LOGAN, Utah - Utah State head soccer coach Manny Martins announced the addition of former Aggie soccer player Mealii Odum (may-uh-lee-ee) to the coaching staff as an assistant coach on Monday.
 
"I am thrilled to welcome Mealii back to Utah State. As an alum who excelled both on and off the field, Mealii will be an incredible resource for our student-athletes, especially those in the back line," Martins said. "Her first-hand experience and deep connection to our program will inspire and guide our players to reach their full potential." 
 
Odum joins the Aggie staff after spending the past four years coaching in Memphis, Tennessee, both at the club level with Lobos Rush, and at the prep level with Bartlett High School. At Bartlett HS, Odum began as an assistant coach and was later promoted to head coach. 
 
"Being back at Utah State feels like coming home," Odum said. "It's been amazing to watch the program excel over these past few seasons and I can't wait to help build on that progress." 
 
Odum enjoyed a strong playing career as a defender at Utah State, playing under head coach Heather Cairns from 2016-19. During her career, she played 76 games with 74 starts, logging over 6,800 minutes on the pitch. Odum was a three-time COSIDA Academic All-District honoree, and earned Academic All-Mountain West and MW Scholar-Athlete honors all four years of her career. In addition, she was one of two nominees by the Mountain West for the NCAA Woman of the Year award in 2020. 
 
Graduating from Utah State with a perfect 4.0 GPA, Odum earned Scholar of the Year honors from the Emma Eccles Jones College of Education and Human Services and was the colleges' valedictorian. She earned undergraduate degrees in special education and communicative disorders. 
 
Fans can follow the Aggie soccer program on Twitter, @USUSoccer, on Facebook at /USUSoccer and on Instagram, @USUSoccer. Aggie fans can also follow the Utah State athletic program on Twitter, @USUAthletics, Facebook at /USUAthletics and on Instagram, @USUAthletics.
 
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