A former head coach in the SEC and one of the nation’s top coordinators, Barry Odom was named the new head coach of UNLV’s football program on Dec. 6, 2022. Flash forward one year and Odom was the 2023 Mountain West Coach of the Year, the program’s first-ever Eddie Robinson Coach of the Year Award finalist and oversaw the Rebels’ first trip to a bowl game in a decade.
Odom came to town and promised the returning UNLV players that he did not move to Las Vegas to launch a long rebuilding job – and he immediately went out and proved it by pushing the team to the nine-victory mark for the first time since 1984, taking five games at home for the first time since 2000 and winning at least four road outings for the first time in two decades.
The Rebels eventually received votes in both major polls, earned a share of the conference regular-season title at 6-2 and grabbed the school’s first-ever spot in a Mountain West Championship game – even earning the right to host the event at UNLV’s state-of-the art home at Allegiant Stadium. UNLV was eventually selected to play in the Guaranteed Rate Bowl vs. Kansas at Chase Field in Phoenix.
In just the first season under Odom, UNLV produced three All-Americans on the field as well as its first-ever First Team Academic All-American. Place kicker Jose Pizano became the first consensus All-American for the program since 1998 and was the Rebels’ first finalist for a major college football award (Lou Groza). Wide receiver Ricky White finished third in the nation in receiving yards and shattered multiple school records en route to First Team All-America honors. Kick returner Jacob De Jesus led the nation in total return yards and was tabbed Second Team All-America. Additionally, rookie runner Jai’Den Thomas led the nation among all freshmen with 12 rushing touchdowns as part of school-record 39 team rushing scores that ranked second in the country. In the classroom, the squad turned in a program-record 3.22 Grade Point Average and linebacker Jackson Woodard was voted First Team Academic All-America by the College Sports Communicators.
Odom, 47, became the 13th head coach in UNLV football history but the first with previous head coaching experience on the FBS level since College Football Hall of Famer John Robinson led the Rebels from 1999-2004. In addition to the Eddie Robinson honor, Odom would be named a finalist for the College Football National Coach of the Year and one of three finalists for the Steve Spurrier First-Year Coach of the Year award.
Odom came to UNLV after finishing his third season at the University of Arkansas, serving as associate head coach, defensive coordinator and safeties coach for the Razorbacks. Before moving to Fayetteville, Odom spent four seasons as head coach at the University of Missouri, including taking two of his teams to bowl games and finishing at .500 or better three times en route to building an overall record of 25-25 from 2016-19. His 2018 Missouri squad finished the regular season ranked 23rd in the College Football Playoff poll.
Under Odom’s leadership, Missouri ended the 2019 regular season as one of the nation’s top defenses, ranking 14th nationally and third in the SEC in total defense (312.0 YPG) and 17th in the FBS with just 19.4 points allowed per game. Mizzou was particularly strong against the pass, ranking sixth in the nation and second in the SEC with just 179.3 YPG. Linebacker Nick Bolton led the way, making a league-leading 107 tackles and earning First Team All-SEC.
In 2018, Odom became just the fourth coach in Missouri history to lead the Tigers to a bowl game in two of his first three seasons when Mizzou earned a berth in the AutoZone Liberty Bowl. That Tiger team finished strong for the second year in a row, going 4-0 in November, including a 38-17 win at No. 11 Florida that was Missouri’s largest road win over a ranked opponent since 2008. His 2017 team won six straight to finish the regular season 7-5 and earn a trip to the Texas Bowl.
Before being elevated to head coach, Odom returned to Missouri in 2015 as the program’s defensive coordinator and helped the Tigers rank ninth nationally in total defense, allowing just 302 yards per game. That defense became Mizzou’s first to rank inside the nation’s Top 10 since the NCAA started keeping defensive stats in 1978. The same unit ranked seventh nationally in scoring defense (16.2 PPG) and pass defense (169.2 YPG).
Odom’s recent work at Arkansas under head coach Sam Pittman included helping this year’s squad earn a bid to the Liberty Bowl one season after the Razorbacks defeated Penn State in the Outback Bowl and earned a final AP ranking of 24. His 2021 defense allowed just 22.9 PPG – 12 fewer per game than in 2020 and the fewest for an Arkansas defense since 2014 – and allowed 84 fewer yards of total defense. That Hogs’ secondary gave up just 214.2 yards per game as cornerback Montaric Brown led the league with five interceptions to earn First Team All-SEC and Third Team All-America honors. The run defense also evolved to allow just 153.9 yards per game, the fewest for Arkansas since 2015. Burlsworth Trophy winner Grant Morgan led a trio of linebackers that all notched 100+ tackles. Bumper Pool’s team-best 125 stops earned him Second Team All-SEC accolades to go along with Third Team All-America honors.
Under Odom’s watch, the Hogs’ 18 takeaways during the 2020 campaign ranked 25th nationally. Arkansas’ 13 interceptions were second most in the SEC and 13th most in the FBS. Morgan earned First Team All-SEC and Walter Camp Second Team All-America honors after leading the nation in tackles per game.
In between his stints at Missouri, Odom earned his first defensive coordinator job at Memphis in 2012, transforming the Tigers into a defensive power. In 2014, his defense ranked fifth nationally in scoring defense (17.1 PPG) and 22nd nationally in total defense (343.3 YPG) to help the Tigers go 10-3. That marked an incredible turnaround for a Memphis team that ranked 117th prior to his arrival. The program improved defensively each year under Odom, rising from 50th nationally in total defense in 2012 to 39th in 2013 to 22nd in his final year.
Odom began his coaching career in 2000 as an assistant coach at his prep alma mater, Ada High School in Oklahoma before taking over as head coach at Rock Bridge High School in Missouri for two seasons. In 2003 he returned to Columbia as a graduate assistant on the staff of Gary Pinkel, the man he would eventually succeed as head coach of Missouri 13 years later.
A native of Maysville, Oklahoma, Odom lettered four times as a linebacker at Missouri from 1996-99, making two trips to bowl games and serving as team captain during his senior season. He ended his career ranked in the school’s all-time top 10 with 362 tackles.
Odom graduated from Missouri in 1999 with a bachelor’s degree in education and earned his master’s in education from the school in 2004. He and his wife, Tia, have two sons, JT and Garyt, and a daughter, Anna. JT joined the Rebels as a linebacker in 2023.
ODOM’S COACHING FILE
2023-PR UNLV – Head Coach
2020-22 Arkansas – Associate Head Coach, Defensive Coordinator, Safeties
2016-19 Missouri – Head Coach
2015 Missouri – Defensive Coordinator, Linebackers
2012-14 Memphis – Defensive Coordinator, Linebackers
2009-11 Missouri – Safeties
2007-08 Missouri – Assistant AD, Director of Football Operations
2006 Missouri – Director of Football Operations
2004-05 Missouri – Director of Football Recruiting
2003 Missouri – Administrative Graduate Assistant
2001-02 Rock Bridge (MO) High School – Head Coach
2000 Ada (OK) High School – Assistant Coach
