Calling on the "clowns" out there - Bryan Hodgson is coming for you.
The chatter is that South Florida's Hodgson could be a potential head coaching candidate at Syracuse basketball, should a change be made on the Hill after the 2025-26 campaign concludes (which could be on Tuesday, if the Orange loses to SMU in the ACC Tournament's first round).
Hodgson, in an interview with The Field of 68, had a rather stern message for anyone who might try to recruit his players before the season is over (i.e., tamper). The transfer portal window in men's basketball will run for 15 days from April 7 to April 21.
Bryan Hodgson has a message for anyone interested in his USF players 👀
— The Field of 68 (@TheFieldOf68) March 9, 2026
"Any of these clowns that think they’re gonna reach out before the season ends and start sending DMs… I will find you. I’m not like the rest of these coaches. We will have a face-to-face conversation... It… pic.twitter.com/jB5n3S5PFv
In collegiate hoops (and other sports), tampering is a huge, ongoing problem. Players aren't supposed to be contacted by potential future schools until they are in portal, but tampering seems to happen all the time.
Hodgson had this to say: "Any of these clowns that think they’re gonna reach out before the season ends and start sending DMs … I will find you. I’m not like the rest of these coaches. We will have a face-to-face conversation ... It may work with other people. It doesn’t work with me. I will find you."
Lol. I love it. This reminds me of what Syracuse football head coach Fran Brown had to say, last September, about others tampering with his players before they enter the transfer portal.
Bryan Hodgson could be a viable candidate as the next Syracuse basketball head coach.
Hodgson's South Florida (23-8 overall) won the American Conference's regular-season title, with a 15-3 mark in league play. The Bulls are projected as a No. 12 seed in the 2026 NCAA Tournament, although they may need to win the American Conference Tournament to feel safe about hearing their name called on Selection Sunday.
Syracuse basketball's next head coach? Either way, I like Hodgson's message here. 🧡 https://t.co/EyAAso0JSy
— InsideTheLoudHouse (@LoudHouseFS) March 10, 2026
Yes, Hodgson is only in his third season as a college basketball head coach. He went a combined 45-28 over two campaigns at Sun Belt Conference member Arkansas State before heading to South Florida.
Bryan Hodgson, in his first season, has South Florida in first place in the American after beating Tulsa yesterday.
— Jeff Goodman (@GoodmanHoops) February 9, 2026
The Bulls are tied at 8-3, and swept Tulsa this season.
Hodgson, a former Nate Oats assistant at Buffalo and Alabama, was 45-28 in two years at Arkansas State…
Yet Hodgson is known as an ace recruiter. He's from New York state. He was an assistant coach under Nate Oats, first at Buffalo and then at Alabama. When he was younger, Hodgson also reportedly worked at basketball camps over the summer at schools including Duke, Michigan State and - yup - Syracuse.
We'll know soon if the 'Cuse brass will be moving on from third-year head coach Adrian Autry. Hodgson's no-nonsense attitude would be welcomed by me and many other SU fans.