Five observations from Purdue football coach Barry Odom's opening press conference
Barry Odom isn’t afraid of the Purdue job. Where others see challenges, he sees opportunities. He knows what this job can be. That’s why he has embraced this chance to come to West Lafayette and flip the script on the last two seasons.
The Purdue brass led by president Mung Chiang, AD Mike Bobinski and board of trustees chair Mike Berghoff introduced the 38th head coach in school annals on Tuesday on the Mackey Arena court. Here are some observations.
1 – He’s blue-collar, he’s tough, he’s no frills … Barry Odom is Purdue personified. No job is too small for Odom. He’s gonna pick up a shovel. Just tell him where to dig.
That mind-set comes from wearing many hats during his rise up the coaching ranks, working as a high school coach, GA, director of recruiting, director of operations, assistant and coordinator. At 48, he’s already on his third head coaching job.
And the team learned he means business during the first meeting on Monday. When a player’s cell phone went off, Odom asked in a calm voice whose it was. That player fessed up and was asked to leave the meeting and wait in the hall.
“I just really think that the way Barry goes about his work, the way his staff will go about their work, the personality that our program will take on immediately will really resonate with the type of young players and young guys that will ultimately lead us to success,” said Bobinski. “And that’s how we get it done here.”
Bottom line: Odom is just what this program needs trying to move past the 5-19 mess of the last two seasons.
2 – Two of Odom’s biggest influences were Larry Smith, who signed him to play at Missouri in 1996, and Gary Pinkel, who gave him a start in college coaching. Both of those men were famous for being old-school and uncompromising in beliefs that were forged in a black-and-white era.
Those two helped mold and shape Odom, who was a sawed-off, thick-necked, barrell-chested linebacker at Missouri who extracted all he could from an under-6-foot frame by playing one way: Like his hair was on fire.
3 – Odom is dialed into the Purdue history. He dropped Joe Tiller’s name, as well as Jeff Brohm’s when asked about what fans can expect from his offenses at Purdue. This is the “Cradle of Quarterbacks,” a school whose reputation has been rooted in fun, explosive, high-scoring offenses for generations.
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“I think offensively speaking, we’ve got to have the ability to run the ball,” said Odom. “And that is going to certainly open up the vertical passing game. I think the more now in college sport and football, when you can get the ball in space with great playmakers down the field, intermediate routes with a great quarterback, that’s going to turn into explosive plays which will create touchdowns.”
4 – Three letters may ultimately define Odom’s ability to succeed in West Lafayette: NIL. From the sound of things, Purdue is all-in on building a competitive roster. Money? It doesn’t sound like it will be an object.
Revenue sharing begins for all schools in 2025-26. And Bobinski said Purdue will fund up to the limit: $20.5 million. But the Boilermaker Alliance also will have to continue to be robust, as well.
“I think we’ll be as aggressive and competitive as anybody that we’re going up against,” said Odom. “I believe in that. And now being here on the ability to be able to attract student-athletes, I’m more excited today than I was two days ago when I arrived. I think there are opportunities on guys that will want to come play here, and for a number of reasons. Because they’re going to be coached by great coaches, they’ve got an opportunity to graduate from one of the most prestigious universities in America, and then we’re going to win, and we’re going to do it in a way that prepares them for life after sport, but also to go and compete and get drafted in the NFL.”
5 – The staff is still a work in progress. How many UNLV assistants will follow Odom to Purdue? Will the new coach retain any Boilermaker staffers? Will anyone from neither program come on board?
“Ongoing conversations with a number of folks,” said Odom.
“So, in the next few days, we’ll have some that join us from outside. I don’t want to put a time frame on that, because I may miss it a couple of days with bowl competitions going on, and then the ability to get them here on what that looks like out of respect of what they’re trying to finish with their seasons. But we will put together an elite staff that will help us get this off the floor and moving in the right direction really quickly.”
MORE: Gold and Black Radio: Odom hired | Photo gallery: Odom press conference | Five observations from Odom’s press conference | Can Purdue flip any 2025 UNLV signees? | Purdue hires Odom | Get to know Odom | Three thoughts from the weekend| Q&A with Las Vegas AP writer |Purdue signing day notebook | Purdue 2025 schedule
