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Barry Odom Coaching History & Bio
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It took only 2 seasons for Ryan Walters to undo the progress Purdue’s football program made under the leadership of its previous coach, Jeff Brohm. One day after finishing 1-11 in a disastrous 2024 campaign punctuated by an embarrassing 66-0 loss to rival Indiana, Barry Odom was brought to West Lafayette from UNLV to try and clean up the mess.
Odom has been a successful coach at the Power 5 level. Here’s everything you need to know about Purdue’s football coach.
Barry Odom Head Coaching Record
- Missouri (4 seasons): 25-25
- UNLV (2 seasons): 19-8
| Season | School | Record | Conference Standing | Postseason |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2016 | Missouri | 4-8 (2-6 Big Ten) | 7th Eastern Division | |
| 2017 | Missouri | 7-6 (4-4) | T-3 Eastern Division | L – Texas Bowl |
| 2018 | Missouri | 8-5 (4-4) | T-4th Eastern Division | L – Liberty Bowl |
| 2019 | Missouri | 6-6 (3-5) | T-4th Eastern Division | |
| 2023 | UNLV | 9-5 (6-2 Mountain West) | T-1st | L – Guaranteed Rate Bowl |
| 2024 | UNLV | 10-3 (6-1) | T-2nd | LA Bowl |
| Total | 44-33 |
Barry Odom Coaching History
- 2003: Missouri — Graduate assistant
- 2004-2005: Missouri — Recruiting coordinator
- 2006-2008: Missouri — Director of football operations
- 2009-2011: Missouri — Safeties
- 2012-2014: Memphis — Defensive coordinator/Linebackers
- 2015: Missouri — Defensive coordinator/Linebackers
- 2016-2019: Missouri — Head coach
- 2020-2022: Arkansas — Defensive coordinator/Safeties
- 2023-2024: UNLV — Head coach
- 2025-present: Purdue — Head coach
Barry Odom Bio
Barry Odom thought he’d landed his dream job when he was elevated from defensive coordinator to the head coaching position at his alma mater, Missouri.
A former star linebacker who served as the Tigers’ captain during his senior year and finished fourth on his school’s career list for tackles, Odom was only 38 when he took over following the retirement of his coach Gary Pinkel after the 2015 season.
But after recording winning records and earning bowl bids in his second and third seasons in Columbia, his dream job turned into a nightmare in 2019. A 5-1 start turned into a 6-6 disappointment thanks to a late 5-game losing streak that led to his firing.
Odom began the process of climbing back up the coaching ladder by joining Sam Pittman’s staff at Arkansas. As defensive coordinator of the Razorbacks, he led a unit that ranked second in the SEC and 13th nationally with 13 interceptions in his first season.
His success at Arkansas earned him another head coaching opportunity at UNLV, where he led the Rebels to 18 wins in 2 seasons before accepting the challenge of rebuilding a Purdue program that cratered to a 1-11 record in 2024.