Barry Odom

Barry Stephen Odom (born November 26, 1976) is an American college football coach and former linebacker who is the head football coach at Purdue University. He previously served as the head coach at the University of Nevada, Las Vegas from 2023 to 2024, and the University of Missouri from 2016 to 2019. Odom played college football at Missouri from 1996 to 1999 and became a coach there in 2005. Odom was born in Lawton, Oklahoma. After graduation from high school in 1996, Odom enrolled at the University of Missouri and played linebacker for the Tigers, starting for four seasons. As a junior in 1998, he led Missouri to the 1998 Insight.com Bowl and was a Third Team All-Big 12 Conference selection. From 2000 to 2002, Odom began his coaching career as an assistant at Ada High School before being named the head coach at Rock Bridge High School. In 2003, he returned to the Missouri in a variety of roles, before being named safeties coach in 2009. Odom left Missouri in 2012 for the first time to become the defensive coordinator at University of Memphis. After helping to lead Memphis to The American championship in 2014, he returned to Missouri in 2015, where he led the Tigers defense. Odom accepted the job as head football coach for the University of Missouri Tigers in 2015. Odom led the team to two consecutive bowl games before being relieved of his duties at the conclusion of the 2019 season. On December 19, 2019, Odom was named the defensive coordinator at the University of Arkansas. He helped guide the Razorbacks to back-to-back bowl victories in 2021 and 2022. On December 6, 2022, he was named the head coach of the University of Nevada, Las Vegas, where he led the Rebels to back-to-back Mountain West...