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Purdue football is hiring UNLV coach Barry Odom to lead its football program, per Action Network. Odom did a remarkable job turning around a UNLV program that had struggled for years. He's now tasked with doing the same thing for the Boilermakers, who have struggled in the Big Ten the last few seasons.
Odom was a hot candidate this cycle, and had been mentioned for other jobs including the opening at West Virginia. He leaves UNLV after taking the Rebels to the Mountain West conference championship. The squad bowed to Boise State, 21-7.
Purdue just suffered through a disaster of a season, resulting in the firing of their previous head coach Ryan Walters. The Boilermakers completed a 1-11 season, including a 0-9 mark in the Big Ten. Purdue finished last in the conference.
Barry Odom's fast paced offense will try to resurrect Purdue football
Odom just finished 19-8 with UNLV football in his last two seasons. The Rebels found some great answers on offense, with Odom leading the way and offensive coordinator Brennan Marion calling plays. Odom will most likely try to bring Marion with him to West Lafayette, although the coordinator will likely be a candidate for other jobs.
Purdue football is one of the toughest rebuilds in power 4 football, so Odom will have his work cut out for him. The Boilermakers went just 5-19 the last two seasons with Walters. Purdue did have success not all that long ago, when it won a Big Ten West division title in 2022. The team was then led by Jeff Brohm.
Before joining UNLV, Odom had also coached at Missouri. He didn't have much success with the Tigers, leading the squad to a .500 record in his tenure there. He also spent time as an assistant at Missouri, Memphis and Arkansas.
UNLV football is playing in a bowl game this season, and the Rebels will now be looking for their next coach.
