Derek Odum returns to the Lone Star state after spending three years at Utah, where he coached the Ute safeties.
In his time at Utah, Odum turned a pair of one-time walk-ons into All-Conference-caliber players. In 2005, Casey Evans led the league in interceptions and earned second-team All-MWC honors and Steve Tate led Utah in tackles in both 2005 and 2006 en route to honorable mention (2005) and first-team (2006) All-MWC accolades.
Odum also played a role in the emergence of one of the greatest defensive players in Utah football history in 2005, when Eric Weddle manned a safety position for the first eight games of the season before moving to corner. Weddle, a 2006 Consensus All-American and two-time MWC Defensive Player of the Year, became a second-round NFL draft pick of the San Diego Chargers.
Odum also assisted with the Ute kick returners and the punt team - the latter of which ranked No. 1 in the nation in net punting in 2006. His off-field duties included serving as the team's pro liaison.
Odum's first full-time coaching opportunity was with the defensive backs at Montana from 1998-99. Montana won back-to-back Big Sky Conference championships and led the conference in pass efficiency defense. All of Odum's backfield starters earned All-Conference recognition in 1999, including safety Vince Huntsberger who was selected as the Big Sky Defensive Player of the Year.
From there, he went to Utah State (2000-02) where he spearheaded a 25-place improvement in pass defense. The Aggies placed second in the Big West Conference in interceptions his first year there.
Odum spent the summer of 2002 interning with the Tennessee Titans, working with their defensive backs and linebackers.
He left Utah State to coach the defensive backs at Houston, where he stayed from 2003-04. The secondary accounted for 13 of Houston's 14 total interceptions in 2003 and Odum produced a Conference USA All-Freshman team selection both years.
Odum returned to his alma mater in 2005, where he had served as a graduate assistant eight years earlier (1996-97). He assisted with the safeties in 1996, and assumed full responsibility for the safeties in his final year as a G.A.
Odum lettered at Utah from 1989-92, starting at free safety his freshman year and cornerback his junior season. He started for Utah in the 1992 Copper Bowl and also played centerfield for the Ute baseball team for two seasons.
He earned his bachelor's in political science from Utah in 1993.
He is married to the former Ania Homan and has two sons, Dominic and Jeremiah.
