Football
- Title:
- Interim Defensive Coordinator, Linebackers
- Email:
- UNTFootball@unt.edu
- Alma Mater:
- Southeastern Oklahoma State, 2004
Brian Odom, a veteran defensive coach, joined the UNT staff in February of 2024. He started his time with the Mean Green as linebackers coach and was named the interim defensive coordinator for the final three games of the 2024 season. Odom was elevated to his current role of co-Defensive Coordinator in January of 2025.
In his first season with the Mean Green, Odom helped UNT become bowl eligible for the first time in the Eric Morris era. After taking over as the interim defensive coordinator, Odom helped the UNT defense allow over one touchdown per game (6.7 ppg) less in the final three games of the season. This included a stellar performance in the regular season finale against Temple, holding the Owls scoreless in the second half to gain bowl eligibility.Â
He joined the North Texas staff after a two-year stint as the inside linebackers coach and associate head coach for defense at USC. He served as the interim co-defensive coordinator for three games in 2023.
Odom coached a group of inside linebackers who made massive contributions to the Trojan defense throughout the 2022 and 2023 seasons. In 2023, Odom helped coach a defense that finished 24th in the country and second in the PAC-12 in tackles for loss. The Trojans finished the year 8-5 and won the DirecTV Holiday Bowl.
He spent the previous three years (2019-21) as the inside linebackers coach at Oklahoma, including serving as the interim defensive coordinator at the end of 2021.
The Sooners ranked 24th nationally 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 17th 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 22nd 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 three 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 seven years (2005-11) working with the football performance program at Arizona, the first two as assistant director of performance enhancement and the last five as associate director of performance enhancement. Additionally, for five 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.
Odom 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.
In his playing career, Odom played at Oklahoma for two 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.
Odom then transferred to Southeastern Oklahoma State, where he was a three-year (2002-04) starting tailback, earning All-Lone Star Conference first team honors as a senior in 2004. He earned his bachelor's degree from Southeastern Oklahoma State in 2004.
A star at Ada (Okla.) High School, Odom was Oklahoma's High School Player of the Year in 1999 as a running back. He and his wife, Mackenzie, have two sons, Benjamin and Brock.
Coaching History
2004: Missouri, administrative/defensive graduate assistant
2006-11: Arizona, associate director of performance enhancement
2012-14: Houston, co-director of sports performance
2015-16: Washington State, defensive quality control assistant
2017-18: Missouri, outside linebackers
2019-21: Oklahoma, inside linebackers
2021: Oklahoma, interim defensive coordinator
2022-23: USC, inside linebacker/associate head coach for defense
2023: USC, interim co-defensive coordinator
2024: UNT, linebackers/interim defensive coordinator
2025: UNT, co-defensive coordinator, outside linebackers/nickels
