Dawson Odums

Dawson Odums
	Odums in 2016
Biographical details
Born	Shelby, North Carolina, U.S.
Playing career
1994–1997	North Carolina Central
Coaching career (HC unless noted)
1999	Gardner–Webb (DL)
2000	Georgia Southern (OLB)
2001	Georgia Southern (DE)
2002–2003	Clark Atlanta (AHC/DC)
2004	Clark Atlanta (interim HC)
2005–2007	Bethune–Cookman (DL)
2008–2009	North Carolina A&T (ST/DL)
2010	North Carolina A&T (DC)
2011–2012	Southern (DL)
2012	Southern (interim HC)
2013–2020	Southern
2021–2024	Norfolk State
Head coaching record
Overall	79–72
Accomplishments and honors
Championships
	1 SWAC (2013); 4 SWAC West Division (2013–2014, 2018–2019)
Awards
	SWAC Coach of the Year (2013)

Last updated August 30, 2025

Dawson Tayrone Odums is an American football coach. He was most recently the head coach at Norfolk State University, a position he held from 2021 to 2024. Odums served as the interim head football coach at Clark Atlanta University for one season, in 2004, and head football coach at Southern University and A&M College from 2013 to 2020.

Coaching career

Odums agreed to a three-year contract extension as head football coach with Southern University as reported by the Advocate and confirmed by his agent Burton Rocks on January 17, 2014.^[1] On January 21, 2015, it was reported in the Advocate that Bethune-Cookman had asked for, and received, permission to speak with Coach Odums regarding their own head coaching vacancy.^[2] On April 20, 2021, Odums agreed to a six-year deal with Norfolk State to become the new head coach.

Head coaching record


Year	Team	Overall	Conference	Standing
Clark Atlanta Panthers (Southern Intercollegiate Athletic Conference)(2004)
2004	Clark Atlanta	1–9	1–7	8th
Clark Atlanta:		1–9	1–7
Southern Jaguars (Southwestern Athletic Conference)(2012–2020)
2012	Southern	4–5^{[n 1]}	3–5^{[n 1]}	T–2nd (West)
2013	Southern	9–4	7–2	1st (West)
2014	Southern	9–4	8–1	1st (West)
2015	Southern	6–5	6–3	3rd (West)
2016	Southern	8–3	8–1	2nd (West)
2017	Southern	7–3	5–1	2nd (West)
2018	Southern	7–3	6–1	1st (West)
2019	Southern	8–4	6–1	1st (West)
2020–21	Southern	5–1	4–1	2nd (West)
Southern:		63–32	53–16
Norfolk State Spartans (Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference)(2021–2024)
2021	Norfolk State	6–5	2–3	4th
2022	Norfolk State	2–9	2–3	T–3rd
2023	Norfolk State	3–8	1–4	6th
2024	Norfolk State	4–8	2–3	4th
Norfolk State:		15–31	7–13
Total:		79–72
National championship Conference title Conference division title or championship game berth

Notes

1 2 Stump Mitchell was Southern's head coach for the first two games of the 2012 season before he was fired. Odums served as interim head coach for the final nine games. Southern finished the year 4–7 overall and 3–6 in conference play.

References

External links

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[2012season-3] 1 2 Stump Mitchell was Southern's head coach for the first two games of the 2012 season before he was fired. Odums served as interim head coach for the final nine games. Southern finished the year 4–7 overall and 3–6 in conference play.

[1] (January 17, 2014),

[2] (January 21, 2015),

[1]

[2]

[n 1]