Ross Hodge's Contract Details + Buyout Revealed

A look at the new deal for the West Virginia head basketball coach.

Jan 5, 2025; Memphis, Tennessee, USA; North Texas Mean Green head coach Ross Hodge reacts against the Memphis Tigers during the first half at FedExForum. Mandatory Credit: Wesley Hale-Imagn Images | Wesley Hale-Imagn Images

West Virginia and new men's head basketball coach Ross Hodge agreed to a five-year contract last week and the details of that deal have recently been revealed.

Justin Jackson of The Dominion Post reported that the deal is worth $15 million and has several incentives built in for NCAA Tournament appearances, advancement in the tournament, and winning league or national championships.

Greg Carey of MetroNews detailed that if West Virginia makes it to the NCAA Tournament in Hodge's first two years of his deal, he will earn an automatic one-year extension, which will pay $3.3 million. He is slated to make $2.8 million in 2025-26 and will see a raise of $100,000 each year.

After getting burned by Darian DeVries, who left after just one year on the job, Wren Baker made sure that the buyout would be set at a very high price, as it should. If Hodge were to follow in DeVries' footsteps and leave WVU before the end of next April, he, or most likely the hiring school, would owe West Virginia 75% of his remaining salary. The buyout decreases by nearly 20% in the following two years.

There is a caveat to the buyout, though. If athletic director Wren Baker were to leave for another opportunity before 2027, Hodge's buyout would drop to 37.5%. Baker remaining in Morgantown is just as important to the success of the men's basketball program as Hodge.

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