Bowie State University Announces Dawson Odums as New Head Football Coach

(BOWIE, Md.) — Bowie State University President Dr. Aminta H. Breaux announces the hiring of Dawson Odums as the university’s next head football coach, marking a new era for the Bulldogs. He will be officially introduced during a press conference at 10 a.m. on Tuesday, Feb. 10 in the lobby of the university’s Leonidas S. James Physical Education Complex. The press conference is open to the public and will be streamed live on the Bulldog Sports Network, X and Facebook, as well as the CIAA Sports Network.

“I am pleased to welcome Coach Dawson Odums into the Bowie State University Bulldog family,” said Dr. Breaux. “He has more than 25 years of coaching experience and a proven track record of developing student-athletes into successful players on the field and scholars in the classroom.”

A native of Shelby, North Carolina, Odum brings extensive collegiate coaching experience and a championship pedigree to Bowie State. He spent the past four seasons at Norfolk State from 2021-24, guiding the Spartans to a 6-5 record in his first season, the program’s first winning campaign since 2007. His reputation for rebuilding programs and developing competitive teams is well recognized throughout the HBCU community.

“We are confident that Coach Odums will ignite a new spirit in our football program,” said Dr. Jolisa Williams, interim vice president for athletics and recreation. “He brings a proven record of competitive success, a deep commitment to mentoring and developing young people, and a clear vision for building a championship culture grounded in discipline, accountability and academic excellence.”

Before Norfolk State, Odums enjoyed a 10-year run in the Southwestern Athletic Conference (SWAC) at Southern University in Baton Rouge, Louisiana. He led Southern to a winning record in each of his eight full seasons as head coach, including a 5-1 mark during the spring season. Over his final five seasons, the Jaguars posted a 29-6 SWAC record, and He compiled an overall mark of 63-35. In 2013, he led the Jaguars to a conference championship and was named SWAC Coach of the Year. The team won four SWAC West Division titles in 2013, 2014, 2018 and 2019, respectively.

“To the Bowie State University community, I am honored and grateful to formally accept the position of head football coach,” Odums said. “I want to thank President Breaux for her confidence and leadership throughout this process. I also thank Dr. Jolisa Williams for the opportunity to lead this proud program. I am truly appreciative of the trust placed in me to guide Bowie State Football into its next chapter. I firmly believe that discipline, character, leadership and citizenship are the foundations of sustained success. Those principles shape young men and prepare them for life beyond football and ultimately create a winning culture. When those standards are upheld, championships follow.”

Odums’ teams at Southern excelled in all three phases of the game. During the abbreviated 2021 spring season, Southern ranked first nationally in blocked punts, third in third down conversions, sixth in sacks and 15th in total offense, finishing No. 19 in the final FCS Coaches Poll. The Jaguars also posted Top 200 total offenses in 2015 and 2016 and ranked No. 13 nationally in rushing offense in 2019. Odums’ teams ranked in the FCS Top 10 in punt return average four times, including a national best mark in 2017, and twice ranked in the top 10 in kickoff return average. Six players coached by Odums signed with NFL or CFL teams.

His coaching background also includes stops at North Carolina A&T and Bethune- Cookman of the Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference, as well as Clark Atlanta, Georgia Southern and Gardner-Webb. His experience spans roles as assistant head coach, interim head coach, defensive line coach, special teams coordinator, defensive coordinator, outside linebackers coach and defensive ends coach.

Odums played linebacker and quarterback at Crest High School in Boiling Springs, North Carolina, before competing collegiately at North Carolina Central University (NCCU). A defensive lineman at NCCU, he was a team captain, earned All-CIAA honors as a senior and received a bachelor’s degree in physical education.

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About Bowie State University
Founded in 1865, Bowie State University is the first Historically Black College/University (HBCU) in Maryland and one of the ten oldest in the country. Bowie State has earned the ‘Research College and University’ designation in the 2025 Carnegie Research Activity Classification. As a leading institution of higher learning, Bowie State University offers more than 65 bachelor's, master's, doctoral and certificate programs across arts and sciences, technology, business, education, healthcare and related disciplines. The university provides high-quality and affordable educational opportunities in a supportive environment that empowers students to think critically, make new discoveries, value differences and emerge as leaders in a highly technical, rapidly changing global society. For more information about Bowie State University, visit bowiestate.edu.

MEDIA CONTACT: Stacie Burgess, sburgess@bowiestate.edu, 301-860-4311