Barry Odom is the new UNLV football coach who said it’s his goal to keep Las Vegas high school players home to play for the Rebels.
UNLV Football
Barry Odom signed a five-year contract with a starting salary of $1.75 million. It increases by $250,000 in 2025 and again in 2027 while also including several performance bonuses.
UNLV players are still getting over the shock of former coach Marcus Arroyo’s firing, but many were intrigued after meeting new coach Barry Odom Tuesday.
UNLV hired former Missouri coach Barry Odom as the 13th football coach in program history.
UNLV receiver Kyle Williams, a former Mountain West freshman of the year, and cornerback Nohl Williams announced Monday that they plan to transfer.
Erick Harper is the UNLV athletic director who must identify the right coach to win in an ever-changing college football landscape that now favors the Rebels.
With former LSU coach Ed Orgeron and former Boise State coach Chris Petersen not in the running, that leaves former Arizona coaches Mike Stoops and Kevin Sumlin as likely candidates.
The Rebels’ dreams of the program’s first bowl game since 2013 officially ended Friday after Buffalo stormed back to beat Akron and become bowl-eligible.
Any chase for a Mountain West championship begins with athletic director Erick Harper, who boldly set the expectations for Arroyo’s successor. He must win and win quickly.
In a statement Tuesday, former UNLV coach Marcus Arroyo said he was disappointed that he wasn’t able to complete the process he and his staff began three years ago.
Some Rebels were reeling after the firing of coach Marcus Arroyo on Monday, but they still participated in the cannon-painting tradition after beating UNR on Saturday.
There seemed to be a disconnect between Marcus Arroyo and several boosters, local high school football coaches, some members of the town’s media corps and maybe even his boss.
Associate head coach and linebackers coach Kenwick Thompson will serve as the team’s interim head coach if the Rebels earn a five-win bowl bid.
UNLV sophomore defensive back Johnathan Baldwin had a fumble return for a touchdown, an interception and a key pass breakup in a victory Saturday over rival UNR.
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