On Wednesday, South Florida head coach Bryan Hodgson, a Western New York native who has led the Bulls to the 2026 NCAA Tournament, was asked about the rumors that he may have turned down the Syracuse basketball head coaching job.
Hodgson's response was, well, understandable. He said to Mike Waters of Syracuse.com, "I’m gonna be honest with you, I am not gonna talk about any of that stuff right now. Anything that’s not focused around my basketball team, of course, would not be fair to these young men."
That's exactly what Hodgson is supposed to say. South Florida (25-8 overall), as the No. 11 seed in the East Region, will take on fellow Atlantic Coast Conference school and No. 6 seed Louisville (23-10 overall) in the Big Dance's round of 64. That match-up is set for Thursday, March 19, beginning at 1:30 pm EST, at the KeyBank Center in Buffalo, N.Y.
It will be a homecoming for Hodgson, who is from the Buffalo area and was an assistant coach under Nate Oats at the University at Buffalo, and later Alabama, before becoming a head coach at the collegiate level.
South Florida head coach Bryan Hodgson addresses Syracuse basketball job rumors (sort of).
Regarding the Orange, Hodgson said, "It's a great program, great leadership." He added, "I’ve had several schools reach out. It’s a blessing to be in that position, but I’m 100 percent focused solely on these young men and what we have in front of us."
Reports suggest that Hodgson is a prime candidate for the head coaching vacancy at Big East Conference member Providence. There are also reports out there stating that USF leaders have made a sizable financial offer to hopefully retain Hodgson beyond the 2025-26 campaign.
On Tuesday night, several national insiders, and Syracuse.com, reported that Hodgson is no longer a candidate for the Syracuse basketball head coaching gig. I've confirmed this as well, although whether SU made a formal offer to Hodgson, and he turned it down, or some other scenario unfolded, remains unclear.
Siena head coach Gerry McNamara, a former Orange player and assistant coach, could emerge as the front-runner for the Syracuse basketball job, although other candidates are being considered, too.
New 'Cuse athletics director Bryan Blair, who was appointed to the post last week, has a massive decision coming up soon. The transfer portal will open on April 7, and the entire Syracuse basketball staff must be in place by then.