Bucknell University Athletics
Bucknell Mourns the Loss of Coaching Legend Bob Odell
12/15/2012 7:00:00 AM | Football
Dec. 15, 2012
Services for Bob Odell will be held on Jan. 12, 2013 at Alleva Funeral Home, 1724 East Lancaster Avenue, Paoli, Pa. Visitation will be from 10-11 a.m., followed by services at 11 a.m. Following the service, a reception will be held at Landmark Americana Restaurant, 629 West Lancaster Ave., Wayne, Pa.
- Bob Odell Bucknell Hall of Fame Bio
- Bob Odell College Football Hall of Fame Bio
- "Bob Odell: All-American" (written by Jim Campbell in 2004)
LEWISBURG, Pa. - Bucknell University and the Department of Athletics & Recreation mourn the loss of a true Bison coaching legend, Bob Odell, who passed away Saturday morning at the age of 90. A member of the Bucknell Athletics, Middle Atlantic Conference and College Football Halls of Fame, Odell guided the Bison football program through one of its greatest eras in the late 1950s and early 1960s.
As head football coach at Bucknell from 1958-64, Bob Odell had a 37-26 record and led the 1960 and 1964 teams to Lambert Cup championships as the top college football team in the East. After two losing seasons in 1958 and 1959, his Bison teams went 32-13 over the next five seasons.
Flowers and a black ribbon adorn the Bob Odell Monument today after the passing of the legendary coach.  |
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A native of Corning, Iowa, Odell was an All-America halfback at Pennsylvania. He won the Maxwell Trophy and was runner-up to Angelo Bertelli for the Heisman Trophy in 1943. A second-round draft pick of the Pittsburgh Steelers in 1944, Odell was inducted into the National Football Foundation College Hall of Fame in 1992.
Following service as a communications officer in the U.S. Navy in World War II, he was an assistant coach at Yale, Temple and Wisconsin before coming to Bucknell.
While at Wisconsin, he recruited and coached the great Alan Ameche, the 1954 Heisman Trophy winner. After leaving Bucknell, Odell was head coach at Penn (1965-70) and Williams (1971-86). In 1987 he was honored by the New England Football Writers Association with the George C. Carens Award for outstanding contributions to New England football.
After retiring from Williams in 1986, Odell returned to Lewisburg and served as a volunteer assistant coach until 1990.
The position of Bucknell head football coach is now named in Odell's honor, and a permanent monument recognizing his career and his contributions to Bucknell was erected in Christy Mathewson-Memorial Stadium in 2005.
REACTIONS FROM SOME OF BOB ODELL'S FORMER PLAYERS:
Norm Garrity '63
I was saddened to learn of Bob Odell's passing. Coach Odell was a legendary coach to many people, including his former players. He was also a wonderful human being, who instilled values in us that guided us, greatly impacted our lives, and stay with us even today. He will be greatly missed by us, but never forgotten.
Bob Williams '62
When I showed up to meet coach in 1958 I came from a small boys school with not enough players to hold a real scrimmage, and I weighed 175 pounds. When he asked me what I weighed, I said 185-190. He winked and let me try out. Our team would have done anything he asked of us and we did. He was our idol.
Jim Brady '60
Coach Odell brought an incredible quiet strength to Bucknell Football. I was fortunate to play for him for his first two years at our school. His emotions were expressed in homespun homilies like, "Holy O Boly O"! No one ever knew where they came from but he never swore, at least, to my knowledge. He used them to express pleasure at a good play or displeasure at a bad play, but everyone knew what he meant when he used them.
A man of great character who, along with Bill Wrabley, helped us all grow into men. While I never played on a winning team at Bucknell, our last year in 1959 was special because we beat Rutgers and Buffalo, both at home and we knew that the program was headed in the right direction, as was proven the next year! Now his players are old men and we have lost our coach. But the lessons he taught us have stayed with us throughout our lives.
I last saw him at a dinner in his honor years ago when his bust was installed at Christy Mathewson Stadium. He was still the same great guy, and Bill Wrabley was there too. Since we played both offense and defense in those days, Bill had whipped us into very good shape and playing the best part of 60 minutes was the norm.
I am sure everyone who played for Bob, at Bucknell, Penn or Williams will do a lot of reflecting on his influence on our lives. I sure have, and we will miss him until we see him again.
Ken Twiford '62
There are so many things to say about Coach but a few that were significant to me follow.
During the recruiting process my parents were not really involved until I mentioned to them my visit to Bucknell and that the coach was Bob Odell, the former Penn great. All of a sudden they were involved and wanted to come along on the visit. I remember my dad saying that he thought Bucknell was the place for me and that the coaches would take care of me. My dad was right. Coach Odell was tested several times during my years at BU and each time he was able to help me continue my path to graduation. There seemed to be a silent hand helping me stay on the track.
We were undersized, and outmanned by most of our opponents, but Coach challenged us and found a way to motivate us to succeed. Coach had the right men in the right spot by understanding our abilities, and personalities. He turned around the Bucknell football program in a relatively short time, which provided some much-needed respect.
At a time when there were not a lot of game films to review on prospects, Coach depended on his contacts from Penn and Wisconsin to evaluate players. I was a decent prospect on Wisconsin's radar but just barely. Yet, I was offered a football scholarship as well as a job for my meals. This opened the door.
I thank Coach for providing me with the opportunity to obtain a very good education as well as play both football and baseball thru a pre-agreed arrangement. He trusted me to make this unprecedented arrangement, at the time, to work to the benefit of the football program. It also enabled me to meet some math faculty who helped me get some extra help, take the right courses and land my first job using the advanced statistics taken during my senior year. This job opportunity with RCA Lancaster landed us in a place where we have lived for close to 50 years. Finally, I met my wife of close to 50 years, Gail, at BU. We have 3 great kids and 7 grandkids. My son and his wife are Bucknell grads. In short, Coach Odell provided me with the opportunity to make all these great things happen.
What else could a coach/educator do for you? He will never be forgotten in our house. What a guy!
