Coach faces media for first time since UNLV football player’s death

By Mike Grimala (contact)

Wednesday, March 1, 2023 | 1:12 p.m.

New UNLV football coach Barry Odom was mostly quiet today about the situation surrounding Ryan Keeler, the Rebels lineman who was found dead Feb. 20 in his apartment.

Odom met with reporters at the Fertitta Football Complex after the team’s first spring practice session — his first time with the media since Keeler’s death —and fielded several questions related to the deceased player. But Odom said he had been advised not to comment on anything related to Keeler’s death and took care not to get into any specifics.

According to a Metro Police report released Tuesday, Keeler had felt sick and nauseous for at least a week leading up to his death. He received prescription medication on Feb. 17 and met with UNLV’s football head athletic trainer and director of sports medicine, Alfred Castillo, on Feb. 19. The report did not indicate who issued the prescription.

After Keeler was found dead at his home, police discovered an empty prescription bottle at the scene, according to the police report. The Clark County coroner said a cause and manner of Keeler’s death were pending receipt of toxicology reports, which can take several weeks to be completed.

Asked when he became aware Keeler was feeling sick, Odom declined to answer.

“Unfortunately, I can’t make comment on that just because of the ongoing research and investigation on that,” Odom said.

Asked about the prescription bottle found with Keeler’s body, Odom again did not answer. “I can’t comment on that report,” he said.

Odom did shed some light on the team’s general process for dealing with illnesses but did not confirm whether that applied to Keeler.

Asked if there are protocols for a player to report being sick, Odom said there was a plan in place to help them recuperate and possibly have their workloads reduced.

“I think there’s protocols within every organization, I would say. But again, specific case scenario and comments on this, I’m not allowed to speak on,” he said.

Odom was also asked if the team’s medical personnel have the authority to step in and force a sick but determined player to sit out as a way of protectingthe player.

Without saying whether it applied to Keeler’s situation, Odom confirmed the staff has that power.

Keeler, 20, was a Chicago native who transferred to UNLV from Rutgers last offseason. He recorded one sack and eight tackles last year.

Odom was hired as UNLV’s head coach in December and signed a five-year contract that guarantees him $9.8 million, including a $1.75-million salary for the 2023 season.

Mike Grimala can be reached at 702-948-7844 or [email protected]. Follow Mike on Twitter at twitter.com/mikegrimala.