South Florida Hires Bryan Hodgson

South Florida has found its man.

The school on Monday named former Alabama State coach Bryan Hodgson as its new men’s basketball coach. Hodgson coached Alabama State to the NCAA Tournament where they beat Saint Francis (Pa.) in the First four before losing to No. 1 Auburn.

He replaces Johnny Dawkins, who went to just one NCAA Tournament in eight seasons at the helm.

“We are thrilled to welcome Bryan Hodgson as the next head coach of USF men’s basketball,” USF AD Mike Kelly said. “Bryan has been a part of winning programs at every level, demonstrating a remarkable ability to recruit top talent, develop players, and build championship-caliber teams. His passion, energy, and vision for USF basketball align perfectly with our commitment to excellence. We believe he is the right leader to take this program to new heights, and we can’t wait to see his impact on our student-athletes and the Tampa Bay community.”

“I am incredibly honored and excited to be the head coach at the University of South Florida,” Hodgson said. “From my first conversations with Michael Kelly and the USF leadership, it was clear that this place is strongly committed to building a winning culture. We are Tampa Bay’s Home for Hoops, and I can’t wait to work with our student-athletes, staff, and the passionate Bulls fan base, including the SoFlo Rodeo! We will play with energy, toughness, and a relentless drive to compete at the highest level. I can’t wait to get started!”

Hodgson, 37, is South Florida’s 12^th men’s basketball coach and has coached collegiately for 18 years. He came to Tampa from Arkansas State, where he spent two seasons as head coach. He guided the Red Wolves 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. The Red Wolves also set program records for scoring (2,019) and field goals made (1,021). Hodgson was also named a finalist for the Joe B. Hall Award, given to the nation’s top first-year head coach.

In 2024-25, the Red Wolves finished with a 25-11 record, the best in Arkansas State 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 led the conference, while their defense ranked second at the end of the regular season.

Hodgson’s recruiting classes ranked atop the Sun Belt Conference in both of his seasons at Arkansas State and the incoming recruiting class is currently ranked 35^th in the nation, according to 247 Sports.

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. During his final season in Tuscaloosa, the Crimson Tide won both the Southeastern Conference regular-season and tournament championships. Six student-athletes went on to be drafted into the NBA, including two in the first round of the 2023 NBA Draft (Brandon Miller, no. 2 overall to the Charlotte Hornets, and Noah Clowney, no. 21 to the Brooklyn Nets). During his career, Hodgson has coached a total of 12 players who went on to compete in the NBA.

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). He developed 2019 MAC Player of the Year CJ Massinburg, who finished his career as a three-time All-MAC honoree and second in school history with 1,990 career points, including 273 three-pointers.

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.