Friday, February 7, 2025

Purdue hires UNLV’s Barry Odom as their next head coach

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By Anthony Caruso III | Publisher

The Purdue Boilermakers have announced that Barry Odom will be the team’s next head football coach. He replaces Ryan Walters, who was fired at the end of the season.

Odom was announced as head coach by Director of Athletics Mike Bobinski on Sunday.

Former UNLV Rebels head coach Barry Odom looks on during the team's spring showcase scrimmage
Barry Odom looks on during the team’s spring showcase scrimmage (Photo by Ethan Miller/Getty Images)

“This is an exciting day as we announce head coach Barry Odom as the new leader of the Purdue Boilermakers,” said Bobinski. “As both a leader and person, Coach Odom personifies the qualities that our football program and university value. During our interactions with Coach Odom, it became clear that he possesses the belief, tenacity and competitive drive necessary to return Purdue Football to the standard of excellence we all expect. He is a proven and experienced leader who has brought success to two different football programs and has made an impact on the lives of countless student-athletes and staff throughout his football career, including during his time as a standout defensive coordinator and position coach at Missouri, Memphis and Arkansas.

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“We are thrilled to welcome Barry, his wife Tia, and children JT, Garyt and Anna, to the Boilermaker family. Our entire department is prepared to fully support Coach Odom in the transition to Purdue, as he meets with our current student-athletes, assembles his coaching staff and begins the process of building a successful football program.”

Walters guided the Boilermakers to a 1-11 record this past season before his departure. In two seasons, Walters had a 5-19 record.

In comparison, Odom’s UNLV Runnin’ Rebels squad had a 19-8 mark in the same two seasons.

Now, Odom is going to attempt to turn around a once-proud Boilermakers team in the Big Ten Conference.

The team has not had a winning record since Jeff Brohm departed to become the Louisville Cardinals head coach. Brohm guided the Boilermakers to an 8-6 mark during the 2022 season.

Brohm had back-to-back winning seasons at the school before leaving for the Cardinals.

This will be Odom’s third stop as a head coach. Before accepting the UNLV job, he also served as a head coach for the Missouri Tigers in the Southeastern Conference.

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Odom led the Tigers from 2016 through 2019. He was 21-25 with Missouri before being let go.

“It is with tremendous honor and gratitude that I accept this opportunity to serve as the head football coach at Purdue University,” said Odom. “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. I would like to thank Mike Bobinski for choosing me to lead Purdue Football, as well as extend my heartfelt thanks to University President Mung Chiang and Board Chair Mike Berghoff for their support.

“Their trust will be rewarded with a football program that will reflect the personality and excellence that Purdue is widely known for; character, intensity and a no-excuses winning attitude will be the foundation of what we will build at Purdue, and I can assure you it will be built to last. Most of all, my family cannot wait to become Boilermakers. We will get started in West Lafayette immediately.”

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    Anthony Caruso III
    Anthony Caruso IIIhttps://thecapitalsportsreport.com
    Anthony Caruso III is the Publisher of The Capital Sports Report. He has been in the Journalism field since August 2002. Since that time, Mr. Caruso has covered many marquee events. This includes 13 Heisman Trophy ceremonies, 2 Little World Series events, and one Army-Navy College Football game.
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