Brian Odom - Football Coach

Brian Odom

Title:
Inside Linebackers / Associate Head Coach for Defense
Email:
football@usc.edu
Phone:
(213) 740-4204

Brian Odom, who has a dual background in coaching linebackers and sports performance, enters his second season as the inside linebackers coach and associate head coach for defense.

Odom, 41, coached a group of inside linebackers who made massive contributions to the Trojan defense throughout the 2022 season. Shane Lee and Eric Gentry were USC’s second and third tackling leaders, with Lee recording 78 and Gentry collecting 71. USC played in the Cotton Bowl to conclude the 2022 season.

He spent the previous 3 years (2019-21) as the inside linebackers coach at Oklahoma.  The Sooners ranked 24^thnationally in rushing defense in 2021 (123.8) and advanced to the Alamo Bowl.  In 2020 while winning the Big 12 title and playing in the Cotton Bowl, OU was fourth in the nation in opponent third-down conversion percentage (27.9), seventh in sacks (3.4) and ninth in both pass efficiency defense (112.9) and rushing defense (105.1) while allowing just 21.7 points per game.  Oklahoma was 17^th in the nation in opponent third-down conversion percentage (32.2) in 2019 when OU won the Big 12 crown and played in a College Football Playoff semifinal in the Peach Bowl.  Linebacker Kenneth Murray was an All-Big 12 first team selection in 2019 and an NFL first round pick in 2020.

He was the outside linebackers coach at Missouri in 2017 and 2018.  The Tigers were 22^nd nationally in rushing defense (122.9) in 2017.  Linebacker Terez Hall played in the NFL.  Missouri played in the 2017 Texas Bowl and 2018 Liberty Bowl.

He was a defensive quality control assistant at Washington State for the 2015 and 2016 seasons. The Cougars played in the 2015 Sun Bowl and 2016 Holiday Bowl.

Odom spent 3 years (2012-14) as the co-director of sports performance for Houston's football program.  The Cougars were in the 2014 BBVA Compass Bowl and 2015 Armed Forces Bowl.

He spent 7 years (2005-11) working with the football performance program at Arizona, the first 2 as assistant director of performance enhancement and the last 5 as associate director of performance enhancement. Additionally, for 5 seasons (2006-10) he assisted Arizona's football operations director by coordinating advance travel arrangements for all away games. The Wildcats played in the 2008 Las Vegas Bowl, 2009 Holiday Bowl and 2010 Alamo Bowl.

He began his career in athletics as an administrative and defensive graduate assistant at Missouri for the first half of 2005. The Tigers played in the Independence Bowl.

He attended Oklahoma for 2 seasons (2000-01), redshirting as a running back on the Sooners' 2000 national championship team (he won the team's Iron Man Award that season for his performance in the weight room) and then lettering in 2001 while playing primarily on special teams.

He then transferred to Southeastern Oklahoma State, where he was a 3-year (2002-04) starting tailback.  He earned All-Lone Star Conference first team honors as a senior in 2004.

He earned his bachelor's degree from Southeastern Oklahoma State in 2004.

He was Oklahoma's High School Player of the Year in 1999 as a running back at Ada (Okla.) High.

He was born July 2, 1981.  He and his wife, Mackenzie, have 2 sons, Benjamin and Brock.