Under the Radar : Ross Hodge
North Texas Head Coach quietly turned Denton, Texas into a hoops factory while the rest of the college basketball world was too busy drooling over Duke or arguing about NIL deals. This guy is the real deal—44 wins in two season, a defensive scheme that makes opponents want to cry into their Gatorade, and a knack for winning with less that’d make MacGyver jealous. Hodge fell completely under the radar while cooking up wins in the AAC, but no great coach is stealthy enough to fly under Wren Bakers radar.
Hodge took over the North Texas Mean Green gig in 2023 after Grant McCasland bolted for Texas Tech, and let’s be real—following a legend ain’t easy. McCasland had turned UNT into a mid-major monster, complete with an NIT title and a rep for choking out teams on defense. Most guys stepping into those shoes would’ve tripped over the laces, but Hodge? Nah. He just laced ‘em up tighter and kept the party rolling. In his first two years, he’s racked up more league wins (24) than any UNT coach in that span.
Here is the kicker: Hodge didn’t accomplish this with a roster stacked like a Power 5 trust fund kid. Last year, he lost his top four scorers—Jason Edwards(VANDY), Rubin Jones (Michigan), Aaron Scott (St. Johns), and CJ Noland (New Mexico)— to the transfer portal. Most coaches would’ve curled up in the fetal position and blamed the “modern game.” Hodge didn’t. He just shrugged, rebuilt the squad with duct tape and hustle, and has them atop the AAC anyway. Posts on X are calling it “one of the best coaching jobs no one’s talking about,” and they’re not wrong. The guy’s out here winning with a roster that’s less “five-star recruits” and more “five dudes who’d fight you for the last beer.”
Let’s talk defense, because that’s where Hodge turns into a damned sorcerer. North Texas is third in the country, letting teams score just 59.9 points a game while holding them to a measly 41.1% from the field. You try scoring on that. It’s like trying to sneak a fastball past prime Nolan Ryan—good luck, pal. Hodge’s teams don’t just play D; they make you question your life choices. Opponents leave the Super Pit looking like they just got dumped over text.
Here’s the deal for Mountaineer fans, Ross Hodge is a slam-dunk hire for WVU hoops and here’s why. Hodge is an absolute grinder—straight out of Texas basketball furnace, where he has been torching it with North Texas. We’re talking 45-23 in two seasons, a top-five defense nationally, and a knack for squeezing every drop of juice out of his roster. Even with no big NIL bucks or a roster full of blue-chip recruits. Before that he went ridiculous 146-24 in JUCO, which is like winning a bar fight with both hands tied behind your back. Guy’s got a chip on his shoulder and a playbook that would make Hall of Fame coaches nod approvingly from their spot in Springfield. Give Hodge Morgantown’s rabid fans and some actual resources, and he’s not just keeping the Mountaineers relevant—he’s turning them into Big 12 buzzsaws. Cheers to that.
