Purdue football welcomes Barry Odom
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Purdue AD Mike Bobinski gives Barry Odom a jersey in Mackey Arena. Photo: Justin Casterline/Getty Images
Purdue's new football coach says making the move from Las Vegas to the Midwest to lead the Boilermakers is a dream come true.
Why it matters: Barry Odom is walking into a football program still reeling from a nightmarish single-win season capped by a blowout at the hands of their biggest rival.
What they're saying: "When this job came open, I had always looked at it as one of the elite jobs in college football for a number of reasons," Odom said. "The academic prestige that is with this university, the geographic location … and then the ability to compete in the Big Ten Conference, which is obviously the strongest conference in all of college football."
Driving the news: The West Lafayette campus held a welcome celebration for Odom Tuesday at Mackey Arena.
- It featured remarks from Purdue president Mung Chiang, who said he and the Purdue Board of Trustees are "going to invest more than ever before in athletics."
- "We've got a glorious history in football," Chiang said. "Today, we're going to revitalize that."
By the numbers: The IndyStar reports Odom agreed to a six-year deal worth at least $39 million.
- His base salary for his first two seasons is $6 million per year.
- His salary increases $250,000 in years three and four, reaching $7 million in year five and $7.25 million in the final year of his deal.
- Odom can also make up to $1.5 million in incentive pay opportunities, contingent upon maintaining an APR of 990 or above.
Catch up quick: Odom comes to Purdue from UNLV, where he led the Rebels to their winningest season in 40 years.
- In the two years before he joined UNLV, the team went just 7-17. In his two seasons at the helm, UNLV was 19-8.
- The Rebels wrapped the 2024 season with a program-best No. 19 ranking in both the AP and Coaches polls, and their first-ever CFP ranking.
Zoom in: Here's what the new coach had to say about his mentality, loving the Midwest and what makes Purdue his dream job.
💥 On his coaching style
- "My style of football and brand, we're going to be very, very explosive on offense. We're going to score points. I'm labeled as a defensive guy, but if you look at my history … on that side of the ball, we're going to be explosive."
- "On defense, we're going to be a very tough, aggressive, attacking defense. And then we will put together a special teams unit that is one of the most elite in college football."
🤝 On moving to Indiana
- "We're excited to be in the community. You look at the values of Purdue University and the alignment with the Midwestern part of the United States, we're thrilled to be here," he said. "We know the fabric of this community."
🚂 On what makes Purdue a dream come true
- "You look at the leadership in the AD's chair. You look at leadership on campus. That alignment adds up. Their vision of what they want the football program to be is exactly what I do. They want to compete and win championships. And they're going to resource it in a way to help us get that done."