Ross Hodge Replacement Candidates?

[Shark84]

Another consideration is what players can they bring with them.

[wardly]

  On 3/26/2025 at 7:02 PM, Green Mean said:

This search must be extensive and wide. We are now a very good and very desirable mid-major program with 45K+ students located in a top 4 media market. This search should not be taken lightly, and I hope Mosely doesn't eff this up. 

We are and should be a basketball school.

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Being a basketball school is more than W's and L's. Its about student cheeks in the seats,support from administration, and NIL dollars, not cents, from alumni. Until we ring all the bells we are a basketball school want-a-be.

[rjm]

  On 3/26/2025 at 4:52 PM, ABrownGMG said:

If we're not hiring from within, some names to check out

Bryce Drew – Grand Canyon

284–148

2 NIT visits, 7 NCAAT visits

 

Alan Huss – High Point

56–15

CBI runner up, 1 NCAAT visit

 

Craig Smith – Utah

290–170

2 NIT visits, 2 NCAAT visits

 

Eric Henderson – South Dakota State

129–60

2 NCAAT visits

 

Brian Wardle – Bradley

276–210

5 NIT visits, 1 NCAAT visit

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Hello Scott, would you like to take a paycut to coach a team who refuses NIT home games because of a luncheon? 

 

Bryce Drew, the head basketball coach at Grand Canyon University, earns an annual salary of $1,374,363. 

[rjm]

  On 3/26/2025 at 7:33 PM, UNTFan23 said:

Ron Howard from Tulane ... thoughts?

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Do you mean Ron Hunter?

 

Ron Hunter, Tulane's men's basketball coach, signed a 10-year, $11.5 million contract to stay in Uptown, according to a tweet from WaveCentel on January 11, 2025. 

[Aquila_Viridis]

It worked out pretty well before when we hired stAte’s coach. Oops I see he went to South Florida.

Edited March 26 by Aquila_Viridis

[GMG_Dallas]

  On 3/26/2025 at 8:14 PM, Aquila_Viridis said:

It worked out pretty well before when we hired stAte’s coach.

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He was just hired by South Florida a few days ago. 

 

[UNTFan23]

  On 3/26/2025 at 8:13 PM, rjm said:

Do you mean Ron Hunter?

 

Ron Hunter, Tulane's men's basketball coach, signed a 10-year, $11.5 million contract to stay in Uptown, according to a tweet from WaveCentel on January 11, 2025. 

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Yes, fixed my original post.

[rjm]

Craig is a great idea too. Maybe offer him $3 million and a faita luncheon.

 

Craig Smith's salary as the head coach of the University of Utah men's basketball team varies by year and includes bonuses. 

Year

Salary

2024

$2,050,000 total pay

[97and03]

  On 3/26/2025 at 6:40 PM, 817Fan said:

Eric Olen?

https://www.pasadenastarnews.com/2025/03/12/ucsds-eric-olen-is-the-best-basketball-coach-in-the-country-but-can-the-tritons-keep-him/

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We could afford the buyout and more or less double the salary (with no state income tax, as someone else mentioned).

“The curious part about Olen’s new $1.8 million contract is that, while it is almost completely guaranteed in the event the university fires him without cause, his buyout has dropped significantly. A year ago, any school looking to hire Olen would have owed UCSD $712,000. Now? It’s $150,000.”

Edited March 26 by 97and03

[Aquila_Viridis]

I would hope the people paid to anticipate this situation have some prospective deals in place and were not planning lunches. Oh wait…

[2020 Sucks]

Out of the box idea...but give it some thought.

Hire Jason Burton to the Men's HC, and go find another Women's Coach!

[MeanGreenTexan]

  On 3/26/2025 at 8:19 PM, 97and03 said:

The curious part about Olen’s new $1.8 million contract is that, while it is almost completely guaranteed in the event the university fires him without cause, his buyout has dropped significantly. A year ago, any school looking to hire Olen would have owed UCSD $712,000. Now? It’s $150,000.

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Even a slight pay cut to come here is a gigantic pay raise for him between CA State taxes, and just overall cost of living.
From AL, so much, much closer to home....      I'm on board here.

[rjm]

  On 3/26/2025 at 8:19 PM, 97and03 said:

We could afford the buyout and more or less double the salary (with no state income tax, as someone else mentioned).

“The curious part about Olen’s new $1.8 million contract is that, while it is almost completely guaranteed in the event the university fires him without cause, his buyout has dropped significantly. A year ago, any school looking to hire Olen would have owed UCSD $712,000. Now? It’s $150,000.”

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Hodge earned $750k so you think paying $2 million or more is something that is remotely possible? SMH

[Green Mean]

  On 3/26/2025 at 7:48 PM, wardly said:

Being a basketball school is more than W's and L's. Its about student cheeks in the seats,support from administration, and NIL dollars, not cents, from alumni. Until we ring all the bells we are a basketball school want-a-be.

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That's fair. But at some point the school, administration, AD etc need to re-assess everything and realize that we are a pretty good basketball school and we've had legitimate and quantifiable success in it and if we shift our priorities and resources more towards it then greater things can happen. It doesn't mean we completely ignore football but let's have basketball as the catalyst of everything else. Tough I know but it's what we should strive towards to IMO.

[Green Lantern]

Drew Valentine - Loyola (Chicago) - ~ $550,000 current annual comp. 80-50 HC record. 33 years old. Already an NCAA Tournament and NIT Tournament appearance. 
 

Watch his team later tonight in some more hot NIT action. Maybe we just bring him back from Indianapolis on our charter when we beat them in the final???

[MeanGreenTexan]

  On 3/26/2025 at 8:31 PM, rjm said:

Hodge earned $750k so you think paying $2 million or more is something that is remotely possible? SMH

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Not $1.8mil/yr man.
UCSD men's basketball coach Eric Olen's salary for the 2024-25 season is $430,000, including a $345,000 base salary and an $85,000 "talent fee," with potential for performance bonuses and a $65,000 retention fee. 

[GMG_Dallas]

  On 3/26/2025 at 7:45 PM, Shark84 said:

Another consideration is what players can they bring with them.

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And are they capable of recruiting our own roster? Lorient and some young guys have potential. Just have to wonder how many will stay. 

[Aquila_Viridis]

Better do something right fast; portal closes April 22.

[97and03]

  On 3/26/2025 at 8:31 PM, rjm said:

Hodge earned $750k so you think paying $2 million or more is something that is remotely possible? SMH

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I think MGTexan covered this but sorry for not posting more detail on the annual salary. I guess the total contract value (5 years) was misleading. We could almost double his current annual salary, without increasing the budget. 

[UNTLifer]

  On 3/26/2025 at 8:18 PM, rjm said:

Craig is a great idea too. Maybe offer him $3 million and a faita luncheon.

 

Craig Smith's salary as the head coach of the University of Utah men's basketball team varies by year and includes bonuses. 

Year

Salary

2024

$2,050,000 total pay

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He's not leaving the Big XII for the AAC

[NorthTexasWeLove]

  On 3/26/2025 at 7:48 PM, wardly said:

Being a basketball school is more than W's and L's. Its about student cheeks in the seats,support from administration, and NIL dollars, not cents, from alumni. Until we ring all the bells we are a basketball school want-a-be.

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Sure as shit more a basketball school than anything else. 

[meaniegreenie]

Everyone on this board has more familiarity with the assistant coaches than me, so I don't know what who we have as an option to step in as an internal hire.

What I do know is that I have NO CONFIDENCE in the AD finding someone on their own.  We were lucky to have Hodge as the co-producer of the previous successful seasons and it's almost a miracle that the AD didn't screw it up by not hiring him as the successor to GM. 

If there is a 3rd person in line that can continue the system, recruiting, etc. then I'll be ecstatic, but I'm afraid that's too much to ask.  If we go externally, I expect us to be right back to a team that will be lucky to win 20 games on rare occasions and NOT the minimal expectation we have now.

[drex]

I know Jank pretty well and I know he burned out at SMU. 

 

[UNTLifer]

  On 3/26/2025 at 9:04 PM, drex said:

I know Jank pretty well and I know he burned out at SMU. 

 

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Plus, he's not that good.

[BigWillie]

  On 3/26/2025 at 8:59 PM, meaniegreenie said:

Everyone on this board has more familiarity with the assistant coaches than me, so I don't know what who we have as an option to step in as an internal hire.

What I do know is that I have NO CONFIDENCE in the AD finding someone on their own.  We were lucky to have Hodge as the co-producer of the previous successful seasons and it's almost a miracle that the AD didn't screw it up by not hiring him as the successor to GM. 

If there is a 3rd person in line that can continue the system, recruiting, etc. then I'll be ecstatic, but I'm afraid that's too much to ask.  If we go externally, I expect us to be right back to a team that will be lucky to win 20 games on rare occasions and NOT the minimal expectation we have now.

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EXACT way I feel.