BOZEMAN, Mont. — Bo Beck remembers Odin Coe as a defensive force who immediately stood out on film because of both his athleticism and those distinctive golden locks.
Montana State’s defensive line coach and recruiting coordinator could not help but a notice a change in the Camas native when Coe ventured to Bozeman for his official visit.
“I asked him, ‘Why’d you cut your hair?'” Beck recalled Monday. “He said, ‘I didn’t want it to define who I am.'”
Coe shed the long mane once more shortly before Saturday’s FCS playoff opener against South Dakota State. One day later, after a 47-40 defeat, player and position coach gathered for an emotional meeting.
The 21-year-old informed Beck he was foregoing his final season of eligibility and joining a Navy officer-training program.
“When he told me, it was like a lot of things finally fit into place, especially the haircut,” Beck said. “It was tough for both of us, and then he had to go tell the guys, so I know that’s hard. … He had to keep telling people over and over, and he was worried about how people would react, but I think the responses he got really put him at ease.
“The best one I heard was, ‘Man, I’m glad that kid is on our side.'”
The university studies major is on track to graduate in May. Coe is expected to join the elite program, for which Beck was told only 20 were selected nationally, sometime during the summer.
“It was a surprise, but I totally get it,” head coach Rob Ash said Monday night. “Odin has apparently been pursuing this for quite some time, and I want guys to be able to follow their dreams. … He’s a dependable guy, a high-character guy and a great leader, and I wish him the best.”
“He’s talking about making a decision for what he’s going to do the rest of his life, and the window for that opportunity is right now,” Beck added.
“The story he had about what he’s going to be doing, you couldn’t talk him out of it — nor would you want to. I’m just disappointed for us because we don’t get to spend another year with Odin Coe the person.”
That person is driven by faith and service.
Coe once accompanied his father, William, to Baja, Mexico, to teach Bible school and re-roof a building.
A touted recruit who later was offered a walk-on spot at Southern California, Coe opted to skip summer camps before his senior year knowing the decision could diminish his chances of landing a Division I scholarship. Instead, he traveled to Haiti to work in a medical clinic and assist rebuilding efforts in a country decimated by an earthquake that claimed the lives of more than 300,000.
“(Haiti) was just really eye-opening because you take so much for granted,” Coe told the Daily Chronicle in 2013. “We have so many guys that invest so much in football. If you think about it, football is just a game. Are we blessed to play it? Yeah, and we’re blessed to play at a Division I level, as well, but you also have to realize there are people all over the world that are struggling and are in a way worse position than we are in.”
“He’s the most amazing kid,” Beck said. “He chose that trip instead of pursuing his personal goals. He’s so unselfish and wants to serve others. It’s never about him.
“He has such a unique family, has made friends with everybody here, and nobody can say a bad word about him. I never had a conflict of any kind with him, no problem or anything. If you could go into a lab and build a defensive end, you would build Odin Coe. … He’s the best we had.”
In his final season, Coe logged 46 total tackles, eight for loss, six sacks — 2 1/2 and two in victories over North Dakota and Weber State, respectively — plus three pass breakups and one fumble recovery.
In what proved to be his final appearance, he finished with six tackles. Late in the fourth quarter, Coe burst off the line and into the backfield, drilling Jackrabbits running back Zach Zenner for a loss of 2 yards.
All while keeping a secret.
“He knew what was going to happen, but he didn’t get to celebrate like a guy who knows he’s going to play a last year did as far as a senior day or anything,” Beck said. “No one with him knew. That’s hard, but that’s also unselfish. … He let us know in time where it wasn’t like he waited until spring and then we’re stuck; we can recruit and put a plan together and things like that. He handled it the right way, and all you can say is, ‘Good for you, man.’
“It’s going to be hard to find another Odin Coe, if not impossible.”
