Bob Huggins Makes His Stance Clear on Ross Hodge, the Future of WVU Basketball

It may take some time, but West Virginia will return to its contending ways soon. Ross Hodge has been praised by many coaches around the league, including some of the best the Big 12 has to offer, such as Kansas' Bill Self and Baylor's Scott Drew.

He also happens to have the vote of confidence from former West Virginia head coach and Hall of Famer Bob Huggins.

“We’re going to the Final Four again,” Huggins said at his annual Fish Fry, according to Quinn Robie of U92 Sports.

“We’re going to the Final Four again” — former WVU head coach Bob Huggins at the 2026 Bob Huggins Fish Fry.

Huggins and family just auctioned off a 2010 Final Four ring for over $20,000 to support the cancer foundation named after his mother.

He says more to come.

Coach Hodge… pic.twitter.com/InBY0GhEMu
— Quinn Robie (@QuinnRobie1) January 31, 2026

In a lot of ways, Hodge's brand of basketball is very similar to Huggins. They take immense pride in playing well on the defensive end, they want to be dominant on the glass (although this group hasn't shown that), and more often than not, they're a scrappy team who just won't go away. Of course, this is just the first iteration of a Ross Hodge-led West Virginia team, so it's not a perfect product yet, but we'll see more those same characteristics the deeper we get into his tenure.

Is a Final Four run really in WVU's future?

It's absolutely in play. Not this year, obviously. But any team that is elite on the defensive end, which this team will ultimately be, has a chance. Combine that with elite guard play, and you significantly increase your chances. WVU has the highest-rated recruit in program history, Miles Sadler, coming in next season, and will be joined in the backcourt by another coveted recruit, Kingston Whitty, and Amir Jenkins. That's a solid trio to build into the future with.

The good news

Huggins openly supporting Hodge is a great thing for West Virginia fans and the program. The exit was not how anyone envisioned it, and over the last two years, it has felt like an awkward relationship, at least from the outside. Hopefully, this is the start of Huggins and the university patching things up, so we can get to a point where the Hall of Famer is around the building more often and can be given the proper recognition during a game.

Is a Final Four run really in WVU's future?

The good news

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