USF is in the market for a new head men's basketball coach for the fourth consecutive year.
That became a reality Sunday morninv when multiple reputable sites reported that Bryan Hodgson was leaving Tampa to take the head coaching job at Providence College. Rob Higgins, the Bulls' CEO of Athletics, made what reported as a "substantial offer" to keep Hodgson, but to no avail.
Providence has agreed to a 5-year deal with South Florida head coach Bryan Hodgson, source told @thefieldof68. pic.twitter.com/LbFUEmdvf8
— The Field of 68 (@TheFieldOf68) March 22, 2026
The yearly turnover started with the firing of Brian Gregory in 2023 after six seasons. He was followed Amir Abdur-Rahim, who tragically died in 2024 after one season. Ben Fletcher served as the interim coach before he was replaced by Hodgson.
In one season, Hodgson accomplished something none of his predecessors could. The Bulls won both the regular-season and American Conference tournament championships. They advanced to their first NCAA tournament since 2014.
USF's 25 wins tied a program record. The Bulls averaged 87.7 points per game, which was eighth in the nation, and their final NET ranking of 45 was the highest in team history.
That kind of success -- coupled with the Bulls' entertaining and aggressive playing style -- was bound to attract attention. That's especially true after he led a previously moribund Arkansas State team to 45 wins in two seasons.
He signed a six-year, $8.25 million contract with USF last spring. It contains a $2 million buyout.
The Bullls were a senior-dominated team this season, led by American Conference Player of the Year, Defensive Player of the Year, and Conference Newcomer of the Year Izaiyah Nelson. Joseph Pinion made a program-record 111 3-pointers.
Higgins will now embark on his second major coach search. In December, he lured the highly sought Brian Hartline from Ohio State to take over the USF football program after Alex Golesh left for Auburn.
Potential replacements include Utah State’s Jerrod Calhoun, and Akron’s. John Groce. Internal options from the current USF staff could include Associate Head Coach Tom Butters. Calhoun is believed to.be at the top of the list at Cincinnati.
Another intriguing name to keep in mind is former Mississippi State coach Rick Stansbury. He was the head coach at Starkville from 1998 until 2012 and had six NCAA appearances and five trips to the NIT. He retired after 2012 but returned to coaching in 2014 at Texas A&M as an assistant and associate head coach.
He spent five seasons at Western Kentucky as the head coach before joining Penny Hardaway's Memphis staff. Stansbury is considered to be an outstanding recruiter.
At his news conference following the loss against Louisville, Hodgson said, "It was a very, very sought after job. I mean, they had guys that had been coaching for 25, 30 years that wanted that job. I had never been to an NCAA tournament before as a head coach. They took a chance on me, and I'll forever be grateful for that. It's a phenomenal, phenomenal university, community, and athletic department."
That phenomenal, phenomenal university has another coaching vacancy.