Illini coach Bret Bielema respected by Purdue’s Barry Odom

Bret Bielema and Illinois football are back on the road this Saturday, headed 90 miles east to West Lafayette (IN) to battle border-rival Purdue for the cannon. Momentum had seemingly stalled for the Fighting Illini for a brief moment after a stunning 53-point blowout at the hands of Indiana in Week 4 snapped the Illini’s 7-game win streak, dating back to Week 10 of the 2024 season. However, after a statement homecoming win, the Fighting Illini appear to be back on track, and with a big-time showdown at home against No.1 Ohio State looming in week 7, a matchup against struggling Purdue could be the perfect chance for Illinois to build upon its confidence and get healthy before facing the nation’s best.

Purdue, meanwhile, is looking to rebuild into a consistent program under former Missouri and UNLV head coach Barry Odom. So far, it’s been an understandably slow start as the Boilermakers work to find their footing once again, after two challenging seasons under Ryan Walters. Odom’s crew comes into Saturday’s matchup with a 2–2 record, holding wins over FCS opponents Southern Illinois (34-17) and Ball State (31-0), but suffering losses to USC (33–17) and Notre Dame (56–30), most recently falling to the Irish on the road. However, fresh off a bye week, the Boilers hope the extra preparation will have them ready for Illinois at full strength. Regardless of Illinois’ rankings and progress, Purdue always seems to have the Illini’s number, and a 3–7 record against the Boilermakers over the past 10 seasons (2015–2025) certainly speaks for itself.

Off the field, the Boilers’ Head Coach is no stranger to Illini head coach Bret Bielema. The two have crossed paths several times throughout their coaching careers and consider themselves friends, having built great mutual respect. On Tuesday, Odom told the media he expects Illinois to bring its best version to West Lafayette.

Barry Odom’s Take on Facing No. 22 Illinois Football

Odom spoke to the media on Tuesday about the challenges of facing a Bret Bielema program, offering further insight into the respect he has for the Illini head coach.

“We’re excited about our opportunities here at home against Illinois,” states Odom. “You look, I’ve got a lot of respect for Bret and his staff. They’ve got really good coaches, they’ve got really good players. They play the game the right way, they’re always well prepared. I’ve coached against Coach Bielema before, and he’s always had a team that’s tough. They do things the right way. They play hard. Fundamentally, they’re sound, and I would expect us to get that on Saturday, and our guys understand how important it is that we combat that in being fundamentally sound, and in winning situational football, and create opportunities for ourselves within the game plan, and then going and executing.”

Odom highlighted the relationship he and Bret Bielema have built over several years as mutuals in the profession.

“Yeah, I’ve known him for a long time. He’s done a lot of great things for college football,” Odom says, referring to Bielema. “I respect the amount of years that he’s got experience-wise in different roles — whether it was Wisconsin, Arkansas, and Illinois. We’ve always stayed in touch. In a lot of different ways, a lot of respect for him. He’s a heck of a coach, and he’s a really good man, and he’s good for college football.”

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