Purdue football coach Barry Odom on incoming QBs, UNLV transfers
Hear why Barry Odom added four quarterbacks and how he decided which UNLV players to bring to Purdue.
WEST LAFAYETTE − Josh Henson was in a pretty good situation.
As offensive coordinator at USC, he coached a Heisman Trophy winner in Caleb Williams, the No. 1 overall pick in the 2024 NFL draft.
Two things helped persuade Henson to leave sunny southern California for West Lafayette, where he’s entering his first season as Purdue football’s offensive coordinator.
One was the opportunity to reunite with new Boilermaker head coach Barry Odom, who Henson previously worked with at Missouri.
The other dates back to Dec. 30, 1997.
Henson was an offensive lineman at Oklahoma State playing in his final game.
On the opposing sideline was Joe Tiller, in his first season coaching Purdue. The Boilermakers, led by senior quarterback Billy Dicken, beat Oklahoma State 33-20 in the Alamo Bowl.
“They were really good. They were strong,” Henson recalls of the 1997 Boilermakers. “They were physical. They were tough. They played a very technique sound brand of football.
“When I think about Purdue football, that’s what I’ve always thought about in my mind. So the goal is to bring that back to West Lafayette and win games. That’s why I was attracted to (joining Purdue’s coaching staff).”
Sam King covers sports for the Journal & Courier. Email him at sking@jconline.com and follow him on X and Instagram @samueltking.
This content is reposted from the source: https://www.jconline.com/story/sports/college/purdue/football/2025/02/13/purdue-football-coordinator-josh-henson-recalls-final-game-vs-purdue/78536805007/
