about personal awards and accolades. I have always believed that practices are the coaches’ time and players play the game. I talk to the players so much about never quitting and never giving in, but this decision is the best thing for the team and me at this point."
Odom continued, "In my 20 years of coaching, 16 years as head coach, my proudest victories have not been in the state tournament or the 320 plus career wins, they've come when former players stop by and tell me they are graduating college, or are getting married, or are having a child, or want to use me for a job reference. Those are the moments that I cherish the most in coaching.
"Since I have been the head coach at DCHS, I have learned a great deal about mixing ‘tough love’ and setting standards high. The players we have graduated will gladly attest to both - they have all loved and despised me at different points in their days. Like that of a parent that does what is best, not necessarily popular.
"For 20 years of coaching baseball at DCHS I can look in the eyes of every former player and can say I have treated the young man like he was my own child - giving him ‘tough love’ when necessary and an opportunity to straighten up when that's in order. It is something that I take seriously and will never abandon to please anyone. I have never played or sat a player based on who his father was or wasn’t. My decisions were always for the best of the team, not for myself, an individual player, or career gain.
"I am expected to run a program that succeeds on the field, but I am also obligated and committed to doing my best to help every player become an educated, responsible adult. We don't win every game and we don't succeed in grooming every young man, but make no mistake that my first and foremost priority is the growth of our young men as well as winning baseball games. We have raised the level of the team’s success, improved upon the facilities, and the putting out quality individuals.
"Again thank you for the opportunity to coach the DeKalb County Tiger Baseball team. It has been my pleasure."
During the surprise party Coach Odom told the Review that though he may be out of high school sports, coaching will still be part of his life.  "I’ve got a four-year-old and a two-year-old and I just wanted to be around more. I need to coach their teams. It’s 20 years of different kids coming through your life, and it’s been special and it’s been a great experience.  It’s been a pleasure for me, I just think it’s time to move on and be with my family for a bit more."