Barry Odom, Bret Bielema Share Unique History, Mutual Respect
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The word "respect" was mentioned several times on Monday. It was used multiple times by both Purdue coach Barry Odom and Illinois leader Bret Bielema as the two prepare for Saturday's game between the Boilermakers and Fighting Illini.
Odom and Bielema have known each other for quite some time, both coaching in the SEC in the 2010s. Bielema was at the helm at Arkansas from 2013-17, and Odom was the head coach at Missouri from 2016-19.
During their respective press conferences on Monday, both mentioned the respect they have for each other.
“I’ve known him for a long time; he’s done a lot of great things for college football. I respect the amount of years that he has experience-wise," Odom said. "We’ve always stayed in touch … I have a lot of respect for him, he’s one heck of a coach, he’s a good man, and he’s good for college football.”
"Huge respect for Barry," Bielema said. "Barry and I go way back. I was the head coach at Arkansas when he was at Missouri, so I've known him a really long time. We've had a lot of crossover with coaches. He's a guy I really respect — the way he walks and talks."
In case it wasn't clear, there's a lot of mutual respect between the two head coaches. There's also some unique history between the two.
Bielema fired following loss to Odom in 2017
In 2017, Bielema began walking off the field at Razorback Stadium after a 48-45 loss to Missouri when he was told he was being fired after five seasons in Fayetteville. The coach who handed Bielema his final loss at Arkansas was Odom.
"I was informed coming off the field that I'll no longer be the coach at Arkansas," Bielema said. "I've never been let go in my entire life, so this is a first for me."
The two coaches remained in touch after that situation unfolded. Then, in 2019, Odom was let go of his duties at Missouri. Ironically, he joined the Arkansas staff under Sam Pittman, where he was the defensive coordinator from 2020-22.
Obviously, both coaches have landed on their feet.
Bielema was hired by Illinois after the 2020 season to be the head coach. In 2023, Odom was named the head coach at UNLV. After some big years in Las Vegas, Bielema was always eager to text his old friend from the SEC.
"Last year, during his run at UNLV, I would hit him up on a weekly basis," Bielema said. "Just super respectful of what he is."
Odom and Bielema played against each other twice in the SEC, with Missouri beating Arkansas in 2016 and 2017. Heading into Saturday's game between Purdue and Illinois, Odom has a 2-0 record against Bielema.
Both coaches employed Ryan Walters
There have been plenty of shared staff members over the years between Bielema and Odom. In some regard, that's just how coaching works. Perhaps the most interesting is that both employed Ryan Walters before he was named the head coach at Purdue.
Walters was the defensive coordinator and safeties coach at Missouri on Odom's staff from 2016-19. He remained with the Tigers in 2020 before taking a job as the defensive coordinator on Bielema's staff at Illinois.
After transforming the Illini defense in his two seasons (2021-22), Walters was named the next head coach at Purdue before the 2023 campaign. That hire didn't quite work out for the Boilermakers.
Walters finished with a 5-19 record in two seasons leading Purdue. He was fired after the 2024 campaign and Odom was hired to replace his former defensive coordinator.
Bielema and Odom bounced back
Both Bielema and Odom had endured some dark times in their coaching careers, but both have responded.
Since taking over in Champaign in 2021, Bielema has completely rejuvenated the Illinois football program. The Fighting Illini have posted a 32-23 record with two bowl appearances in four seasons. Last year, they ended with a 10-3 record and a No. 16 ranking in the Associated Press poll.
Odom got another chance as a head coach in 2023 when he was hired by UNLV. The Rebels went 19-8 under his guidance, which included back-to-back appearances in the Mountain West Championship Game.
A few years have passed since Odom and Bielema have played against each other as head coaches. The two may be friends, but they'll certainly be looking to make the other one miserable beginning at noon on Saturday.
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Dustin Schutte is the publisher of Purdue Boilermakers on SI and has spent more than a decade working in sports journalism. His career began in 2013, when he covered Big Ten football. He remained in that role for eight years before working at On SI to cover the Boilermakers. Dustin graduated from Manchester University in Indiana in 2010, where he played for the men's tennis team.
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