Purdue Football Appoints Barry Odom from UNLV as New Head Coach

WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind. — The Purdue Boilermakers have found their new head football coach in Barry Odom, who currently leads the University of Nevada, Las Vegas (UNLV) program.

Sources indicate that athletic director Mike Bobinski and his team are finalizing contract details with Odom to take over following the departure of Ryan Walters. While no agreement has been officially announced yet, Purdue aims to complete the deal by Sunday night or Monday.

Purdue officials have reportedly traveled to Las Vegas to negotiate terms directly with Odom. Over the past two seasons, he has guided UNLV to an impressive 19-8 record, successfully leading the Rebels to the Mountain West Championship game in both years. Unfortunately for UNLV, they were defeated by Boise State in the conference title game this past Saturday and now await bowl selection after finishing their season at 10-3.

Prior to his tenure at UNLV, Odom spent four seasons as head coach of the Missouri Tigers in the Southeastern Conference, where he compiled a 25-25 record. His final year at Missouri saw the Tigers finish with a 6-6 mark and make two bowl appearances during his tenure.

Odom takes over from Walters, who struggled during his time at Purdue with a record of just 5-19 across two seasons. Walters was relieved of his duties after a disappointing shutout loss against rival Indiana last weekend; this season alone saw Purdue finish with only one win against eleven losses.

If finalized, this appointment would carry an ironic twist for both coaches: they previously worked together on Missouri's staff. When Odom became head coach in 2016, Walters ascended from defensive coordinator under him. Their paths crossed until Odom’s dismissal in 2019, and now five years later, Odom is set to replace Walters at Purdue.

An official announcement from Purdue is anticipated within the next 24 to 36 hours.