Arkansas State coach Bryan Hodgson was sitting in silence on a plane with his fiancee, Jordan, fresh off a second-round loss to North Texas in the National Invitational Tournament last Sunday. 

Hodgson was thinking about his future. There was one coaching vacancy he had his eye on. 

“I laid in bed that night after we landed and prayed I would get that phone call the next morning,” Hodgson said. 

Sure enough – at 6:13 a.m. the following morning – that phone call from USF Athletics Director Michael Kelly came. 

Hodgson hopped on a flight from Arkansas to Tampa and was introduced as the 12th men’s basketball coach in USF program history Friday, making him the permanent replacement for former coach Amir Abdur-Rahim after he died unexpectedly last October.  

Hodgson, 37, led the Red Wolves to the top of the Sun Belt Conference in just two seasons at Arkansas State. He said he found himself in a position to “move on” to a new program. 

“I was willing to wait for the time and place,” Hodgson said. “And I found that here at the University of South Florida.” 

Hogdson was the top assistant under Nate Oats at Buffalo from 2015-2019. He followed Oats to Alabama – where he helped coach the Crimson Tide to three NCAA tournament appearances before being hired by Arkansas State in 2023. 

He said USF would play “similarly” to Alabama and Arkansas State – a fast-paced offense with an aggressive defense. 

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“We’re going to play fast, analytically efficient basketball a lot like the NBA, and while playing fast, we’re also going to be disciplined,” Hodgson said. 

Hodgson was introduced by Kelly and USF Board of Trustees chairman Will Weatherford. They were joined by University President Rhea Law and Jim Lighthall, the radio announcer for USF men’s basketball for over two decades. 

It’s the third time a new coach has been announced in two years. Abdur-Rahim – who was hired in 2023 – was just a week away from beginning his second season when he died on Oct. 24. 

Ben Fletcher – an assistant under Abdur-Rahim – was the interim head coach last season. USF said it would search for a new coach after Fletcher finished with a 13-19 record. 

Hodgson said the foundation is already set at USF. He said he’ll choose to maintain the core values set by Abdur-Rahim – honor, trust, responsibility, unity, toughness and humility. 

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“Amir embodied every single one of these traits,” Hodgson said. “We will honor him every time we step foot in this building.” 

The foundation may already be in place, but the roster may need a bit of retooling. Two of last seasons’ offensive stallworths – guards Jayden Reid and Kobe Knox – entered the transfer portal before Hodgson was hired. 

Hodgson already hit the ground running with recruiting. The Bulls have flipped the commitments of four-star forward Tristan Beckford and three-star guard Adriel Nyorha from Arkansas State.

USF guard CJ Brown also announced he’ll return to the program after initially entering the portal. 

“I’m definitely excited for myself and this program as a whole,” Brown said. “I think great things are ahead.”

For Hodgson, who served as the top recruiter under Oats at Alabama, it’s all about the relationships he builds with the players, staff and the community. 

“I know change is difficult, and I’m looking forward to developing a relationship and earning your trust,” he said. “I can’t wait to meet you all and get started.”