Coaching searches can be tedious affairs, and USF has two major ones going on the same time. Bulls CEO of Athletics Rob Higgins is conductive simultaneous nationwide sweeps to fill the head coaching positions for the men's and women's basketball teams.
He needs a replacement for Bryan Hodgson on the men's team while deciding whether Michele Woods-Baxter will have the interim tag removed for the women's team. Higgins said he owes it to the program to look outside the current staff for a permanent coach, but that Woods-Baxter will be considered.
So, since we try to be helpful at Green, Gold and Bold, we decided to take the use of analytics in baseball to the extreme and use artificial intelligence technology to assist in the search. We asked ChatGPT for its recommendations.
Here they are.
Men's team
🔥 Tier 1: Keep the machine rolling (safest + smartest)
These are the best fits if USF wants continuity, portal success, and NIL-era competence.
1. Ryan Pannone (Head coach Arkansas State, former Alabama assistant / G League background) and earned his undergrad degree at USF.
Elite offensive mind + heavy analytics (fits what Hodgson built)
Strong player-development reputation
Has NBA/G League credibility → helps in recruiting
👉 Why he makes sense: USF just won with modern basketball (pace, spacing, portal). Pannone keeps that identity.
👉 Why he makes sense: USF’s biggest long-term edge is recruiting Florida + transfers.
👉 Why it matters: In the transfer portal era, roster retention is EVERYTHING. A bad hire = instant roster collapse.
2. Internal promotion (if possible), such as Tee Butters, Hodgson's associate head coach.
Maintain roster + system continuity
🚀 Tier 2: Proven mid-major winners (higher upside)
If USF wants someone who’s already built winners:
3. Andy Kennedy (UAB)
Proven American Conference success
Consistent winner, tournament-level teams
👉 Downside: might be expensive and not a long-term builder.
👉 High-upside hire if USF wants identity + excitement.
4. Eric Konkol (Tulsa)
Program builder with multiple turnarounds
Strong transfer portal usage
👉 Solid but less flashy pick.
🧠 Tier 3: Rising stars (riskier but could be home run)
These are the “next Hodgson” types:
5. Phil Martelli Jr. (VCU)
Comes from elite defensive system
Tournament-caliber coaching tree
6. Travis Steele (Miami (OH))
Recently rebuilt a program into a tournament team
🧩 What USF SHOULD prioritize based on where the program is right now:
✅ Transfer portal + NIL mastery
✅ Recruiting Florida hard
✅ Playing fast, modern basketball
❌ Avoid “old-school rebuild” coaches
USF just proved it can win the American Conference and make the NCAA tournament—this is now a top-50 job trajectory, not a rebuild.
🏁 My pick (if I were USF AD)
👉 Best overall hire: Ryan Pannone
He gives you:
Continuity in style
Modern offense
Recruiting credibility
High ceiling
Women's team
Chat GPT says USF women’s basketball is a very different situation than the men’s job—this is a program with real, sustained success that just lost a long-time builder in Jose Fernandez (WNBA jump), not a rebuild.
They’ve already shown stability under interim coach Michele Woods-Baxter, going ~20-win pace and staying competitive in the American. Translation: this hire is about protecting a winning culture + recruiting pipeline, not starting over.
🏆 The BEST move (and most likely)
👉 Michele Woods-Baxter (promote the interim)
17+ years inside the program
Already running things with continuity
Players clearly bought in
Knows USF’s international recruiting model
👉 Why this is the smart hire:
USF has identity continuity (rare in mid-major women’s hoops)
Prevents transfer portal exodus
Keeps the Fernandez system intact
📌 In today’s game, blowing up a stable roster is how programs fall off fast.
🔥 Top external candidates (if USF wants a splash)
1. Lindsay Edmonds
Proven winner at Rice (.600+ win %)
Strong culture builder
Experience recruiting Texas + transfers
👉 Best “safe external” option if they pass on Woods-Baxter.
2. Gabe Lazo Tennessee assistant
Rising recruiter (especially international talent)
Ties to elite prospects and SEC-level recruiting
👉 This would mirror the “young, rising assistant” trend.
3. High-major assistant (SEC/ACC pipeline)
Top assistants from programs like LSU Tigers women's basketball or South Carolina Gamecocks women's basketball
Elite recruiters with NIL + portal experience
👉 Why this works:
USF is now good enough to attract Power 5-caliber assistants looking for their first job.
🧠 What USF SHOULD prioritize
This hire is less about X’s and O’s and more about fit:
✅ Must-haves
International recruiting (USF’s secret sauce)
Player development
Portal retention
Culture continuity
❌ Avoid
Coaches needing a “full rebuild”
Systems that don’t fit current roster
🏁 My pick (clear answer)
👉 Michele Woods-Baxter should get the job full-time
It’s not flashy—but it’s the move that:
Keeps the roster intact
Maintains a top American Conference program
Avoids a reset
👉 If they go outside: Lindsay Edmonds is the best all-around candidate