Hodge a top replacement candidate at WVU

[Ross Hodgeson]

North Texas head coach Ross Hodge

Age: 44

Hodge has been the head coach for the Mean Green since 2023 and has amassed a 43-23 record during that time with the program. Prior to that Hodge spent six seasons on the staff there as the associate head coach and also had been an assistant at Arkansas State, Colorado State and Southern Mississippi. He also previously served as the head coach at both Paris JC and Midland College where he had a combined 146-24 record in his five seasons and was the NJCAA runner up in 2010-11.

Link: 
https://westvirginia.rivals.com/news/west-virginia-men-s-basketball-head-coaching-hotboard

[greenminer]

I see a pretty generic list of top HCs from mid majors, but nothing that confirms who the WVU AD is actually looking at.

Just my 0.02, but I don't read anything on here that tells me Hodge is a top candidate for this job.  Just who the media is eyeballing.

Definitely on people's radar, but he still needs some big post season wins.

[MeanGreenTexan]

10 hours ago, greenminer said:

I see a pretty generic list of top HCs from mid majors, but nothing that confirms who the WVU AD is actually looking at.

Just my 0.02, but I don't read anything on here that tells me Hodge is a top candidate for this job.  Just who the media is eyeballing.

Definitely on people's radar, but he still needs some big post season wins.

Problem is, the WVU AD is very much acquainted with Ross Hodge.   He would know who he's getting.

I agree that Wren would really have to sell his donors/fans on Hodge without much postseason success.   That could change in a week though.

[GMGGWBG]

It would be bad for us, but good for him!  I think he did a great job for what he was given.  I think he likes it here, but money talks.  WVU has a fan base that really shows up when they are winning and he knows Wren Baker as an AD.  I think it is too early to make that jump, but what do I know.

[MrAlien]

Hodge has only really had one full recruiting year on his own.  His first season he took over right after the program won the NIT, so heading into the transfer window a lot of the recruiting and re-recruiting was done under Grant.  Following his first he lost a lot of players, however he had decent success in the portal, finding players that fit his system.  

[Tommy Gadberry]

10 hours ago, greenminer said:

I see a pretty generic list of top HCs from mid majors, but nothing that confirms who the WVU AD is actually looking at.

Just my 0.02, but I don't read anything on here that tells me Hodge is a top candidate for this job.  Just who the media is eyeballing.

Definitely on people's radar, but he still needs some big post season wins.

All due respect but you are just way off base here.  Wren and Ross are very close. He at LEAST gets a phone call.  

[emmitt01]

12 minutes ago, Tommy Gadberry said:

All due respect but you are just way off base here.  Wren and Ross are very close. He at LEAST gets a phone call.  

Won't they be too busy helping with the "investigation" of the NCAA?? 😆

[greenminer]

38 minutes ago, Tommy Gadberry said:

All due respect but you are just way off base here.  Wren and Ross are very close. He at LEAST gets a phone call.  

Just my 0.02 here:

I don't doubt that they will talk to each other on the phone. Just very skeptical that this will have any serious momentum or that he will be a "top" candidate as this thread title suggests.

HC hires are a bit more involved than the buddy-buddy hires you see at the assistant positions.  WVU is going to want to impress its bases - fans and donors - and Hodge doesn't have any splashy impressive wins that the other HC options do.

 

1 hour ago, MeanGreenTexan said:

Problem is, the WVU AD is very much acquainted with Ross Hodge.   He would know who he's getting.

I agree that Wren would really have to sell his donors/fans on Hodge without much postseason success.   That could change in a week though.

Like you're suggesting, Wren would be smart to wait out this NIT and see how far Hodge and Co get.  That would give the hire some much needed traction.  If we are a one-and-done (hope not), then they'll likely look elsewhere.

Edited 1 hour ago by greenminer

[GMG_Dallas]

5 minutes ago, greenminer said:

Just my 0.02 here:

I don't doubt that they will talk to each other on the phone. Just very skeptical that this will have any serious momentum or that he will be a "top" candidate as this thread title suggests.

HC hires are a bit more involved than the buddy-buddy hires you see at the assistant positions.  WVU is going to want to impress its bases - fans and donors - and Hodge doesn't have any splashy impressive wins that the other HC options do.

I think Wren could point to Grant at Texas Tech and sell the donors on Hodge following a similar trajectory.

[NT80]

51 minutes ago, Tommy Gadberry said:

All due respect but you are just way off base here.  Wren and Ross are very close. He at LEAST gets a phone call.  

If Ross makes the same mistake Wren did (going to WV) then I will be disappointed in his judgement.

[BleedingGreen]

Keep elevating Shaw here. 

[Mean Green 93-98]

53 minutes ago, NT80 said:

If Ross makes the same mistake Wren did (going to WV) then I will be disappointed in his judgement.

I would be disappointed, but in no way would I blame him for taking the position if they offered him.  It would be an upgrade in almost every way.

[Tommy Gadberry]

1 hour ago, NT80 said:

If Ross makes the same mistake Wren did (going to WV) then I will be disappointed in his judgement.

Why is it a big mistake?  You can live like a king in WV for like 50k a year… Ross would be like Elon Musk making what he would for that gig!

[NT80]

5 minutes ago, Tommy Gadberry said:

Why is it a big mistake?  You can live like a king in WV for like 50k a year… Ross would be like Elon Musk making what he would for that gig!

Sure the money is great, but look at all the stuff Wren has had to put up with there.   There will be openings at better places without all the drama.

[Tommy Gadberry]

1 hour ago, NT80 said:

If Ross makes the same mistake Wren did (going to WV) then I will be disappointed in his judgement.

Why is it a big mistake?  You can live like a king in WV for like 50k a year… Ross would be like Elon Musk making what he would for that gig!