LAS VEGAS – Barry Odom is set to leave UNLV for Purdue after consecutive Mountain West title game appearances, as Yahoo! Sports reported this morning that Odom has been hired as the Boilermakers’ 38th head football coach.
Odom will inherit a Purdue program that went winless in FBS play this past season, earning its only win against FCS foe Indiana State in the season opener. Odom is no stranger to a major rehabilitation project as took over a UNLV team that had only had two winning seasons post-2000.
Odom exits UNLV as the most successful coach in the school’s FBS tenure, having led them to their first 10-win season since 1984 and to consecutive bowl games for the first time in program history. He leaves his post with a 19-7 record overall, with three of those losses coming to Boise State.
Purdue officially confirmed the hiring via an announcement on X.
Odom spoke with the media this morning at the joint UNLV/Las Vegas Bowl press conference.
"It is with tremendous honor and gratitude that I accept this opportunity to serve as the head football coach at Purdue University," Odom said.
Odom's departure marks a new challenge for UNLV, which now faces the task of finding a successor capable of maintaining the program's newfound success and momentum.
“We’ve been reached out to this morning by a lot of quality current head coaches, former head coaches, offensive coordinators, defensive coordinators, NFL,” said UNLV athletic director Erick Harper. “Odom and his staff have made this an extremely attractive job and opportunity, and we’re going to go in the war room and do our due diligence to find the right person to lead this program.”
Though he left the possibility of hiring from within the program open, Harper hinted that his search is more focused on candidates with head coaching experience, unlike offensive coordinator Brennan Marion.
“That should always be your mindset, is to hire someone with head coaching experience,” Harper said. “It is a big jump from coordinator to head coach. You’re looking at, on the day-to-day basis, managing about five to eight people. Jump to the head coaching seat, this day-in-age you’re managing 40 people. You go into a different mode, and that takes a lot of time.”
UNLV will now prepare to take on University of California, Berkeley in the Art Of Sport LA Bowl Hosted By Gronk, under the direction of newly named interim head coach Del Alexander. Alexander has had three stints as wide receivers coach at UNLV, most recently this season under Odom.
With the college football transfer portal officially open on Monday, the coaching search becomes infinitely more urgent by the hour, especially with UNLV losing so much of its roster as seniors.
Cornerback Tony Grimes and running back Greg Burrell entered the transfer portal in the hours following Odom’s announced departure.