West Virginia Basketball Boosters FURIOUS Over Coach Ross Hodge’s Hiring, THROWING NIL to Football…

West Virginia Basketball Boosters FURIOUS Over Coach Ross Hodge’s Hiring, THROWING NIL to Football

 

MORGANTOWN, W.Va. — A wave of backlash is brewing in Morgantown, and it’s not coming from the hardwood—it’s coming from the pockets of West Virginia University’s biggest basketball boosters.

 

The recent hiring of Ross Hodge as the new head coach of the Mountaineers men’s basketball team has sparked outrage among influential donors and longtime supporters of the program. Sources close to the situation say boosters feel blindsided and disappointed by what they see as a lackluster and uninspired choice for a program still reeling from a turbulent past year.

 

“Ross Hodge? Really?” one prominent booster told WV Sports Wire under condition of anonymity. “This program needs a shot of adrenaline, not a developmental coach with no high-major experience.”

 

Hodge, who served as the associate head coach under Grant McCasland at North Texas and later at Texas Tech, was seen by athletic director Wren Baker as a solid, culture-building hire. However, that vision doesn’t seem to align with the expectations of a vocal segment of the Mountaineers’ fan and donor base—many of whom were hoping for a splashy, proven name to reignite the program after the Bob Huggins fallout and a rocky 2023-24 season.

 

What’s more concerning for WVU’s basketball future is the reported shift in donor money and NIL funding—once heavily earmarked for men’s basketball—now being redirected toward the football program.

 

“There’s no way I’m putting another dime into basketball if this is the direction,” another top-level donor said. “We’re going all in on football now. We’ve got momentum there. That’s where the return is.”

 

Insiders say several major contributors to the Country Roads Trust, the university’s leading NIL collective, have already notified officials that their funds for men’s basketball will be cut or halted entirely. Instead, those resources will now be funneled to support Neal Brown’s football team, which ended last season on a high note and has been showing renewed promise heading into 2025.

 

The sudden pivot has created concern within the basketball program, especially as the transfer portal heats up. With key players from last season’s roster still undecided on their futures—and limited NIL dollars to entice new talent—the Mountaineers face a potential talent drain at a critical moment.

 

In response to the backlash, Baker released a statement standing by the decision.

 

“Coach Hodge is a tireless worker, a proven winner, and a man of integrity,” he said. “We are confident he will bring stability, accountability, and long-term success to Mountaineer basketball.”

 

Still, the damage may already be done. Unless Hodge can immediately rally the team and fan base with decisive moves in the portal and on the court, the rift between the program and its boosters may only widen.

 

For now, all eyes are on spring workouts, donor meetings, and—perhaps most importantly—how many basketball dollars end up padding the football war chest.