NFL
By: Brock Vierra
In my football life, which started around 2006-2007, I have never witnessed UNLV football have a good head coach. Matter of fact, I have barely witnessed UNLV football being good. I just missed out on the Jason Thomas/ John Robinson days and to say that Mike Sanford, Bobby Hauck, Tony Sanchez, and Marcus Arroyo weren’t up to standard would be an understatement. Now these gentlemen had their moment. Hauck holds UNLV’s only winning season since Robinson’s departure, he ended Nevada’s eight-game winning streak over the Rebels and he holds UNLV’s last bowl appearance (The 2014 Heart of Dallas Bowl). Tony Sanchez closed out Sam Boyd Stadium’s last game with a win to pair with his 3-2 record in the Battle For the Freemont Cannon, Mike Sanford holds UNLV’s last win over a ranked opponent and Marcus Arroyo was around.
However, the success (or lack thereof) that these coaches had hails in comparison to what Barry Odom has done in 5 games. A 4-1 record, 1-0 in conference with their only loss being at Michigan has reignited the dormant local support that the UNLV Rebels have longed for. It’s clear that the Rebels are pushing for a spot in the Power 5 and with the future of the Pac-12 in limbo, UNLV football might be on the doorstep. They have the practice facility, they have the stadium, they have NIL but do they have the coach? Absolutely! Barry Odom’s SEC experience combined with his use of the transfer portal gave me hope but his management of the Bobby Petrino situation, the calm response in the Vanderbilt game, and the killer instinct he showed against Hawaii make it clear that he’s the man for the future.
The problem is that ADs around the country are watching him and they like what they see. The former Missouri headman got given a raw deal in his first run as a head coach but teams are taking notice of how he’s handled his second chance. He’s well-liked around college football, people see his success and his defensive innovations and he is winning at a place that isn’t used to it. Now Odom may love Vegas and his family may be settled but when one of those nice Power 5 checks comes Barry Odom’s way, it might as well be Sayonara.
So now we find ourselves asking an important question. Should the Boosters shell out the cash to keep Odom so early into his tenure? The real question is why hasn’t the check been sent. Sure that locks Odom into UNLV for a long time and if it goes bad, they wouldn’t be able to buy him out. The good thing is that he’s not gonna suck. Now how can I be so certain? Easy, I look at the foundation of his program.
He kept Doug Brumfield and when you consider that Brumfield was allegedly getting interest from BYU during his brief stint in the 2022 transfer portal, his commitment to Odom’s plan speaks volumes. Not only did Odom keep him, Brumfield vouched for Odom on his behalf, attempting to keep as many Rebels in the program as possible. Odom has made massive inroads within the Nevada High School scene, building relationships with coaches and currently having six Las Vegas high school players as 2024 commits to the program. Odom also has invested in youth and it’s paid off big time. Freshmen Jayden Maiava, Jai’Den Thomas, and JUCO transfer Jacob De Jesus have come up big for the Rebels this year. Odom is the man with a plan and it’s getting executed at the highest level.
Here’s the bottom line. Barry Odom has already secured the 9th Island Showdown Golden Pineapple or whatever that trophy is called. Too many names. After this week where the Rebels are on a BYE, Odom has the ability to secure another trophy by going up to Reno and defeating Nevada to retain the Freemont Cannon. If he does that and he should considering the massive issues surrounding Nevada’s program, Odom would be one win away from securing UNLV’s first bowl birth in a decade. You invest in what you believe in and I believe in Barry Odom. Perhaps it’s time you do too…especially if you have a lot of money.
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