Sources: UNLV's Odom agrees to coach Purdue

UNLV football coach Barry Odom has agreed to take the head-coaching job at Purdue, sources told ESPN on Sunday.

Odom had long been a priority candidate for the Boilermakers, and Purdue officials traveled to Las Vegas to meet Odom, sources said.

At UNLV, Odom has gone 19-8 in two seasons and led the Rebels to back-to-back Mountain West championship game appearances. UNLV (10-3) lost 21-7 to Boise State in Friday night’s MWC title game.

Odom, who also coached for four seasons at Missouri, has been a sought-after candidate with his recent success and coaching résumé.

He would replace Ryan Walters, who went 5-19 over two seasons at Purdue and was fired after a season-ending 11-game losing streak.

Odom emerged as a top candidate in this cycle after authoring road wins over Houston and Kansas early in the season. UNLV continued to thrive after the sudden departure of quarterback Matthew Sluka, who transferred after the Rebels’ 3-0 start.

Odom brings a defensive background, as he was a star linebacker at Missouri and has worked as the defensive coordinator at Memphis, Missouri and Arkansas.