Barry Odom fires former Purdue football player as assistant coach. What we know
NCAAF College Football News, Photos, Stats, Scores, Schedule & Videos...
Purdue football's first staff change of the offseason comes from arguably the most productive unit of the offense from this past season.
Boilermakers coach Barry Odom fired running backs coach Lamar Conard on Monday, IndyStar confirmed. The former Purdue defensive back had been the lone holdover on Odom's staff from Ryan Walters' tenure as coach.
Four-year starter Devin Mockobee averaged 4.2 yards per carry over eight games before suffering a season-ending foot injury. Antonio Harris (4.2 ypc) and Malachi Thomas (4.6) took over the bulk of the carries in his absence.
Conard was the first walk-on to earn a scholarship under Joe Tiller. He was the lone coach on Odom's staff with previous Purdue ties as an assistant or player.
"Grateful for my time here, I love Purdue, it's my home," Conard said in a text message to IndyStar. "However, it's time for me to move on. I wish coach Odom and his staff the best of luck in the future. Boiler Up."
Conard signed a two-year contract December 2024 paying him $300,000 annually. He is owed 60% of his remaining salary through Dec. 31, 2026, unless he takes a job as a play-calling coordinator, in which case he is owed $25,000.
Purdue ranked 13th among Big Ten Conference teams in yards rushing per carry (4.01). That average rose to 4.47 when adjusted for sacks. The Boilermakers ranked in the bottom four of the conference in rushing plays of 10 or 20-plus yards, but middle of the pack in runs of 30 or 40 yards.
Conard was hired by Walters for his first Purdue staff in 2023. He spent the previous five seasons as running backs coach at Miami (Ohio) after seven years at Illinois State with former Purdue player and assistant Brock Spack.
That 2023 season featured big successes in the backfield, from Mockobee and Tyrone Tracy Jr., an Iowa transfer who converted from receiver to running back.
Purdue's 2026 signing class included three-star prospect Izaiah Wright from Rockwood (Michigan) Carlson High School. Jaheim Merriweather recently announced he plans to enter the transfer portal when it opens in January.
One possible option for Odom to fill Conard's spot would be moving Cornell Ford to oversee running backs. He coached running backs at UNLV but came to Purdue as receivers coach. That position group underachieved throughout Odom's first season with drops and limited explosiveness.
Nathan Baird and Sam King have the best Purdue sports coverage, and sign up for IndyStar's Boilermakers newsletter.
This article originally appeared on Indianapolis Star: Lamar Conrad fired as Purdue football running backs coach by Barry Odom
More at NCAAF College Football News, Photos, Stats, Scores, Schedule & Videos