Dawson Odums Hired To Lead Bowie State Bulldogs Football

The veteran collegiate head coach returns to the east coast to take over the football program at Bowie State.

Sep 9, 2017; Hattiesburg, MS, USA; Southern University Jaguars head coach Dawson Odums in the first quarter against the Southern Miss Golden Eagles at M. M. Roberts Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Chuck Cook-Imagn Images | Chuck Cook-Imagn Images

Since Damon Wilson left at the end of 2022, Bowie State football has struggled to return to its winning ways. The team went 19-21 under former head coach Kyle Jackson. Now, the program hopes new head coach Dawson Odums can turn things around.

President Dr. Aminta H. Breaux announced Odums’ appointment on Monday, Feb. 9.

"I am pleased to welcome Coach Dawson Odums into the Bowie State University Bulldog family," Dr. Breaux said. "He has more than 25 years of coaching experience and a proven track record of developing student-athletes into successful players on the field and scholars in the classroom."

Coach Odums spent 10 seasons in Baton Rouge, leading the Southern Jaguars to a SWAC championship in 2013 and four SWAC West Division titles in 2013, 2014, 2018, and 2019. He was also named SWAC Coach of the Year in 2013.

Odums did not find the same level of success at Norfolk State. After four seasons, he left the program in 2024 with a 15-31 record.

"To the Bowie State University community, I am honored and grateful to formally accept the position of head football coach," Odums said. "I want to thank President Breaux for her confidence and leadership throughout this process. I also thank Dr. Jolisa Williams for the opportunity to lead this proud program. I am truly appreciative of the trust placed in me to guide Bowie State Football into its next chapter. I firmly believe that discipline, character, leadership and citizenship are the foundations of sustained success. Those principles shape young men and prepare them for life beyond football and ultimately create a winning culture. When those standards are upheld, championships follow."

Odums has coached at several colleges, including North Carolina A&T, Bethune-Cookman, Clark Atlanta, Georgia Southern, and Gardner-Webb, serving in various coaching roles.

Odums played linebacker and quarterback at Crest High School in Boiling Springs, North Carolina. In college, he played defensive line at North Carolina Central University (NCCU), where he was a team captain, earned All-CIAA honors as a senior, and graduated with a bachelor's degree in physical education.

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