Bio

Mark Odin currently serves as the associate head coach and defensive coordinator for Claremont-Mudd-Scripps football. This is the second stint at CMS for Odin, who joined the CMS program in 2005 as the offensive line coach. Odin is entering his 24th year of coaching in 2020, including his 14th year in the SCIAC and his 10th with CMS. His coaching experience includes one year at the FCS level, two years at the Junior College level and seven years at the high-school level.

Odin is in his seventh year as the CMS Defensive Coordinator and his tenth year coaching on the defensive side of the ball. He has coordinated some of the top defenses in the SCIAC and in all of Dlll football since 2011. In 2018, the Stags led the SCIAC in team defense and held seven of their 11 opponents to 21 points or less.

As the defensive coordinator, Odin and the Stags have led the conference in eight defensive categories: points allowed per game (2014, 2015, 2016, as well as second in 2017), yards allowed per game (2014, 2016, 2018, and second in 2017), rushing yards allowed per game (2014, 2015, 2016 and second in 2018), passing yards allowed per game (2016 and second in 2018), most interceptions (2014, 2015), most sacks (2014), and most defensive touchdowns (2014). 

Under Odin’s mentorship, the Stag defense has boasted an impressive three SCIAC Defensive Players of the Year, three D3football.com All-West Region players, one D3football.com honorable mention All-American and 17 All-SCIAC players.

In 2018, linebacker Mitchell Allen was named SCIAC Defensive Player of the Year, while two CMS defensive football players received First-Team All-SCIAC recognition (Mitch Allen and Cade Moffatt) and three others received Second-Team honors (Mason Hernandez, Luke Livingston, Benjamin Cooney).

In 2017, the CMS defense had three all-conference recipients: Mitchell Allan (Linebacker-1st team), Brendan MacDonald, and Victor Bunce (Linebacker/Defensive Back-2nd team). In 2016, Odin’s defense had a D3football.com All-American honorable mention in Bunce, who also earned all-West region honors, and three first team All-SCIAC honors in Bunce, Paul Slaats, and Brenden MacDonald, and two second team All-SCIAC selections in Henry Wei and Jake Glasser. 

In 2015, Odin helped coach Slaats to the SCIAC Defensive Player of the Year Award, as well as producing three other All-SCIAC players Brendan MacDonald, Bunce and Andrew Sova. In the 2014 season, he also coached Max Winsberg to SCIAC Defensive Player of the Year and had four other All-Conference defensive players (Slaats, Nick Nasse, Griffin Lazarus, and Alex Chang)

Odin has also coached postseason award winners on both sides of the ball as a position coach. While coaching the offensive line (2012), Peter Clancy received second-team All-SCIAC honors. As the linebackers Coach (2011 and 2013), Ben Salzman and Max Winsberg received first-team and second-team All-SCIAC honors respectively. 

Previous to joining CMS, Odin was the assistant head coach, defensive coordinator and linebackers coach at the University of La Verne (2008-2010), offensive line coach/run game coordinator at Chaffey College (2007), tight ends, H-backs and tackles coach at Sacramento State University (2006), offensive line coach at Claremont-Mudd-Scripps  (2005), offensive coordinator and assistant head coach at Ganesha High School (2002- 2004), running backs coach at Pasadena City College (2001), offensive line coach at Diamond Bar High School, offensive line and tight ends coach at San Dimas High School (1999-2000), and the offensive line coach at Northview High School (1997-2000).

A former offensive lineman, Odin played at both Citrus Community College and University of La Verne. He was a member of the Citrus team from 1992-94 and earned associate’s degrees in social and behavioral sciences and in business. He later transferred to the University of La Verne where he played from 1996-1997 and completed his bachelor’s degree in organizational management. He currently lives in Claremont with his wife Ilsa, and has two boys, Bryant and James.