Bryan Hodgson, a New York native who currently coaches at South Florida, is one of the candidates to take over the Syracuse basketball program. However, he's got an NCAA Tournament run to go on with the Bulls first.
When asked on Monday if his candidacy for the now-vacant Syracuse men's basketball coaching position is a distraction to his current University of South Florida Bulls, Bryan Hodgson had a simple answer.
"Did it look like a distraction yesterday? No. Did it look like a distraction on Saturday? No. No, we played great basketball Saturday and Sunday, so there is no distraction. It's great to be wanted. Those opportunities come with success. I'm the head basketball coach at the University of South Florida and I have a job to do, and that job is not done yet. We're looking forward to an opportunity on Thursday."
Hodgson's Bulls went 25-8 this season, winning the American Conference championship and earning a No. 11 seed in the NCAA Tournament. They'll take on No. 6 Louisville on Thursday at 1:30 p.m. ET.
Ironically, they'll play in Buffalo, so you can bet that Syracuse brass and fans will be paying close attention. Some reports have indicated that Hodgson is the desired choice for SU to replace the recently-fired Adrian Autry.
The Hodgson file
An Olean, N.Y., native, Hodgson has only been the head coach at South Florida for this season. However, the 37-year-old has been coaching college hoops for 18 years. Prior to his season's success with USF, he coached for two years at Arkansas State, winning the Sun Belt regular season title in 2024-25.
Before Arkansas State, he was an assistant coach with both Alabama and Buffalo, working under Nate Oats. He helped Buffalo get to the NCAA Tournament three times, just as he did Alabama.
He started his career at Division III Fredonia State, just outside of Buffalo.
Why Hodgson makes sense for Syracuse
As a Southwestern New York native who has worked at Buffalo, he understands the state and the Syracuse fanbase. He also understands what it's like to recruit in - and to - the area.
He's proven to be a winner at multiple spots and is one of the hottest coaching candidates in the country. At just 37 years old, this is also a job that he could carry for a long time.
South Florida Bulls head coach Bryan Hodgson reacts against the Memphis Tigers during the first half at FedExForum. Wesley Hale-Imagn ImagesWhat's working against him with SU?
Nothing is working against him, really, other than the fact that he's not a Syracuse alum. That makes some people happy, as they want to break away from the Jim Boeheim coaching tree and idea of hiring "in the family." But some others, like our own Tom Goslowski, are not scared off by hiring the likes of Mike Hopkins or Gerry McNamara.
Join the Conversation
Remember to join our SYRACUSE on ROUNDTABLE community, which is FREE! You can post your own thoughts, in text or video form, and you can engage with our Roundtable staff, as well as other Orange fans. If prompted to download the Roundtable APP, that's free too!