South Florida head coach Bryan Hodgson reacts during the first half of an NCAA basketball tournament first-round game against Louisville last Thursday in Buffalo. AP photo

PROVIDENCE, R.I. — Bryan Hodgson is on the move.

Fresh off guiding the University of South Florida to a berth in the NCAA basketball tournament, the 2005 Jamestown High School graduate has been named the head men’s coach at Providence College. The announcement was made Sunday in a joint statement by college president Fr. Kenneth R. Sicard, O.P. and athletic director Steve Napolillo.

“We are thrilled to have Bryan Hodgson join Providence College as the leader of our men’s basketball program,” Sicard said. “Bryan brings a strong track record of leadership and a deep commitment to developing student-athletes, both on and off the court. His dedication to integrity, hard work and competitive excellence aligns closely with the values of Providence College. I am confident that the future is bright for Friar men’s basketball, and I eagerly anticipate seeing the team reach new milestones under their new leader’s guidance.”

Hodgson, who becomes the 17th head coach at Providence College, arrives in Providence after spending this season as the head coach at South Florida. In three seasons as a head coach, which includes two at Arkansas State, Hodgson has recorded a 70-37 mark (.654). He will be formally introduced at a press conference at 3 p.m. Tuesday in the college’s Mullaney Gymnasium at Alumni Hall.

In the 2025-26 season as the head coach at USF, Hodgson was named the American Conference Coach of the Year after leading the team to a 25-9 mark. USF tied the team record for regular-season wins with 23 and set a team record with nine road victories. His Bulls’ squad won the American regular-season title, captured the conference championship and earned an automatic berth in the NCAA Tournament. It marked the first time in the 55-year history of USF basketball that the team won the regular-season and conference tourney titles. South Florida made its fourth NCAA Tournament appearance all-time in 2026 and its first since 2012. His players also earned a host of honors as Izaiyah Nelson became the first player in American Conference history to win Player of the Year, Defensive Player of the Year and Newcomer of the Year. Wes Enis and Joseph Pinion were named All-Conference.

“We are very excited to welcome Bryan Hodgson and his family to Providence College,” Napolillo said. “Today we begin a new journey with Providence College men’s basketball. It was my goal to find a head coach who would fit with our great athletic and academic institution. In addition, in this new revenue share/NIL landscape, I knew we needed a coach with the energy, passion and the skills to get us back to competing for championships and playing in the NCAA Tournament. Bryan has revived two Division 1 programs and it is our goal for him to bring new life into Friar men’s basketball. He has 18 years of college basketball coaching experience, including five as an assistant coach at the University of Alabama. Over the last three years, Bryan has successfully used analytics, his recruiting skills and coaching to win 70 games. Bryan is a winner and we need a winning culture at Providence College. We are looking forward to the start of a new era in Friartown as we enter the 100th year of Providence College men’s basketball.”

Prior to his arrival at USF, Hodgson got his first head coaching position at Arkansas State. He spent two seasons as head coach for the Red Wolves where he led them to two of the most successful seasons in program history, with back-to-back 20-win seasons. During the 2023-24 campaign, after inheriting a team that lost 20 games, he led Arkansas State’s turnaround, which included its first postseason appearance since 1999. In 2024-25, the Red Wolves finished with a 25-11 record, the best in program history. The season featured a top-20 victory, saw the Red Wolves secure the Sun Belt Conference regular-season title, and marked their first National Invitation Tournament appearance in more than 30 years. Their offense was ranked one of the top-50 scoring offenses in the nation and led the conference at the end of the regular season, while their defense ranked second. Hodgson’s recruiting classes ranked atop the Sun Belt Conference in both of his seasons at Arkansas State.

“I’m incredibly honored and excited to be named the next head coach of the Providence Friars men’s basketball program,” Hodgson said. “This is a program with a proud tradition, passionate fan base, and a city that truly embraces its team. We’re going to build something that reflects that pride. We will be tough, disciplined, and relentless in our pursuit of excellence.”

Before Arkansas State, he served as an assistant under Nate Oats at Alabama from 2019 to 2023 and played a key role in landing top-15 recruiting classes each season. Alabama advanced to the NCAA Tournament in three straight seasons during Hodgson’s time there, including two Sweet 16 appearances. In 2021 and 2023, the Crimson Tide won both the Southeastern Conference regular-season and tournament championships.

“Coach Bryan’s coaching mentality and the City of Providence are a perfect match,” Oats said. “He brings an intensity and a passion for winning that matches the expectations of Providence College. As both an assistant and a head coach, he has built great relationships with his players, recruited talent and developed talent into a great system that translates into winning basketball.”

From 2015 to 2019, Hodgson played a pivotal role in the University at Buffalo’s rise as a mid-major powerhouse, where he also served under Oats. He assisted in three NCAA Tournament runs, three Mid-American Conference tournament championships, two regular-season conference titles, and the program’s highest-ever national ranking (No. 14).

Hodgson’s coaching career began at Fredonia State University, where he served as an assistant coach. He then went to Jamestown Community College and Midland College, where he led recruiting efforts and conducted player development workouts and in-season practice sessions.

Throughout his career, Hodgson has coached 12 players who went on to compete in the NBA, including four first-round picks. In the 2023 NBA Draft, Brandon Miller was drafted No. 2 overall to the Charlotte Hornets, and Noah Clowney was drafted No. 21 to the Brooklyn Nets. The San Antonio Spurs selected Joshua Primo as the No. 12 overall pick in 2021 and the New Orleans Pelicans drafted Kira Lewis Jr. with the No. 13 overall pick in 2020.

“Coach Bryan’s coaching mentality and the City of Providence are a perfect match,” Boston Celtics head coach Joe Mazzulla said. “He brings an intensity and a passion for winning that matches the expectations of Providence College. As both an assistant and a head coach, he has built great relationships with his players, recruited talent and developed talent into a great system that translates into winning basketball.”

Hodgson played collegiately at Jamestown CC for two seasons and served as team captain both years. He earned a bachelor’s degree in sports management from Fredonia State University in 2011 and a master’s in education from the University of the Southwest in 2015.

A Western New York native, Hodgson was placed in foster care as an infant and adopted at age two. He mentors children through Big Brothers Big Sisters of America. He is also the founder and president of Coaching Love Inc., which raises awareness for at-risk youth, particularly those in the foster care system or waiting to be adopted, through basketball and other sports. Hodgson and his fiance, Jordan, have a son, Jett, who was born in 2024.