Bryan Hodgson should be the obvious choice as next Syracuse basketball head coach

The Syracuse Orange men’s basketball team is just one game and one ACC Tournament loss away from finally ending a nightmarish season. While Adrian Autry isn’t to blame for the downfall of Syracuse basketball, he’s done nothing to warrant getting another season as the head coach. That means the Orange is just days away from formally beginning its search for a new coach.

There have already been several names thrown out as potential candidates. However, there is no reason for Syracuse to overthink things. The best and most obvious candidate is current South Florida ("USF") head coach Bryan Hodgson. He should be Syracuse’s top target and is the ideal fit for the job. The best thing the new Syracuse chancellor, Mike Haynie, and yet-to-be-named athletic director can do is to hire Hodgson before somebody else does.

Coaching Success

Hodgson’s resume, despite including just three years as a head coach, shows that he’s qualified and ready to take over a power-conference program like Syracuse. He spent his first two years as a head coach at Arkansas State, going 45-28. Hodgson took over a 13-20 team and won 20 games in his first season, helped along by a run to the CBI semifinals.

In his second season, Hodgson led the Red Wolves to a four-way share of the Sun Belt regular-season title. Arkansas State lost in the conference championship game and had to settle for an NIT bid. Nevertheless, Hodgson found immediate success and left the program in a good enough state to win 20 games this season as well.

After two seasons at Arkansas State, Hodgson left for South Florida, turning the Bulls into one of the best mid-major programs in the country. The Bulls looked poised to win the American regular-season title and could make the NCAA Tournament, whether they win the conference tournament or not. Even with USF expected to be one of the American’s best teams this season, he has exceeded expectations with a team that probably could have matched or exceeded Syracuse’s ACC win total this season.

Hodgson’s success as a head coach shouldn’t come as a surprise. He spent nearly a decade as an assistant to Alabama coach Nate Oats. After taking Buffalo to the NCAA Tournament three times in four years, Oats has built Alabama into a perennial contender in the SEC. Given Hodgson’s first three seasons as a head coach, it’s clear that he’s learned a thing or two from Oats, which is a big reason why he’s well-positioned to rebuild Syracuse.

Proven Recruiter

While coaching under Oats, Hodgson served as a key recruiter at both Buffalo and Alabama. With the Crimson Tide, Hodgson played a key role in recruiting multiple top-25 classes, recruiting the players that made Alabama a top-flight program. That includes current NBA players like Brandon Miller and Noah Clowney.

Needless to say, recruiting will be a critical part of the success or failure of the next Syracuse coach. After going four straight seasons without playing in the NCAA Tournament, recruiting top talent to Syracuse is much harder than it’s ever been before. Given Hodgson’s recruiting pedigree, he has a good chance of luring the talent he needs, assuming he gets enough NIL funding to compete with the rest of the ACC.

Ties to Upstate New York

At Syracuse, family matters, there’s no getting around it. Several Orange teams across multiple sports have found past or current success with a former Syracuse player running the show. Syracuse is the type of place that remembers and embraces former players. It’s also the kind of place where having the extra motivation to succeed at your alma mater can make a meaningful difference.

This is a big reason why a faction of the fanbase favors former Orange players and assistants like Gerry McNamara and Mike Hopkins. While Hodgson doesn’t have direct ties to Syracuse, he is a child of Upstate New York. He was born in Olean and graduated from Fredonia State, where he also got his first job as an assistant coach. Hodgson also spent four seasons as an assistant at Buffalo, spending even more time in the Empire State. By all accounts, Hodgson has a genuine interest in returning to Upstate New York, making him the next best thing to hiring a former Syracuse player to replace Autry.

The Right Age

Last but not least, Hodgson is the right age to take over the Syracuse program and become a long-term solution. He’ll turn 39 in April, with a long career ahead of him. Obviously, Hodgson could use Syracuse as a stepping stone to a bigger job. But a return to prominence for the Orange could also make Syracuse Hodgson’s forever job, enabling him to spend two decades or more on the sidelines.

Hodgson’s age is also a key part of his appeal for the Orange. He’s spent his entire career as a head coach, again, only three seasons, dealing with NIL and the transfer portal. Hodgson has known no other system of college basketball and hasn’t needed an adjustment period the way Autry and other older coaches have required.

Between his age and his resume, Hodgson would be ready to hit the ground running as the new Syracuse coach, and after the way the program has languished for the last several years, that’s exactly what the Orange needs right now.