After winning the American Conference at USF, former Nate Oats assistant Bryan Hodgson shot to the top of most head coaching candidate lists. He was reportedly in the mix to replace Adrian Autry at Syracuse before Providence pulled ahead and ultimately landed the up-and-coming 38-year-old head coach.
Whether or not he was their top choice, after the Western New York native officially left Tampa for Rhode Island, Syracuse quickly pivoted to former Jim Boeheim assistant and national champion point guard Gerry McNamara, plucking him away from Siena after giving Duke a scare in the first round of the NCAA Tournament.
Syracuse is riding a five-year NCAA Tournament drought, and even under Boeheim, it struggled after ditching the Big East for the ACC. Still, Hodgson’s preference for Providence over Syracuse was puzzling. At least until Matt Norlander of CBS reported that the program is prepared to pour $10 million into the Transfer Portal to set him up to win in Year 1.
Providence is preparing to pay up in the portal for Bryan Hodgson
In modern college basketball, being a great coach and elite recruiter only gets you so far if you don’t have the financial resources to match. Syracuse was lacking in the NIL department over Autry’s three-year tenure, but has committed to increasing its spending for McNamara.
Still, spending the “top-third” of the ACC as ESPN’s Pete Thamel and Jeff Borzello reported Syracuse is prepared to do, isn’t the same as a $10 million investment at Providence. Especially considering that the path to the top of the Big East is not as fraught with obstacles as the ACC, with Duke and Virginia set up for sustained success, and North Carolina likely to move on from Hubert Davis after his $14 million roster failed to get out of the first round of the NCAA Tournament.
Syracuse is spending more. That’s a step in the right direction. But will it go on the spending spree that Providence is preparing for with Hodgson? I wouldn’t count on it.
Things have changed since the program was at its peak. The Orange last made back-to-back March Madness trips in 2018 and 2019, and haven’t claimed a top-four seed in the Big Dance since 2014, their first year in the ACC. Still, Syracuse has a national championship banner hanging in its rafters, and it’s one from this century.
The Friars have two Final Fours, but haven’t made it past the Sweet 16 in 28 years. That Providence is a better job, at least in the eyes of the top young coach on the market, should be a major wake-up call for Syracuse. In modern college sports, the best job isn't the one with the most history, it's the one with the most money.