Purdue targeting UNLV's Barry Odom as next head coach

Purdue is targeting UNLV’s Barry Odom as its next head coach, multiple sources told On3 on Sunday morning. The former Missouri head coach is 19-8 in two seasons with the Rebels, leading them to a Mountain West title game appearance this season.

The hire comes a week after the Boilermakers fired head coach Ryan Walters, who went 5-19 in his tenure in West Lafayette. Odom brings previous SEC head coaching experience and a recent track record of winning with him to Purdue.

Sources tell On3’s Pete Nakos and Gold and Black’s Tom Dienhart that a player’s meeting is scheduled for 2 p.m. ET on Sunday.

Landing Odom is a win for Purdue, as the head coach was also involved in head coaching searches at UCF and West Virginia. The Boilermakers went 1-11 in 2024 and finished the season with 11 consecutive losses, with the only win coming against Western Illinois.

The Purdue job is arguably more attractive than ever before with its membership in the Big Ten. Plus, Odom will take over the Purdue program as revenue sharing is set to kick in on July 1, 2025. Schools will be allowed to share $20.5 million in revenue, with $14 to $17 million expected to be allocated to football.

With a defensive coordinator background, Odom will need to hire a splashy offensive coordinator. Brennan Marion is currently the UNLV offensive coordinator, where his Go-Go Offense averaged 425.8 yards and 36.2 points per game.

Odom, 48, was head coach at Missouri from 2016 to 2019, going 25-25 overall and 13-19 in the SEC and going to two bowls. UNLV’s 10-3 record in 2024 is the best in program history since 1974 when the Rebels were in Division II.

Purdue will need to try and retain its roster. As of Sunday morning, 21 Purdue players have entered the transfer portal. College football’s free agency officially begins on Monday, Dec. 9.