Wren Baker and Ross Hodge crossed paths from 2017-2022 while at North Texas.
The two will do so again at West Virginia, with Baker set to announce Hodge as the Mountaineers’ 24th head men’s basketball coach.
BREAKING: West Virginia is hiring North Texas coach Ross Hodge on a five-year contract, sources tell CBS Sports. The deal will be officially announced soon. Hodge’s UNT team is still playing in the NIT. Hodge has ties to WVU AD Wren Baker, who was at UNT before getting to WVU.
— Matt Norlander (@MattNorlander) March 26, 2025
“Ross Hodge is a proven winner and leader who has demonstrated success at every stop of his career,” WVU Director of Athletics Wren Baker said. “He has won more than 80% of his games as a head coach while establishing himself as one of the best defensive minds in college basketball. His teams play with toughness and grit and Mountaineer Nation will love the passion his players have for the game. More importantly, Ross is an incredible person and family man. His wife, Shelly, along with their children, Emery and Reed, will be great assets to our community and state. Please join me in welcoming the Hodge Family to Almost Heaven!”
WVU and Hodge have agreed on a five-year contract.
“It is with great honor and humility that I accept the head men’s basketball coaching position at West Virginia University,” Hodge said. “I have such respect for the toughness, grit and pride of the people of West Virginia, and my hope is that we can reflect that with how our team competes on the court. I understand the great responsibility of continuing the tradition of Mountaineer Basketball and sincerely appreciate the trust and belief of Wren Baker, Presidents Gee and Benson and the rest of the administration.
“We loved our time in Denton and the many meaningful relationships we established over the last eight years. We are forever grateful for the opportunity afforded to us by Jared Mosley.
“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. Shelly, Emery, Reed and I can’t wait to meet all of you.”
Hodge spent the last two seasons as head coach at North Texas, where Baker served as Director of Athletics from 2016 until assuming the same position at WVU in 2022.
Prior to becoming head coach of the Mean Green, Hodge was North Texas’ associate head coach for six seasons, working under Grant McCasland for that time.
McCasland is now in his second season as head coach at Texas Tech.
University officials confirm hiring of North Texas coach Ross Hodge. WVU AD Wren Baker was AD at UNT when Hodge was associate head coach with Grant McCasland at UNT.
— Hoppy Kercheval (@HoppyKercheval) March 26, 2025
Since replacing McCasland as head coach at North Texas, the 44-year-old Hodge is 46-23 and 24-12 within the American Athletic Conference.
Much of North Texas’ success stems from its defensive play, with the Mean Green ranking third nationally in scoring defense at 59.5 points — behind only Houston and Drake. North Texas, however, is 310th in scoring at 68 points.
By comparison, West Virginia was 308th in scoring this season at 68.2 points and 20th in scoring defense at 64.8.
North Texas is 362nd among 364 teams in adjusted tempo, a metric on kenpom.com indicating the amount of possessions a team has per 40 minutes that is adjusted based on opponents. WVU was 331st in the same category this season.
The Mean Green won Tuesday at Oklahoma State, 61-59, for a spot in a NIT semifinal to be played next Tuesday.
Hodge had followed McCasland to North Texas after the pair worked together for one season at Arkansas State.
Hodge was also previously an assistant at Colorado State and Southern Miss, which followed his time as head coach at a pair of junior colleges — Midland and Paris JC. He was 83-17 with an Elite Eight appearance in 2008 over three seasons at Paris, before compiling a 63-7 mark at Midland College, including a 31-win season that culminated with a national runner-up finish in 2011.
For his one season at Southern Miss and four at Colorado State, Hodge was an assistant to Larry Eustachy.
Hodge replaces Darian DeVries, who left after his first season in Morgantown to become head coach at Indiana. He is the Mountaineers’ fourth head coach over the last four seasons, joining a list that also includes Bob Huggins and Josh Eilert.