North Texas coach Ross Hodge finishes NIT run before leaving for West Virginia

Indianapolis-it ended for Ross Hodge in northern Texas with a 15-point lead that got away and the night of cold shooting, which sent average green houses from the semifinals. It ended with turning to the fans of northern Texas on Tuesday evening in Hinkle Fieldhouse and clapping over their heads for them.

Soon he was gone, out of court, away into the night. Actually, away to West Virginia. “I am grateful for all involved that they gave me the opportunity to finish it,” he said later, “I wish it could end with victory, but only the opportunity to do it with these boys again.”

Hodge is a new coach for West Virginia. In fact, he became a new coach for West Virginia a week ago. But before he went to Morgantown, he had a few things to do a few things, and one of them was to train his team in northern Texas – his last northern Texas – if he could go into the thread. It turned out that it was on Tuesday evening, when the average green lost in the UC Irvine 69-67 semifinals in the game, once led 24-9.

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It’s spring. University basketball coaches come and leave, but it seemed to be on the unusual side. The coach and his team who knew further loss meant the end. Really, the end. Hodge arrived in Hinkle Fieldhouse as the final chrome duck. He left, four of his appetizers were seniors, so this week was one emotional party. On Tuesday evening he officially moved from his last game in northern Texas to start the road to his first game of West Virginia, a career change in two hours.

At the last press conference of Hodge for North Texas, he thanked athletic directors in both places “For allowing me to do so. They know my heart, of course, and know me. There was never any real discussion or real doubt that I finished what I started with this group.”

And then he said his farewell address. Often the coach is off the day after the word gets out, took another job. Only the last defeat would close the door of northern Texas for Ross Hodge. He was there for eight years, six as an assistant, two as a head coach.

“You literally make life with these people and help them navigate losses with your families,” he said. “We had losses – this year we were supposed to lose people family members. This year we should have had children. And you are going through all those life experiences with these players, and this is a large part of our news.

“It is obvious that he will pull you a little in different directions. I wanted to give these people everything I had, and when we told them (about West Virginia), they were so incredibly happy for me. It was like tears of joy.

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The Hodge’s seniors understood all the time. They were in it to the end, for him, for North Texas.

It was Atin Wright, who tried to keep Hodge as much as possible for the next few days with 25 points against UC Irvine: “Our motto is staying all the time, in and out of court, and we lead an example of a coach and his heart is always in the right place.

“That’s why this loss hurts most. Because it’s over.”

And Jasper Floyd, who added 16 points to the matter. “I wasn’t raised to just step on someone just because something happened. It’s just not in me. We say to each other that we love each other. It wouldn’t be right for us. As Coach said, that would be a hypocrite, just stop in this team, I don’t think it’s right thinking.

They ended on Tuesday evening with a record of 27-9. Trying to defeat Chattanooga at the Thread Championship would be a UC Irvine problem. Hodge now has to take care of how to defeat Houston and Texas Tech.