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UNLV officially announced Barry Odom as next head coach

IMG_0985by:Griffin McVeigh•12/06/22•

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(Klutho /Sports Illustrated/Getty Images)

Barry Odom is officially the head coach of the UNLV Rebels. The school announced the move on Tuesday evening after On3’s Matt Zenitz was first to report. He will be leaving his defensive coordinator post with the Arkansas Razorbacks to once again take over a program.

“My family and I would like to thank President Whitfield, Athletics Director Erick Harper, and the administrative team for the opportunity to be the head football coach of the UNLV Rebels,” Odom said in a statement. “I’m honored and excited to begin developing a relationship with our student-athletes and provide them a great foundation for success in every area of their lives.

“I believe in the vision and plan that President Whitfield and Mr. Harper have for the UNLV Athletics Department. That alignment piece is critical and together we will achieve great success. This city is founded on opportunity and we look forward to this opportunity to lead this program and engage with this amazing community and Rebels everywhere.”

Odom will be introduced in a press conference on Wednesday, scheduled for 10 a.m. PST. He becomes the 13th head coach in the history of UNLV, replacing Marcus Arroyo.

Arkansas head coach Sam Pittman made Odom one of his first hires when taking over in 2020. Having a former SEC head coach as a defensive coordinator paid dividends in a big way for the Razorbacks. Odom was able to produce a list of NFL talent while helping turn Arkansas around in quick fashion.

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UNLV has nine consecutive losing seasons with three different head coaches being in charge over that span. Odom will be looking for better results as he takes SEC experience out West.

Barry Odom head coaching record

Odom has only been a head coach once prior to accepting the UNLV job. He took over his alma mater Missouri but was never able to fully impress. His overall record came out to be 25-25, with just two winning seasons taking place in Columbia.

Against SEC opponents, Odom faced a record of 13-19. And of course, the only thing that may matter more than winning in the SEC is recruiting. Missouri finished in the bottom three of the conference in three cycles Odom was able to complete with the Tigers

UNLV will be hoping for better results on the head coaching front with Odom. More results and player development as displayed during his time with Arkansas are why Odom will be heading to Las Vegas and hoping to compete in the Mountain West.