Veteran HBCU head coach Dawson Odums appears set to make his return to the sidelines.
A report by FootballScoop indicated that Odums, most recently the head coach at Norfolk State, has been offered and is expected to accept the head coaching position at Bowie State University.
The Bulldogs are closing in on a deal with Odums following the departure of Kyle Jackson, who was let go after a 3–7 campaign in 2025, his fourth season leading the program, the website reported.
A former SWAC Coach of the Year and Southwestern Athletic Conference champion during his nine-year tenure at Southern University, Odums compiled a 63–32 record and led the Jaguars to four division titles between 2012 and 2020. He later spent four seasons at Norfolk State, where he went 15–26. He was not retained and replaced by the current coach, Michael Vick.
The North Carolina Central graduate brings a wealth of experience to Bowie State, including coaching stops at Georgia Southern and Clark Atlanta.
His return to the CIAA aligns with Bowie State’s ambitions to rebound after back-to-back losing seasons — their first stretch of that kind since 2011.
Just a few seasons ago, Bowie State was one of Division II’s top HBCU programs, winning 12 games in 2021 and advancing to the NCAA quarterfinals. Jackson initially provided a spark with six-win campaigns in 2022 and 2023, but the momentum faded quickly.
