Poll Results: West Virginia Fans Vote on the Hire of Ross Hodge

Mountaineer fans are pouring their faith in athletic director Wren Baker on this one.

Feb 8, 2025; Morgantown, West Virginia, USA; West Virginia Mountaineers fans cheer during the first half against the Utah Utes at WVU Coliseum. Mandatory Credit: Ben Queen-Imagn Images | Ben Queen-Imagn Images

After hearing all of the names that West Virginia had been linked to and reported to have conversations with, much of the fan base seemed to initially be pretty disappointed that Wren Baker chose Ross Hodge as the school's next men's basketball coach.

I wanted to get a good read on what the fans were thinking, so we ran a poll on X, which 999 people participated in, giving their reaction to the hire. 23.5% of voters said they loved the move, 9.3% said they hated it, and an overwhelming majority (67.2%) voted that they were unsure but trusted Wren Baker.

Ross Hodge, it is. What do you think, #WVU fans?

— Schuyler Callihan (@Callihan_) March 26, 2025

Reasons for concern

Lack of experience is one thing. Yes, he does have seven years total as a head coach, five of which he logged years ago at the junior college level. There are some things he can pull from his stints at Paris JC and Midland and apply here as far as roster construction is concerned because he had to replace guys all the time there. That said, he only has two years under his belt as the lead man at the Division I level, which isn't ideal.

Also, the resume isn't all that shiny. As I've noted a couple of times now, Hodge went 0-10 versus NCAA Tournament teams at North Texas and 0-2 versus AP Top 25 opponents. No tournament appearances and no signature wins.

Reasons for optimism

If you look at his defensive metrics and stop there, you'll get pretty excited. This dude knows his way around the defensive end of the ball. They ranked third nationally in points allowed per game this season, sitting behind only Houston and Drake.

While the offensive numbers don't jump off the page, his teams are pretty efficient. This year, as a team, the Mean Green shot 45% from the field and 35% from three. They just don't play at a particularly fast pace.

Respect from his peers. Some of the top college coaches in the country believe he is well on his way to being one of the top coaches in the country. Dusty May (Michigan), Scott Drew (Baylor), Grant McCasland (Texas Tech), and Penny Hardaway (Memphis) have all had great things to say about him.

MORE STORIES FROM WEST VIRGINIA ON SI

Ross Hodge Contacts His First Transfer Target as West Virginia Head Coach

Penny Hardaway Believes Ross Hodge Will 'Take West Virginia Back to the Glory Days'

West Virginia Overwhelmed in Series Opener Against BYU 14-5

The Mountaineers Clash with the Cougars in a Three-Game Series