Five Thoughts on Ross Hodge After Being Introduced as WVU’s New Head Coach A handful of takeaways from Thursday’s press conference.
Ross Hodge was officially introduced as the next West Virginia men’s basketball head coach on Thursday, and despite a mixed reaction from the fan base at the time of his hire, he seemed to have won over a lot of folks with a strong press conference.
Here are the first five things that popped into my head following yesterday’s event.
He won’t bolt
No one thought Darian DeVries would be a one-and-done at West Virginia, but it became rather apparent that he and his family were not 100% bought into building something here in Morgantown. Anyone who says otherwise is just being ridiculous. Sorry, but that’s the truth. You’re not completely bought in if you’re sneaking around talking to another school in the middle of your season.
Sure, Hodge could do the same thing, but I’m not getting that vibe whatsoever. This is a guy who truly wants to be here for the long haul. I believe there’s a better awareness of what this program and university mean to the people of this state, which is something DeVries talked about but didn’t truly understand. Hodge is a loyal, down-to-earth guy who I believe will do a much better job of connecting with West Virginians.
Clear vision
Some coaches think they have a plan but are often figuring things out on the fly because of the ever-changing landscape of today’s college athletics. Hodge won’t get blindsided if a key player of his enters the transfer portal or leaves early for the NBA. For starters, he’s used to having to retool his roster. He had to do it as a junior college head coach every year and had to do it both years as the head man at North Texas.
For West Virginia to be successful in the Big 12, they have to play defense at an elite level. It’s a non-negotiable for Hodge. Defense travels, and if you can mix in some scoring, you have a chance to do something special. He has a clear vision of what this team needs to be a contender in the Big 12 on an annual basis. Now, it’s about executing that plan via the transfer portal.
Rockstar recruiter?
This will be the first time in Hodge’s coaching career that he’ll have a big brand to recruit to and will have the resources needed to compete for some of the best talent in America and the world, for that matter.
No one really knows what the ceiling is for Hodge’s recruiting ability, but he has the traits of being a rockstar at it. He’s truthful, honest, and deeply cares about his players’ future after basketball. All of that stuff will not only appeal to the recruit but the parents/family of the recruit as well. He’s very personable.
Mountaineers return to March Madness
Now, this is a bit premature, considering Ross Hodge doesn’t have enough players to court a team at the moment, but success can happen in year one. Darian DeVries proved that this past season with a roster largely built through the portal. Assuming Hodge lands the guys that fit his style of play and have enough quality depth, we should see WVU back in the big dance next year. Elite defensive play can take you a long way, and Hodge knows how to churn out that type of production.
Concerns are still valid
While there is a lot to like about Ross Hodge, we’d be kidding ourselves if we said there weren’t any concerns surrounding the future of Mountaineer basketball. He has the makings of a quality head coach, but the resume is the resume. He has two years of head coaching experience at the Division I level, has yet to coach a tournament team, and went 0-10 versus NCAA Tournament teams in his first two years as a head coach.
Until he goes and proves he can be a winner at WVU, a large portion of this fanbase will remain cautiously optimistic.
