UNLV Rebels celebrate after defeating the Wyoming Cowboys 34-14 in a NCAA football game at Allegiant Stadium Friday, Nov. 10, 2023.
Saturday, Nov. 25, 2023 | 2 a.m.
A UNLV football supporter messaged earlier this week with a question: “I hate to ask this, but what’s Barry Odom’s buyout? It seems like that might become an issue in the next month,” he wrote of the first-year Rebels coach.
A few hours later, another supporter reached out with an observation: “If I’m Ricky White, I’m in the transfer portal as soon as possible,” they wrote of the Rebels junior wide receiver who has had 70 catches and 1,189 yards in UNLV’s improbable 9-2 season.
Such questions and statements are ridiculous.
Instead of savoring the best season in program history and looking forward to building upon it, these long-suffering football fans are worried UNLV is somehow not worthy of great coaches and players.
The Rebels, who host San Jose State at 12:05 p.m. today, are in the driver’s seat to qualify for the Mountain West championship game.
If they win, UNLV will host the game Dec. 2 at Allegiant Stadium. If they lose, computer rankings will settle a three-way tiebreaker — and the Rebels enter the week as the highest-rated team.
Make no doubt about it, this is the type of fairy-tale season UNLV fans have long hoped for and questioned whether it would ever come.
In the past, they have settled for a lot less: hoping to beat UNR.
At this juncture of most UNLV seasons, the talk is about finding a coach to take the program in a new direction or reflecting on bright spots from a losing season about to provide a glimmer of hope for next year.
This year, thankfully, it’s different.
The concerns are which bowl game UNLV will play and whether the program can claim its first Mountain West title.
With that in mind, those wringing their hands over how long Odom will coach here or what the lineup will look like next season need to take a step back and enjoy the moment.
The Rebels are receiving votes in both major polls, are bowl eligible for the first time since 2013 and have reached the nine-win mark for just the sixth time in program history.
You are witnessing one of the best seasons in your beloved team’s existence.
Let’s worry about the next three games — San Jose State, the Mountain West title game and a bowl matchup — and then figure out how the program will look and feel moving forward.
The hope is that the program’s infrastructure — Allegiant Stadium for home games and the $30 million Fertitta Football Complex on campus — along with the highest paid coach in the Mountain West, will be enough to replicate this season’s success moving forward.
Of course, nothing is guaranteed in college athletics. But the players, for one, seem to be enjoying themselves in the moment.
“(They are) thrilled to be in this position,” Odom said. “The kids understand the magnitude of what’s at stake and how important it is. They are built for this. No moment is too big or too small. They are ready for this.”
Odom has transformed UNLV football into a contender, and probably faster than even the most optimistic supporter would have predicted.
He’s a great game-day manager, has instilled confidence in his players and is genuinely appreciative of being part of this historic season. There’s even talk of him being in consideration for national Coach of the Year, an honor he said would be a testament to his players and assistant coaches.
It’s not easy for a new coach to come in and change a team’s culture, but Odom appeared to receive immediate buy-in from his players. It’s been fun to watch the team progress.
“Coach Odom is a great coach. He does a great job preparing us,” White said. “He’s been real with us and allows us to go out there and play freely.”
Odom is in the first season of a five-year, $9.75 million contract. He’s also due $50,000 for reaching the league title game and another $50,000 for making a bowl game.
While this is not the time to speculate about how the program will look in future seasons, it’s more than appropriate to state the obvious: UNLV has a darn fine coach in Odom and should offer him a hefty extension.
And there’s something else that’s obvious: The next three games are going to be historic.
Enjoy them, Rebel fans.
[email protected] / 702-990-2662 / @raybrewer21
