UNLV Officially Introduces Head Coach Barry Odom - University of Nevada Las Vegas Athletics

SELECT COMMENTS FROM THE DECEMBER 7 MEDIA CONFERENCE INTRODUCING NEW UNLV FOOTBALL HEAD COACH BARRY ODOM ON CAMPUS AT THE RICHARD TAM ALUMNI CENTER.

UNLV PRESIDENT KEITH E. WHITFIELD: "In my time here so far, I have learned that presidents know only so much about athletics. You can be a fan, but you only understand so much. And when you start trying to figure out what you need to know, to be able to make smart decisions about leadership, the learning curve is steep. There's a lot to learn. I am just very lucky, very blessed that I've got the best athletic director in the country. He had conversations with me and he talked not so much about the X's and O's, which he knows very well, but was more about leadership, it was more about community. I think you might have heard this from me a couple of times, my big thing is that we are the Rebel Community. We are part of Vegas. We are part of Southern Nevada. We're part of this great city, and that we're an important part of the state, but that we need to be able to embrace every element of it and everyone who we bring here has to embrace that as well. I think we found that in our new football coach. And it was not done without deep thought, contemplation, a national search where lots of people understand this is the place to be. But we were able to find what I believe is the absolute perfect fit and an outstanding leader."

"What I have been impressed in a very short period of time is first and foremost that he is a fantastic family man. That's a piece of it. That's a piece of what makes a great coach. That's what makes a part of coming to and being a part of the Rebel family. And so, I am very excited that coach Odom accepted the offer and is going to be joining us."

UNLV DIRECTOR OF ATHLETICS ERICK HARPER:
"I can't thank Dr. Whitfield enough for his support and commitment to UNLV athletics. He has been a leader and a supporter of our vision for our department. This university is lucky to have such a great person at the helm. Thank you, Dr. Whitfield. I would like to thank the entire staff for their support and commitment to excellence in the student-athlete experience."

"When we started this search, I knew that we needed a new coach that would be fired up about being a Rebel through and through. We wanted someone who would make sure our student-athletes in the program get better mentally, physically, emotionally, and socially, while connecting with our community and campus in a way like never seen at UNLV."

"There was an enormous amount of interest in this position. We live in the Entertainment and Sports Capital of the World and are looking to be a leader in the sports industry in Las Vegas. We set out looking for a coach who would develop the young men in our program as players in preparation for life after sport. I know we have found a coach who will develop their talents, mentor them and provide them with values for the rest of their lives. Coach Barry Odom and I met years ago when I was at a previous stop, and I have watched his career ever since. He has shown the ability to lead and build a program in some of the toughest times without compromising his values and his beliefs. As you get to know Coach Odom, you will see a family man with a set of values that will lead the Rebel Football program to new heights. I look forward to a long, successful working relationship with Coach Odom"

UNLV FOOTBALL HEAD COACH BARRY ODOM:
"Wow. It's so tremendous to be here and for the first time publicly I can say, Go Rebels! I'm so excited to be here. I look around the room and am overwhelmed with excitement, with joy, with extreme enthusiasm to be in Las Vegas and to be part of this community and to be part of this wonderful institution. I want to give thanks to President Whitfield on his part in the search. We had a long conversation and I knew immediately because I've had even longer conversations with Athletics Director Erick Harper and his administrative team, and I knew once I had the chance to visit in-depth with Harp, that the alignment and the vision was there. Not only what I saw from before I entered into the process on what this university is and can be and will be along with the community in the city of Las Vegas, it's an elite opportunity, and I want to thank them for how the process went. Very professional. You should be proud of these two men and their teams along the way that the process happened and the way that it went and the values that they stand for in running a wonderful place and university."

"My family in the crowd – Tia, JT, Garyt and Anna – have been by my side and very supportive, and they're thrilled to be here today. They got in yesterday with me and they spent the night and will be here all day today and then go back to Fayetteville for some time, but they felt overwhelmed with the welcome of the city and university."

"When you look around at things (at UNLV) and how they're done and how they play out, it's been done the right way, very professional and at an elite level and I thank everyone that's been involved for that because it's made this a very seamless transition for us up to this point. I'm very thankful for that. I also look around and I didn't know what I was walking into today, but the support and the things and the way that they're done and the planned, shows that the vision is of championship level and the vision of what we're gonna get accomplished is at a championship level every which way that you turn there's a plan, there's an organization and when you have alignment in those areas, you will achieve great success and it'll be done in very short order."

"The game of football is special. I've got a chance to be an educator and a teacher for my players and my student-athletes. The game also brings us together in ways that you never know will happen. It really doesn't matter where you're from or how you get there, but God places us in the position that we're supposed to be at the right time. I shared a locker room with a guy and I looked in and walked in and there's a former player, student athlete and teammate of mine Pat Duffy, I had no clue he was going to be here. And then I look in the back of the room. Bob Lattinville is in the back of the room and he's been a lifelong friend for 25 years. We were all brought together by the game of football and the connectedness that we have in the way that we will run our program is built on relationships. It's built on trust. It's built on honesty, self accountability, love and mentorship."

"I look at the community involvement that we get a chance to have with this great city and that is at the forefront for me. I've got to make the Rebel team the city's team. I met many community members last night at the College Football Foundation event, and what a wonderful event that was. But you can see and you can feel the excitement for UNLV, you can see and feel the excitement for the city, and you can see and feel the excitement because of the leadership team that we have. The beautiful campus will be an electric area to recruit student-athletes to and then recruit in the city and the involvement, our family can't wait to be involved in the city and make sure that that is at the forefront of our thoughts. Everywhere that we've had the chance to be, we've been very fortunate to be around good people. And I would say this up to this point that the experiences that we had, and have had up to this point sets the standard on the way that those relationships go in the way it should be done. We're so thrilled to be here and be part of this organization."

"I met with our football team – with our guys – and I'm seeing some of them here in the second row and in the third row and that means a lot to me that you're here. I know you've got a million things going on, and I've already met with a couple of you guys this morning, but I was able to address the team yesterday afternoon. And number one they were all on time and early. They were very attentive. I think they're a hungry football team that's looking for leadership and guidance and it seems to me at this point, we've got to connect a vision on how this is going to get started on building a foundational approach for us to go win championships."

"You look at the city, it is built on opportunity and this is the foundation on how we're going to build our football team and our football program on the opportunity to achieve success socially, academically, spiritually and athletically. It's my job to create a staff and environment that provides our student athletes with success in every one of those areas. We've got a foundational blueprint plan to make sure that we achieve those things and I'm going to be by their side every step of the way. It's my job as a teacher and a mentor to take their skill set in every area, develop them, grow them and then help them achieve success for the next 50 years of their life. That's the reason that I'm in college coaching. I've got a passion and an energy for developing a team and bringing the best out of every one of them and making sure that we get a staff around them that's built on the same values and the same concepts of helping our young men achieve great success. I think you look at life and it's a life full of experiences and opportunities. And I think that my path has taken a lot of different routes and a lot of different roles. I've had the opportunities to win championships, I've had the opportunities to build programs from the ground up, and I look forward to applying all of those experiences and opportunities here with Rebel Nation. The Scarlet & Gray, it means a lot to me in very short order. I look around and it's electric in the way that the city backs the university. You drive on campus and you can feel it. I can't wait to recruit to this city. I can't wait to recruit to this educational institution. And I can't wait to recruit premium student-athletes that want to be at UNLV and win championships together."

"You're going to hear me talk a lot about family and about culture, about habits and about details, and about outworking people and about toughness and about discipline and about all the things that our brand is going to be and what our DNA becomes. I've gotten a chance to meet, as I said, with our student-athletes, and that's going to continue today. I think the most important part for me at this point is community involvement, recruiting the city and making sure that they know UNLV football is where you're supposed to go when you're a great student-athlete in the city of Las Vegas. I'm going to make sure that we make our points very loud and clear with those facts. I'm excited, my family is excited, I'm thankful, honored, humbled to be in this position to be your next head football coach. I will pour my soul into making sure that we do the things the right way, we do them at an elite level and I give our football team the chance to be successful in every single area. And I want to thank you so much for being here. Go Rebels!"

MEDIA Q&A:

Q: Sustained winning hasn't happened here at UNLV, what is your vision of building a sustained program that can win over a long period of time?

ODOM: "You look at the world of college football and college sports in general, and how do you sustain success? I think that's done in a number of different ways. It starts with the current team that we have, and I talked to those guys yesterday. Everybody in that room, I need them to stay, that's important. Because they're the core foundation of what our program is going to be. The next part of that goes into the recruiting and identification of kids and young men that can come in and want to be here, but also have the values of the characteristics that are going to fit what this culture is of our team. And then it's a process of every single day, pouring into your student-athletes. You got to pour into it and continue to build the culture every day, it doesn't ever stop. Growth never stops, and that's the thing that you've got to continue to do with consistency and the message is going to be clear and direct on how these are our goals, these are how we're going to get there, and then you've got to also set the expectations that we're going to go win championships, and we're not going to back away from that. That's the goal. That's the vision. We want to be the best. Here's the blueprint on how we're going to go and do it. Let's lock arms together. And let's go get it done."

Q: Why was this move right for you at this time?

ODOM: "When I saw the job came open, number one, I knew that it was a job that I would have great interest in and it starts with the leadership of Erick Harper because I believe in him. I've known him from a distance – we first met years ago – but I've also seen what he's done and what he's done in short order at UNLV. I know what he stands for, as a man, as a person and as a leader. So number one, that was the attraction, initially. Number two, this story may get me in a little bit of trouble, but I'll go ahead and tell it now that I'm already telling the story. I was here this past spring in the city recruiting, and I just left one of the local high schools, which has tremendous talent and great players like the city does in a lot of different spots. I knew that I had to make a flight at a certain time, and I took a wrong turn and now it ended up being the right turn, because I ended up on campus. I looked at my watch and thought you know, I've got time, I can make this work, I just wanted to drive by the football facility because I had heard that we had just built a new facility. So I pulled into the parking lot, there were many cars around, and I found an open door. I went in, I made it into the front lobby and then I walked around and I made it in the weight room. Number one, very impressive, and that showed me the energy, the support and the things that are needed to win at a high level. I made it all the way up to the second floor and made it down the hallway before somebody recognized I wasn't supposed to be there and was asked pretty quickly to leave. But I was able to get a vision on what it was, matched with what the leadership is, and I knew when the job came open, I was going all in to try to get this job because I believe in opportunity. I believe in the leadership, I believe in the conference, I believe in the footprint of recruiting and there's only one Vegas in the world. Let's go make it special."

Q: In 2022, the portal is so important. Obviously, as a recruiter you know that. Can you talk about the strategy strategically with the portal?

ODOM: "It's all happened overnight for us – the portal and the ability for student-athletes to have those opportunities. I think, number one, it's an educational piece that we really have to be smart and look at the big picture on how it affects college athletics directly. How does it affect our team? That was one of my first messages yesterday, I needed everybody in that room to stay. Okay, that's what we need. You also look at the reality of the game, over 1,000 entries on the first day that the portal opened up. So it's affected the dynamics of how you recruit, it's affected what that looks like in the landscape. I firmly believe in building the team around the team that we currently have. That's my goal and my number one focus with this group. I also think in recruiting there's got to be such a strategic force in recruiting high school student-athletes, because right now that's getting lost a little bit. So there's a great focus on that, on getting high school kids in the program. You're able to develop them and grow them and make sure that they understand they continue to build the culture of your team. I also, with the addition of the portal and the transfer, I think if there's an immediate need on your team, you've got to be selective with that. I don't ever feel like you can get into the cycle of a one year guy and done and then you're back into the cycle again. But if there's an opportunity in that world to help our football team achieve great success early on, we'll be selective with that, we'll make sure it fits and aligns with the culture of the team that we've got, and we'll try to be as active as we can."

Q: Can you talk about the NIL and how that's kind of changed college football, and really Las Vegas is the city that can play into benefiting you and the kids as well?

ODOM: "NIL, it's obviously the way the rule was written, Name, Image and Likeness, and if you look at those three components, number one, it's an educational piece, not only for me and for our current team, but it's an educational piece for the outside world to see what does that really look like? What does NIL look like? How can we help our program continue to move forward, but also very strategically, making sure you're not dividing the locker room? Because the left guard gets a certain NIL amount and then the starting receiver gets a different NIL amount, well that could cause fraction if you're not careful. So it comes down again to education, to make sure that we understand how we want that to look for our program and also in alignment with our athletics department on what that looks like for us. You know, when it first started looking around and thinking about well, how's this going to change? We've got to adjust our mindset a little bit on what that looks like, because it's not gonna go away, and when it's done and used the right way, we'll be very, very competitive in that area."

Q: Is this a rebuilding situation or do you feel this team could be positioned to win next year?

ODOM: "I feel the urgency to win and win now. And I felt that yesterday, even stronger after meeting with the football team. I've got great respect for Mr. Harper and we spoke in detail about wanting to win and win now and our urgency to get that done. Every year is a rebuild of a team. Okay, that doesn't mean it's a rebuild and not a success. My goal is to take this team and go win and win immediately."

Q: Just one more on the local recruiting and how important that is. Can you circle back and talk a little bit more about the importance of that.

ODOM: "I hope to control that narrative, because it's my job to make sure that we get the best players in the city of Las Vegas to stay home. And I'm going to make sure that the connectedness that I have with the high school coaches, the openness to get them to practices, and that they understand the involvement that I want to have with their programs is so hugely important, because we will thrive because of local kids. So it will be my charge, along with my staff, to make sure that they understand that this can be their team. I want it to be that way. I know that I've got work to do and I can't wait to get started with it. I've also, for the record, I've got a son, my oldest son, he's making a college decision right now on where he's going to go. My youngest son is a sophomore in high school, and he's a quarterback. So I've got to identify where he's going to school, so I'm gonna get to know the high school coaches really, really well."

Q: Was there anything during your first head coaching stint that you learned that you can apply toward this job, that you think would help you do a job here?

ODOM: "Absolutely. I think sitting in the seat of the head coach's chair, it's unique. It's challenging, it's rewarding. It's all the things that you think would go along with it. It's also, I know that I'm a heck of a lot better coach today than it was a year ago. And even fast forward that from five years ago. You learn from your opportunities, you learn from your successes, you learn from your failures and your setbacks. And then if you can remove the ego side of it, the self evaluation and the way that you continue to advance as a coach and as a teacher and as a leader and as a mentor, you apply all those lessons and that's what I've been able to do over the course of my career. And I'm excited to apply some of those things that I learned from the first time as a head coach at the previous institution."

Q: Can you walk us through your philosophy in terms of your coaching staff and is there a timetable when you want to have your staff complete?

ODOM: "I think that's at the top of the list of being very urgent because our team needs direction. They need leaders in the spots, even though they're about to leave town for holiday break, but I think it's important that I get everybody together recruiting, to get everybody together to build our DNA and our brand and what that's going to look like and making sure that we get the right people in the right spots. I started this morning in meetings with as many people in the building as I can and that's going to continue to see if that aligns with how we're going to continue to move forward. I also know one of my son's is holding my phone right now, I've gone through over 500 text messages and tried to clear them out and then in the last two hours I've got another 178 and majority of those are people that want to be here coaching because they understand what is about to take place here. They understand the leadership with our athletic director and they understand the opportunity that's here at UNLV. We will find folks that want to be here, that are determined to have success, that are great teachers, great leaders, great mentors, and they'll be tremendous coaches that will elevate our players' lives in every way that they can."

Q: Beyond the city and everything you've talked about, did you watch the program from afar? What about football wise, did you look at it and say this can be better than it was?

ODOM: "I don't know how far or close we really are because I know there were some games this year that could have gone either way. After meeting with some of our players this morning and listening to them, I have learned over time that I'm a pretty good listener. You know, I met five different guys individually this morning and they just talked openly about what they thought we were missing. You listen to that and then you put a plan together on how we could go fix that. Okay, the game of football is going to come down to winning in the fourth quarter. The margin of error is zero. We got to be great on offense, protect the football and score points. We got to be aggressive and all the components that go into playing really good defense on tackling, on coverage, on eliminating explosive plays. We've got to be elite in special teams. That's got to be our X Factor. We got to make huge rounds up in that area. And then all three of those things. You have to be disciplined. You have to be tough, and when it comes down to the fourth quarter, our training and our habits have to be on full display. And if you do those things the right way, then the ball eventually starts bouncing your way."

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