Just a week after the decision to fire second-year head coach Ryan Walters, Purdue has already found a successor. The Boilermakers have tabbed second-year UNLV coach Barry Odom to be the 35th head coach in program history. Purdue went just 5-19 in the Walters era after winning eight and nine games in the final two years with Jeff Brohm. Now, the program is looking to a head coach with six years of experience at the job.
Purdue to Hire UNLV’s Barry Odom as Next Head Coach
Odom, 42, got his start as an assistant at his high school alma mater in Ada, Oklahoma. Then, he took over the Rock Bridge High School (MO) and led them to 6-4 and 8-4 seasons in 2001 and 2001 after the program had three straight losing seasons. He was then hired by Gary Pinkle to kickstart his Missouri tenure as a Graduate Assistant in 2004.
Odom spent the next nine seasons with the Tigers serving as director of recruiting, director of football operations, and safeties coach. In 2012, he was brought to Memphis to be defensive coordinator and linebackers coach. Odom took over a Tigers defense that ranked 117th in total defense in 2011. In his final season with the program in 2014, Memphis was 22nd in total defense and fifth in scoring defense. His defense helped the Tigers secure its first conference title since 1971.
Coaching at Mizzou
In 2015, Odom returned to Missouri to be defensive coordinator. In his one season as just a defensive coordinator, the Tigers finished ninth in total defense, seventh in scoring defense, seventh in pass defense, and second in tackles for loss. It was the first time since the NCAA began tracking defensive stats that Missouri boasted a top-10 defense.
Then, at 38 years of age, Odom was named Missouri head coach. The Tigers struggled in Odom’s first season, only winning four games. In 2017, the program got back to a bowl game and finished 7-6 after a Texas Bowl loss. The 2018 season was a step better at 8-5, culminating in a Liberty Bowl loss. The 2019 Tigers did not play in a bowl game despite finishing 6-6. After a disappointing loss to 2-9 Arkansas, Odom was fired.
He was then hired by those Razorbacks as defensive coordinator for the 2020 season and spent three seasons with Arkansas.
A Second Chance for Barry Odom
Before the 2023 season, Odom was picked to lead the UNLV Rebels. A program similar to Purdue, UNLV had just two seasons with more than eight wins. In his first season, Odom led the Rebels to a 9-5 record and the program’s first Mountain West Conference Championship Game appearance. He won MWC Coach of the Year honors.
This year, Odom led the Rebels to a 10-3 mark and another MWC Championship Game appearance. It was not an easy season for Odom as his starting quarterback, Matthew Sluka, elected to jump into the transfer portal after just four games. Two of his team’s losses were in competitive games against College Football Playoff participant, Boise State.
Odom now has the task of rebuilding a Purdue program that has very little success to speak of. He will look to lead Purdue to its first Big Ten Championship since 2000.
