A ‘Serious Candidate’ is Emerging for West Virginia Head Coaching Vacancy
West Virginia basketball has been through more in the last month than any other program in the country, and it’s really not up for debate.
The Mountaineers were an obvious snub from the NCAA Tournament after going 19-13 (10-10) on the year and being projected in every bracketology known to man.
Then, less than 48 hours after that debacle, reports started to suggest that Darian DeVries was leaving after one season. Shortly thereafter, those rumors turned into confirmations, as DeVries, along with his son, are now headed to Indiana.
DeVries’ exit hasn’t set well with the people of Morgantown, as it was not only contrary to the things that he’d been saying since arriving at WVU, but it was also a deal that done while the season was still going.
The Mountaineers will have to move on from this situation and find another head coach soon if they hope to make the most of the transfer portal, and according to a report from Jon Rothstein, they may have already found the lead candidate.
“North Texas’ Ross Hodge is a serious candidate for the HC vacancy at West Virginia,” Rothstein wrote on X. “Nothing is final, but Hodge – who worked w/ WVU AD Wren Baker at UNT – is under strong consideration to replace Darian DeVries.”
Now, the reactions to this report are mixed, as some feel he would be an excellent addition for the program. After all, the last successful coach to come out of UNT was Grant McCasland, and he’s got Texas Tech in the Sweet 16.
Hodge has the Mean Green in the semifinals of the NIT Tournament with a 27-8 (14-4 AAC) record for the 2024-25 season. He’s been terrific overall in two seasons, going 46-23 overall in his time there.
Additionally, he was a major part of the staff when McCasland was in Denton, serving as the associate head coach for the Mean Green before succeeding him.
Whether it’s Hodge or another candidate that emerges, West Virginia will certainly be looking for stability with their next hire. In the aftermath of Bob Huggins’s departure and now DeVries, the people in Morgantown will need to know that the next guy who sits at the end of the bench is going to be there a while.
