West Virginia works with UNT’s Hodge as brand-new coach

• Jeff Borzello Close Jeff Borzello ESPN Personnel Writer Basketball recruiting expert. Joined ESPN in 2014. Graduate of University of Delaware.Mar 26, 2025, 12:36 PM ET West

• Virginia has named North Texas’Ross Hodge as its males’s basketball coach, it

was revealed Wednesday.Hodge, who accepted a five-year deal with WVU, will continue to coach North Texas through the NIT, a school spokesperson told ESPN. The Mean Green have advanced to the semifinals as they seek a second NIT title in three seasons.” Ross Hodge is a tested winner and leader who has actually shown success at every stop of his profession,”West Virginia athletic director Wren Baker said in a statement.Editor’s Picks 2 Associated Baker knows Hodge from his time as UNT’s advertisement from 2016 to 2022. Hodge was an assistant coach with the Mean Green under Grant McCasland from 2017 to 2023 before taking control of as the head coach when McCasland left for

Texas Tech

two years ago.Hodge led North Texas to a 19-15 record in his very first season as head coach, however he made major strides this season as the Mean Green (27-8)ended up second in the AAC.He will change Darian DeVries, who left the Mountaineers recently to

take control of at Indiana. DeVries remained in Morgantown for just one season, leading the Mountaineers to a 19-13 record.”It is with great honor and humbleness that I accept the head guys’s basketball training position at West Virginia University, “Hodge stated in a statement. “I have such respect for the durability, grit and pride of the people of West Virginia, and my hope is that we can reflect that with how our group completes on the court.” … We believe we have whatever we require to be effective and to challenge for Huge 12 championships and look forward to competing against the very best coaches and finest groups in the country. “Over the past 5 years, North Texas has actually had the second-best scoring defense in the nation, behind only Houston. The Mean Green ranked third nationally this season in that classification, allowing less than 60 points per game.Prior to joining McCasland’s staff at Arkansas State and after that North Texas, Hodge had experience as an assistant coach at Colorado State and Southern Miss and hung out as a head coach at Midland College and Paris Junior College.He has a career record of 192-47(.803 )in seven seasons as a head coach.”You’ll see he will win in the Huge 12,”the Red Raiders ‘McCasland stated of Hodge on Wednesday.”And it will not be what other individuals believe. It will be at the highest level. And I’m not looking forward to playing him, but I am eagerly anticipating going on this journey with him, since I love him.

And I enjoy him due to the fact that who he is as a hubby, and who he is as a father and who he is as a

pal. “West Virginia’s roster will undergo its third straight season of remodelings. 5 players on the present roster have actually gotten in the NCAA transfer website, consisting of four starters.The Associated Press added to this report.