DeVries' Exit a Blessing in Disguise? Ross Hodge Seems to be the Perfect Fit for WVU

By the end of tonight's contest between West Virginia and Lafayette, first-year head coach Ross Hodge should move to 5-0 as the lead Mountaineer, building on what's already been a historic start. With the win over Pitt on Thursday, he recorded the best start for a WVU coach in his first season since Fred Schaus started 5-0 back in 1954.

Tonight, in all likelihood, he'll tie that mark.

Now, let me preface everything I'm about to say by stating the obvious. This is year one, it's early, and there will be bumps along the way. There will be losses, losing streaks, and perhaps some moments where you wonder if this team can make a ton of noise come March. There's still a lot about this team we don't know yet, partially because we haven't seen them at full strength as they wait for Chance Moore and Jackson Fields to return.

Albeit a four-game sample size, Ross Hodge looks to be the exact thing this program needed. With a revolving door at the head coaching position, the Mountaineers needed not only stability but someone who could quickly build an identity, recruit well, generate optimism, and forge a strong relationship with the fanbase. He's checked all of those boxes, and then some.

You know, when you face a Ross Hodge-led team, you're going to be pestered with ball pressure, relentless effort, toughness, grit, and they're just going to keep coming after you for 40 minutes. That brand of basketball resonates well with the hard-working people of West Virginia.

There will be many more opportunities for Hodge and Co. to elevate the expectations, but beating Pitt in blowout fashion and then landing the highest-rated recruit in program history just a few days later is enough for folks to get on board and believe in what he's building in Morgantown.

From the day he stepped foot on campus, Hodge has made sure to connect with the fanbase. I've had numerous folks tell me they talked to him for a few minutes at a baseball game or on the Coaches Caravan and that he took the time to hold a conversation, learn about the state, the program, and didn't just show up to say hello, goodbye.

West Virginians want to know that the person who is in charge of the program cares, and it's very obvious that Hodge does and has even tabbed himself as the "caretaker" of it, noting that it's the university's and fans' program, not his.

After beating Pitt, Hodge locked arms with members of the Mountaineer Maniacs to sing Country Roads, which is something I've never seen a coach do at WVU, regardless of sport. He sang, soaked it all in, and high-fived everyone on his way out.

He also began his postgame radio interview and press conference by sending thoughts and prayers to the coal miner who passed away in Nicholas County, spending a couple of minutes on it before talking about arguably the biggest win in his young coaching career. He gets it.

A year ago, Darian DeVries checked some of the aforementioned boxes, such as generating optimism with big wins and establishing an identity, but that connection to the fan base felt somewhat distant.

He and his staff landed some talented recruits, but the fact that only his son followed him from Drake to WVU and from WVU to Indiana says something. Amani Hansberry, Sencire Harris, Jonathan Powell, and Jayden Stone all hit the portal, but didn't follow him to Indiana. Why?

It's hard to truly get a read on what DeVries is like because he was here for such a short period of time, but it sort of felt like the basketball version of Dana Holgorsen. A guy who just wanted to coach and let his staff handle much of the recruiting. There's nothing wrong with that, either. There's more than one way to go about it and be successful.

And while Hodge's assistants play a huge role in recruiting, he takes it upon himself to be a big part in establishing and developing that relationship. That's why every player that's currently on the team talks about being bought into his vision. They love that he is a family man who cares deeply about his faith and, of course, his players. Now, you're seeing those same responses from the players he's recruiting out of high school.

Losing a quality coach like DeVries can really sting a program, but for West Virginia, it may have been a blessing in disguise. Now, the Mountaineers have someone who wants to plant roots in Morgantown, put the program back on the map, and win for the state.

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