Boilermakers Country

New Purdue Football Coach Barry Odom Vows to Try Every Pork Tenderloin in Indiana

There may not be a better culture fit in college football than Barry Odom at Purdue. He recently vowed to try every breaded pork tenderloin in the state of Indiana.
Dustin Schutte|
Purdue football head coach Barry Odom addresses the media
Purdue football head coach Barry Odom addresses the media | Alex Martin/Journal and Courier / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

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When Purdue athletic director Mike Bobinski and the administration set out to find the next coach of Boilermaker football, the question, "How does he feel about breaded pork tenderloins?" probably wasn't on the list of topics. It's an added bonus that Barry Odom seems to be a big fan.

In an early segment of Purdue Football Live on Thursday, Odom was talking with host and football play-by-play man Tim Newton about his arrival in West Lafayette. When Newton brought up Indiana's famous food, the new coach says he's already well aware of the sandwich.

"I like to eat, so I've seen the rankings of the different pork tenderloins. I'm still searching for the best," Odom said. "I've got my own ranking going, and I'm going to try them all."

Because I am a true Indiana native, I've already offered to help Odom on his journey throughout the state.

Odom is going to be a busy man in West Lafayette, trying to rebuild the Purdue football program. But when he's on those important recruiting visits within the state, he may have his restaurant stops already planned out.

As a fellow person who enjoys food, I can't wait to hear Odom's list of the top pork tenderloins in the state.

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ODOM TALKS ENERGY AT ROSS-ADE: New Purdue football coach Barry Odom is already speaking highly about the environment has at Ross-Ade Stadium, calling it one of the best in the country. CLICK HERE

ODOM TALKS RECRUITING PHILOSOPHY: Even though the transfer portal has become prominent in college football, Barry Odom says his primary focus is building the Purdue program through high school recruiting. CLICK HERE

PURDUE LANDS FIRST PLEDGE OF 2026: Purdue has its first verbal commitment of the 2026 recruiting class, landing a pledge from 6-foot-7, 315-pound offensive lineman Rico Schrieber. CLICK HERE

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Dustin Schutte
DUSTIN SCHUTTE

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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