UNLV interim coach excited for opportunity in LA Bowl

The UNLV football team and its departing players will be led by an interim coach against Cal in the LA Bowl at 6 p.m. Dec. 18 at SoFi Stadium in Inglewood, California.

The bowl announcement came Sunday after coach Barry Odom left the program to take over as coach at Purdue in the Big Ten.

It’s a program milestone, as the Rebels (10-3) are playing in a second consecutive bowl game for the first time in program history. It follows the team’s loss to Boise State in Mountain West championship game on Friday.

Wide receivers coach Del Alexander will serve as the interim coach for the bowl game, athletic director Erick Harper announced Sunday afternoon.

Alexander’s time with UNLV dates all the way back to 1998. He has coaching experience in the NFL, as well as previous positions at Arizona State, Georgia Tech, Oregon State, Notre Dame, San Diego and Wisconsin. He enters the interim role with coaching experience in 18 bowls games and two College Football Playoff berths.

The Golden Bears (6-6), led by eighth-year coach Justin Wilcox, are in their first season in the ACC after departing the Pac-12.

“It’s a time of change for everybody that’s in college football,” Wilcox said on teleconference with Alexander and LA Bowl organizers. “There’s a lot going on, as we all know. But to have a chance to come down there and compete against UNLV is a thing that we really do appreciate.”

Wilcox’s opening remarks couldn’t have been more descriptive of the Rebels’ situation, which Alexander addressed when it was his turn to speak.

“We’re excited to be a part of the LA Bowl. We had a team meeting today, and what others might see as chaos, we’ve jumped right in. The guys that have gotten us to a 10-3 record are excited about playing the next game,” Alexander said. “The 11th win. That’s our goal. But it’s really about our seniors, our captains — the guys that have been here for the four and five years, guys that have redshirted. It’s been a long journey.”

Departing group

Odom’s departure was announced Sunday morning, and two players said they would be entering the portal before the afternoon.

Freshman running back Greg Burrell from Las Vegas and senior defensive back Tony Grimes said they’re looking to leave UNLV, and likely won’t be the only departing Rebels when the portal officially opens Monday.

Burrell, from Desert Pines High, was the Rebels’ No. 3 running back this season, recording 366 rushing yards on 65 carries with three touchdowns. He had the Rebels’ lone score in their 21-7 loss Friday to Boise State in the Mountain West championship game.

Grimes, a senior transfer from North Carolina and Texas A&M, recorded 20 tackles and six pass breakups this season.

Grimes and Burrell indicated they would still play in the bowl game, however, with Grimes saying he was “still bowl game lit,” while Burrell shared the bowl announcement with a heart and airplane emoji.

The Rebels also have 29 graduating seniors, including Mountain West defensive player of the year Jackson Woodard, Mountain West special teams player of the year and star wideout Ricky White III, All-American punt returner Jacob De Jesus and quarterback Hajj-Malik Williams.

Alexander described the opportunity for them to go out on a positive note while younger players get a chance to continue their development.

“Our guys love playing football, and we get one more try at it,” he said. “We had an exciting group. They went through a lot of emotions earlier today because Coach Odom had done a great job here.”

Contact Callie Fin at cfin@reviewjournal.com. Follow @CallieJLaw on X.