Mike Odom begins his tenure as the vice president and director of athletics at Northern Kentucky University on August 3, 2026.
Prior to joining the Norse, Odom most recently served as deputy athletic director for external operations at Creighton University, where he helped generate record revenues through program-best achievements in ticket sales, corporate partnerships and licensing. He also helped guide the department to historic attendance marks, including the first season ticket sellouts in both men’s basketball and volleyball. Under his leadership, the university’s external operations earned 14 NACMA “Best Of” awards and established new benchmarks in fan engagement, marketing excellence and student-athlete support.
Before his time at Creighton, Odom spent 18 years operating in a variety of roles at ACC schools, including Wake Forest University and North Carolina State University. At Wake Forest, he served as director of marketing and promotions before working his way up to associate athletic director for strategic communications and championships. At North Carolina State, Odom spent two years as a graduate assistant before earning a promotion to assistant director of marketing and promotions.
In addition to his more than two decades of university athletics leadership, Odom brings a wealth of professional experience from his time as the assistant executive director for corporate partnerships for the American Baseball Coaches Association (ABCA). While there, Odom oversaw the solicitation, relationships, fulfillment and management of more than 70 companies and 30 official corporate partners and set the record for most yearly corporate partnership revenue in the history of the ABCA in each of his final two years.
Odom earned his bachelor’s degree in business management and his master’s in parks, recreation and tourism management from North Carolina State University. He and his wife, Kasey, have three children: Max, Tate and Remi.
