Purdue Coach Barry Odom Getting Full Support From Boilermaker Legend Drew Brees

Barry Odom's tenure in West Lafayette has already started, but Saturday will mark the first time he's put a product on the field as the head coach at Purdue. Boilermaker legend Drew Brees is excited about the future of the program under Odom's guidance.

Brees spoke with Purdue Boilermakers on SI while discussing his partnership with Abbott and the Big Ten Conference for the We Give Blood Drive, which runs from Aug. 27 through Dec. 5. Although there are a lot of question marks entering the 2025 season, the former Purdue quarterback is confident Odom is the right guy to lead the program.

"I'm really excited to have Coach Odom as our coach. He's got a tremendous track record, not just as a player, but defensive coordinator, going back to his Missouri days ... and then obviously the turnaround with UNLV," Brees said. "I'm really excited for him to be there.

"I think he brings that old-school mentality, team-first mentality. Especially in this day of college football, being able to build a culture and build a program that guys really want to be a part of and want to build continuity and consistency with."

Purdue Boilermakers head coach Barry Odom looks downfield | Alex Martin/Journal and Courier / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

Odom certainly has his work cut out for him in Year 1 at Purdue. The Boilermakers are coming off a 1-11 campaign in 2024, one of the worst seasons in program history. But Odom has not used that as an excuse since his arrival.

Instead, he has consistently said that we won't talk about last season with his current team. The biggest reason? Neither he nor 82 of the newcomers on the roster were part of the program then.

Brees believes that the combination of new talent and a new staff is reason to be excited about the future.

"Look, it's a new era of Purdue football. He has a lot of new faces, but he has a chance to really build it from the ground up," Brees said. "So, I'm excited for him, I'm excited for all the guys who are there, and I'm hoping for a great season."

Yes, Odom has to start from scratch in West Lafayette, but that's not the only challenge he faces in his first year at Purdue. The Boilermakers will play five teams ranked in the Associated Press preseason top 25: No. 6 Notre Dame, No. 12 Illinois, No. 14 Michigan, No. 3 Ohio State, and No. 20 Indiana.

Plus, Purdue hosts USC and travels to Washington.

As a former Boiler, Brees understands the challenges of playing in the Big Ten. But he loves the opportunity it gives Odom and the program to turn some heads in 2025.

"It's a tough schedule, especially the way the Big Ten sits with 18 teams. I mean, we have USC coming to town, we have to go to Washington. All these Big Ten matchups that didn't exist before, not to mention we still have Michigan, Ohio State, Illinois is a top-15 program, and Indiana is coming off of last year's run.

"I love the opportunity to compete and compete at the highest level against some of the best teams in the country."

Brees partnering with Abbott and Big Ten Conference

For the 2025 college football season, Brees is partnering with Abbott and the Big Ten Conference for the We Give Blood Drive, aimed to help "tackle the world's blood shortages."

The donation period runs from Aug. 27 through Dec. 5.

"I'm excited to team up with healthcare leader Abbott and the Big Ten Conference to announce the second year of the We Give Blood Drive," Brees said. "I gave blood for the first time because somebody brought me along to do it with them. I had never thought about doing it before. I began to realize what a big impact that made."

In addition to serving a good cause, there's also an additional incentive to donate. The school that with the most blood donations will receive $1 million to advance student and community health initiatives.

Brees partnering with Abbott and Big Ten Conference

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