Barry Odom aiming to resurrect Purdue football the same way he made UNLV a winning program

LAS VEGAS (AP) – Purdue coach Barry Odom isn’t concerned that the Boilermakers won just one game last season, or that they were in the 2022 Big Ten championship. He certainly isn’t bothered that they’ve been picked to finish last in the 18-team league this season.

“We’ll be defined by what we do,” Odom said Thursday, the last of three Big Ten media days. “If we take the approach from the day that we got the job, every single day our approach is you get up and make Purdue football better and you find a way to consistently instill those habits in everyone around in the organization. Then by the time that the season rolls around, we’ll be ready to be the best versions of ourselves.”

After turning around one of the worst programs in college football history, Odom spoke with vigor and confidence about resurrecting a Purdue program that went 5-19 the last two seasons.

Odom pulled off the unthinkable at UNLV two seasons ago, turning around a program that annually ranked near the bottom of college football in every aspect, and prior to his arrival, was a combined 29-74 the previous nine seasons.

In two seasons under Odom, the Rebels made it to the Mountain West championship twice and and were one win away from advancing to the College Football Playoff last season, when they won 11 games for the first time since 1984 and cracked the AP top 25 rankings for the first time in their 46-year history.

Now, he has his sights set on the Boilermakers, who ranked near the bottom of nearly every statistical category, including an offense that gained just 299.3 yards per game (127th nationally) and a defense that allowed 452.7 yards per contest (123rd).

After a 49-0 season-opening win against Indiana State, the Boilermakers lost their next 11 games – eight by double digits – including the season finale against in-state rival Indiana, 66-0.

With an uncertain depth chart entering camp, and a scarce number of returning starters across all three units, Odom’s message has at least one of the program’s leaders buying in.

“I mean, I feel like it’s sort of intrinsic … especially as big of a turnover that we had, you have a whole new room of guys and basically a new program,” fourth-year running back Devin Mockobee said. “Having that aspect of coming in and having a fresh start, it’s easy for everyone to get on board very fast and be able to build a culture very fast.”

If there’s anyone who can attest to Odom’s approach and wherewithal to improve a program, it’s defensive back Tony Grimes, who followed his coach from UNLV to West Lafayette, Indiana.

“Hard, smart and tough,” Grimes described Odom during spring practice. “How he practices, how he makes us work, his schedule, his routine got us built on … building calluses, meaning every day we’re gonna go hard until we can’t go no more.

“He took me in out of the portal when honestly no one really wanted me. He gave me that confidence that I needed back and now I am here what I am today.”

It’s the same confidence and will to get the best out of players that Odom is ready to instill while bringing life back to the Boilermakers.

“From the day that we got the job, every single day, our approach is you get up and you make Purdue football better,” Odom said. “You find a way to consistently instill those habits in everyone around the organization. Then by the time that the season rolls around, we’ll be ready to be the best versions of ourselves.”