There’s always some level of risk attached to any head coaching hire.
Athletic Director Wren Baker understands that and that’s why navigating a search process with a plan is critical when sorting through all of the different options.
That led Baker to hire North Texas head coach Ross Hodge for the vacant head coaching job in Morgantown.
Hodge has only spent two seasons as a head coach at the Division I level, inheriting the Mean Green basketball program, leading them to a 46-23 record during that time. That’s certainly a small sample size, especially when considering the challenges that await in the Big 12 Conference.
But familiarity is a key aspect in navigating some of that and it unquestionably played a role in this decision-making process when it came to Baker ultimately making the call on Hodge.
The 44-year old spent six seasons prior to becoming the North Texas head coach on the bench as the associate head coach for the program under Grant McCasland.
That time period overlapped with when Baker was the athletic director in Denton so there is a deeper understanding of what Hodge brings to the table as a potential head coaching option.
On the surface it might feel as if Baker is perhaps a year ahead on Hodge given the fact that hasn’t qualified for an NCAA Tournament and has such a limited resume at this level. But if anybody has an idea of his potential and what he could become in the role at a power four program, Baker would be it.
That’s magnified even more in the scope of a search process where the Mountaineers hired Hodge over other potential candidates that had more experience under their belt and ties to the program namely Utah State head coach Jerrod Calhoun.
But as Baker has often said, ultimately this is a decision that he will be judged for in the end and understanding that it makes a lot of sense to go with a candidate that he now only believes is qualified for the job but he knows as a basketball mind himself.
“I know who pays the price for hires, and it's me,” Baker said.
A well-renowned defensive tactician who learned under former Texas Tech head coach Mark Adams, the Mean Green have been one of the most difficult nuts to crack on that end of the floor with Hodge in place. That was the case with McCasland at the helm and has continued under Hodge in Denton.
Hodge also has been able to showcase the ability to navigate the changing climate with roster and name, image and likeness despite the challenges of operating at a group of five program.
Twice in two seasons atop the Mean Green, Hodge has been forced to rebuild his roster and this past season it resulted in a 27-8 record and a trip to the NIT Final 4.
“We believe we have everything we need to be successful and to challenge for Big 12 championships and look forward to competing against the best coaches and best teams in the country,” Hodge said.
West Virginia now has a head coach, and while there’s clearly some uncertainty given the time spent in the role at this level, Baker found what he wanted for the position.
Turns out it was someone he already knew quite well.
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