LAS VEGAS — Barry Odom had only minutes earlier claimed his most important victory as a head coach when his thoughts turned Saturday night to the lowest moment of his career.
Odom was fired five years ago to the day by Missouri, and he began to choke up and stopped talking for a few seconds as he pondered the journey from that memory to celebrating UNLV defeating Nevada 38-14 to make the Mountain West Championship Game — and have a real shot at the College Football Playoff.
“I’ll never forget that,” Odom said of being let go at Missouri, his alma mater.