2026 football coaching additions graphic



Football
2/18/2026 3:41:00 PM

Lindsey Blasingame & Evan Nemec







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ACU head football coach Keith Patterson, fresh off agreeing to a three-year contract extension in January, has announced the addition of three individuals to his staff.
 

Sam Bennett has been hired as the Wildcats’ defensive coordinator and spent the past three seasons at fellow Texas FCS program UIW.

 

The Cardinals went 9-2 in 2023, and 11-3 in 2024 when they reached the quarterfinals of the FCS Playoffs. Bennett coached an All-Southland linebacker in each of his three seasons: Tylan Foster (1st Team, 2023), Mister Williams (2nd Team, 2024), and Declan Williams (1st Team, 2025).

 

Bennett’s path first crossed with Patterson and current ACU linebackers coach Conor Dubin when he worked as a graduate assistant at Arizona State. Bennett was a two-year letterwinner at SMU under his father Phil Bennett, who was the defensive coordinator at Arizona State in 2017 which was the final year Patterson and Dubin were on staff at ASU. Phil Bennett was head coach at SMU from 2022-07, and also a defensive coordinator at Baylor, Texas A&M, TCU, Kansas State, Pitt and, most recently, North Texas from 2021-22.

 

Coach Patterson on Sam Bennett…

“He just brings a knowledge of defense from that perspective and has varied experiences in this profession from defense to special teams. He’s got a holistic view of football and when it comes to a great fit because of the connections that we have had with him and his family over the years, it just makes for a good chemistry and great continuity.”

 

Sam Bennett, defensive coordinator

2025 – UIW, co-defensive coordinator / linebackers / academic coordinator

2023-24 – UIW, linebackers / academic coordinator

2022 – UNT, senior defensive analyst

2021 – Hawaii, offensive tackles / tight ends

2020 – Hawaii, offensive line / run game coordinator

2019 – Arizona Cardinals, coaching assistant

2018 – Arizona State, offensive analyst

2016-17 – Arizona State, graduate assistant

2014-15 – Rice, graduate assistant

 

 

Justin Sinz has agreed to join Patterson’s staff as the offensive line coach after spending one season as offensive coordinator and offensive line coach at Division III member St. Scholastica (Minn.), and 10 seasons at Purdue – one as tight ends coach, six as offensive analyst / quality control, and three as a graduate assistant. He also was an assistant recruiting coordinator during that time.

 

Sinz coached with current ACU offensive coordinator Graham Harrell and tight ends coach Stanton Keane while at Purdue. Sinz played at Purdue as a tight end from 2011-2014, and went on to sign as an undrafted free agent to the Indianapolis Colts in the spring of 2015.

 

Coach Patterson on Justin Sinz…

“I’m just big on chemistry and when you have connections and ties to people and you’ve worked with people you know what you’re getting. In my conversations with Justin it was very apparent he comes from a coaching family much like myself. He is a great fit for ACU. Sometimes conversations tend to be a little bit forced, but it was very easy talking with Justin about what we’re trying to do here.”

 

Justin Sinz, offensive line

2025 – St. Scholastica (Division III, Minn.), offensive coordinator / offensive line

2024 – Purdue, tight ends

2023 – Purdue, offensive analyst

2021-22 – Purdue, assistant recruiting coordinator / quality control

2019-20 – Purdue, quality control

2015-17 – Purdue, GA

 

Broderic Odom joins the Wildcats as the new director of football operations. Odom has been on the football coaching staff at East Central (Okla.) for the past six years. Odom’s uncle, Barry, has been the head coach at Purdue since 2025, and has also led the programs at Missouri (2016-19) and UNLV (2023-24). Odom’s father, Brad, is currently the director of recruiting at Purdue. 

Early in Patterson’s career, he coached against Brad and Barry Odom as high school coaches. The Odom family is from Maysville, Okla., which is about 40 miles from Patterson’s hometown of Marlow, Okla. Broderic Odom played one season at the Air Force Academy before transferring to East Central, Patterson’s alma mater.

Coach Patterson on Broderic Odom…

“He’s another one of those guys; he is extremely intelligent, and he just understands how football operations work. He also has a very high football IQ and he is going to be a tremendous asset for our overall program.”

 

Broderic Odom, director of football operations

2023-25 – East Central, inside LB

2020-22 – East Central, student assistant defensive coach

 

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