Official: Purdue hires UNLV's Barry Odom as head football coach
Purdue has hired Barry Odom to be its 38th full-time head football coach, the school announced on Sunday afternoon.
“This is an exciting day as we announce head coach Barry Odom as the new leader of the Purdue Boilermakers,” said Purdue AD Mike Bobinski in a statement.
Odom takes over for Ryan Walters, who went 5-19 (3-15 Big Ten) in two seasons in West Lafayette. Purdue’s 1-11 (0-9 Big Ten) 2024 season doomed Walters, who closed his Boilermaker career with a school-record tying 11 defeats in a row.
Enter Odom.
“It is with tremendous honor and gratitude that I accept this opportunity to serve as the head football coach at Purdue University,” said Odom in a statement. “To coach at an institution like Purdue, in a community like Greater Lafayette and for a proud, tradition-rich and hungry football program like the Boilermakers is a dream come true for me and my family.”
Odom will be introduced at a welcome event on Tuesday morning (Dec. 10) at Mackey Arena. The event will be open to the public with doors opening at 8:30 a.m. ET before the introduction begins at 9 a.m. ET.
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Odom coached the last two years at UNLV, where he went 19-8 overall and 12-3 in the Mountain West. The Rebels lost the Mountain West title game 21-7 on Friday night vs. Boise State. Odom had the Rebels bowl eligible both years he was in Las Vegas.
Odom, 48, was head coach at Missouri from 2016-19, going 25-25 overall and 13-19 in the SEC, earning two bowls.
Odom also was defensive coordinator at Arkansas (2020-22), Missouri (2015) and Memphis (2012-14). Walters was Odom’s DC at Missouri in Odom’s final two season in Columbia. They also worked together at Memphis in 2014.
Odom began his career as a GA at Missouri in 2003, staying with the Tigers in various roles until 2011 when he left for Memphis for three seasons to be DC for Justin Fuente before coming back to Mizzou in 2015 to work again with Gary Pinkel whom he eventually replaced as head coach.
The Lawton, Okla., native played linebacker at Missouri from 1996-99.
