Missouri announced Sunday afternoon that it was relieving defensive coordinator DeMontie Cross of his coaching duties.

“I am very appreciative of all that DeMontie has done for Mizzou, and am sorry that this did not work out,” coach Barry Odom said. “However, after careful evaluation, I believe it is important to make this change now.”

Odom brought Cross, a Missouri alum, onto his staff when he was hired in 2015. Cross was the co-defensive coordinator at TCU in 2015 and the Horned Frogs' linebackers coach from 2013-14. He also had coaching stints with Kansas, Wisconsin and the Buffalo Bills.

Cross was known for trying to implement a read-and-react style defense at Missouri upon his arrival, but the Tigers ditched the scheme midway through last season. Odom took the defensive playcalling duties from Cross after Missouri’s 51-45 loss to Middle Tennessee on Oct. 22.

Odom said then that Cross would coach the linebackers and help coordinate the defense even after he relinquished his playcalling duties.

Missouri’s defense has been an Achilles heel since Odom took over. The Tigers have given up 40 points per game against Southeastern Conference opponents since the beginning of 2016, compiling a league record of 2-7. It gave up 479 yards per game last season, worst in the SEC, though Missouri's defense also spent more time on the field per game — 35 minutes, 42 seconds — than any other team in the Football Bowl Subdivision.

The Tigers' defense was torched by Missouri State in its first game of the season, but Cross' firing comes one day after the unit performed measurably better against South Carolina. The Gamecocks scored 31 points, but 21 of those points came either on special teams or directly after a turnover that left South Carolina with a short field.

"Anytime you come out with a loss, it’s not encouraging," cornerback Logan Cheadle said of the defense after Saturday's game. "But it’s definitely better than what we had on the field last year. I think we improved upon last week, and we want to continue to improve into next week."

Cross' contract was set to expire in February 2019. He was Missouri's second-highest paid coordinator with an annual salary of $500,000.

According to Cross' contract, if Missouri fires him without cause it must pay him the amount still due on Cross' contract in equal monthly installments until the expiration of the contract. MU would also owe Cross "the difference, if any, between amounts to which" he "would have been entitled" at MU "and amounts earned... in the new position."

Cross, a native of St. Louis, was a safety at Missouri from 1994-96. His senior year overlapped with Odom's freshman year in Columbia.