Purdue hires Barry Odom as football coach after his big year at UNLV

Purdue hired Barry Odom on Sunday to be its football coach, fresh off Odom leading UNLV to its best season in 40 years.

Odom, 48, is 44-33 in six seasons as a coach, including four at Missouri and the past two at UNLV. He led the Rebels to the Mountain West Conference championship game, where they lost to Boise State on Friday. Had UNLV won, it would have been in the running to reach the College Football Playoff.

‘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,’ Purdue athletics director Mike Bobinski said in a news release announcing the hire. ‘He is a proven and experienced leader who has brought success to two different football programs.’

Odom replaces Ryan Walters, whom Purdue fired on Dec. 1. Walters went 5-19 in two seasons with the Boilermakers. That included a 1-11 record this season.

The push to jump-start Purdue comes during college football’s rapidly changing landscape, including the dawn of the first 12-team CFP bracket, revealed Sunday. Indiana, Purdue’s longstanding rival, earned a playoff bid under first-year coach Curt Cignetti, despite being a longshot to reach this field before the season. And the chasm between the programs couldn’t seem bigger: Indiana beat Purdue 66-0 on Nov. 30, a day before Purdue fired Walters.

Odom earned his first college head-coaching job at Missouri, his alma mater, from 2016-19. He went 25-25 there but only had one losing season. The Tigers made two bowl appearances under his watch and were 6-6 in his final season in 2019. Odom’s past stints also include defensive coordinator stops at Memphis, Missouri and Arkansas.

Odom’s 10-3 record this season at UNLV marks the best season of his career.

(This story has been updated to add a video.)