North Texas fell 69-67 in the Final Four of the National Invitational Tournament.
That means the basketball season is over for the Mean Green which also signifies the end of the tenure of Ross Hodge over top the program.
Next stop is Morgantown to take over West Virginia as evident by social media with photos of him in route as well as his accounts flipping over to signify his new role.
Hodge leaves North Texas after eight seasons, two of which he served as the head coach and led the program to a 27-9 record this past year and 46-24 mark overall in that span. That type of success leads to opportunities and for Hodge that meant the leap to a high-major conference.
There will be a press conference introducing Hodge in his new role later this morning but before that there’s something to be said about the way that his exit from North Texas was handled.
In today’s college basketball, many compare the moving pieces to guns for hire in the old west. Coaches and players come and go but Hodge and his team stuck together to try to win a championship. And while that didn’t come to fruition, the act itself is telling of Hodge and his team.
Despite many new pieces the foundation was established, and the standard was built. Hodge went about leaving his basketball program in a way that should resonate with West Virginia fans given what has unfolded since the program was snubbed for an NCAA Tournament bid.
It’s a decision that couldn’t have been made without cooperation between both his old and new schools, which Hodge was appreciative for when asked about the opportunity.
“And I think they -- they know my heart, obviously, and they know me. There was never any real discussion or any real doubt that I was going to finish what I started with this group,” he said.
Something that Hodge discussed as a goal for his players all season was that it’s important to be where your feet are and pour everything into the product.
But that extends past the basketball floor, as Hodge reinforced that as a coach, he has helped his players through many life experiences over the past year and during his tenure. Those relationships matter and in his statement exiting the program it captured those strong feelings.
“Thank you to all of the players that have been part of this journey. Winning championships and doing things that had never been done at UNT is something we will never forget. But more important than that is the bonds that have been formed that time nor distance can break,” he wrote.”None of this happens without you guys. I love each and every one of you!”
That meant pouring it all into what he had to finish before he took the leap of what’s next in his career. And that passion is something that any West Virginia basketball fan can certainly relate to.
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