Sam Odell completed his third season as the head coach of the Shepherd women’s soccer program after being named the head coach in April 2021.

In 2023, Odell led the Rams to a 7-5-6 record, and the highest winning percentage in program history with a mark of 0.555. This fall was also the programs first winning season since 2005 - just narrowly missing out on the playoffs for the second year running and recorded the team’s best finish in the PSAC since moving from the MEC in 2019. Odell also guided the Rams to their first regional ranking in program history.

The team finished the season tied for most goals in the conference during the regular season, and finished in fifth place in the PSAC following back-to-back .500 or better records. In three seasons, Odell and his coaching staff have improved the team’s performance from a 1-15-2 record in 2019 to 7-5-6 this past fall. 

Odell has mentored Sara Hohn, a two-time All-PSAC East second team selection, and Lydia Gable, who was named in the All-PSAC East second team this fall. Additionally, Shepherd had Delaney Bittner, Paris Kimbrell, Madison Michael, Alyssa Nazarok,  Myra Striebig, and Hohn garnered 2022 CSC Academic All-District honors. Nazarok was also named a finalist for the 2021 Truman Scholarship by the Harry S. Truman Scholarship Foundation. Bittner (first team) and Hohn (third team) became the program's first Academic All-Americans.

Odell spent two seasons as an assistant coach for the Rams between 2019 and 2020 and was the interim head coach during the spring season of 2021. 

A native of Walton-on-Thames, England, Odell is a 2018 graduate of Caldwell College where he was a four-year member of the men’s soccer team from 2014-17. He gained All-Conference honors as a midfielder, and was named to the CACC All-Tournament Team in 2015 and 2016. Odell played at Portsmouth Football Club’s FA accredited Academy from age 11-18 in his youth career prior to playing in the U.S. During his time at Portsmouth he played against the top academies in the U.K Academy System including teams such as Arsenal and Chelsea, as well as players who are now England internationals such as Raheem Sterling and Luke Shaw.

Odell has an extensive coaching background with many years of developing players at the elite club level with both female and male age groups. 

Odell holds numerous coaching qualifications including an Advanced National Diploma (United Soccer Coaches), ISPAS Level 1 Accreditation (International Society of Performance Analysis of Sport), Goalkeeper Level 1 Diploma (United Soccer Coaches), and Futsal Level 1 Diploma (United Soccer Coaches). He also holds a USSF C License (United States Soccer Federation) and a Sports Performance Diploma from (United Soccer Coaches).  

Odell earned a bachelor’s degree in sports management from Caldwell in 2018 and graduated with an MBA from Shepherd in 2021.