Maroons new coach to take Blackwell "back to basics"

Enid native Marques Odom has been named the head football coach for the Blackwell Maroons entering the 2024 season.

Odom, who is in his third year of teaching and coaching at Blackwell is taking over the program from Brent Parker, who resigned after the 2023 season.

Parker compiled a 5-25 record during his three seasons at the helm, but the Blackwell football woes date back two decades or more, with only one playoff appearance in the last 25 years.

Odom graduated from Enid High School in 2006, where he was a standout player.

He then attended Southwestern Oklahoma State University in Weatherford, where he played safety and corner for the Bulldogs for four years, graduating with his bachelor’s degree in 2010 and his master’s degree in 2011.

After a brief stint in the oilfield, Odom began his coaching career for Enid Public Schools in 2013.

Odom then made the move to Blackwell, where he has been a fan and student favorite since 2021.

Odom stated:

“We are going to be a hard-nosed, run-first team, with more discipline than has been displayed in recent years. I am not trying to reinvent the wheel. I plan to bring the team back to football basics. This (Blackwell football) is bigger than me or any individual player, and even bigger than the team as a whole. We will play a lot harder and play not just for ourselves but for the community. We want to be a team the community is proud of and wants to come out and support. We want to bring back the glory of Blackwell football teams of the past that the community was proud to get behind.”