By Bill Nestor Sports Editor
Well, it seems as if West Virginia Athletic Director Wren Baker got his man from the coaching vacancy left when Darian DeVries departed for Indiana. Make no mistake, contrary to rumors, that a search committee made Ross Hodge the top pick for the Head Coach position at the University.
Hodge is an impressive up-and-coming coach with morals and values that are hard to find in modern day coaches. However, Hodge has just two years of head coaching experience at North Texas. The lack of experience in a less than pressure packed conference doesn’t turn heads. Hodge spent the six years prior to being the leader of the Mean Green as an assistant. That is where Baker and Hodge developed a relationship.
Baker had a chance to get a look inside the young coach before he moved up. That kind of insight is so rare and invaluable for an athletic director that was about to make a decision that would be the most questioned of all the ones that he had made since his arrival in Morgantown.
An example of the insider trading information that Baker had would be Hodge’s work ethic. During an interview, a good salesman or a coaching candidate (they share similar qualities) can look an AD in the eyes and tell them how hard they are going to work to get the job done. Does he really work that hard? The answer will not be had until long after the hire. But for Baker, he already knew the answer concerning Hodge.
During an interview, you get a candidate’s best effort for an hour and they will tell you everything that you want to hear. Baker saw the good and the bad without a filter, which is a true representation of what he would be getting.
Normally this would be a risky hire just based on the lack of coaching experience. It becomes an even bigger risk for Baker because of the “Triple D” that just took place.
The Darian DeVries Departure after just one season in Mo-town left Baker holding the bag. To add insult to injury, the bag was empty as DeVries pulled an old Steve Miller trick and took the money and run! Baker decided to protect himself, and more importantly his employees, by slapping on some President Trump-like sanctions on Hodge, should he depart early. If the new man would leave before April 30, 2026, he would owe WVU 75 percent of his remaining salary. It drops to a shade above 56 percent in year two and 37.5 percent for the remainder of his deal. The contract is a five-year deal worth $15 million. Hodge will put $2.8 million in his pocket this year (plus incentives) and he will obtain an increase of $100,000 per year.
Hodge could also garner another year automatically through the Automatic Extension Clause if his squad were to finish in either a top six finish in the Big 12 (including tie breakers) or get an invitation to the NCAA Tournament over his first two years. Other incentives include $430,000 for a national Championship (if you ask me, it should be double that amount) $40,000 for winning the Big 12 Tournament, and $20,000 if ticket sales exceed 7,500 with others remaining. The interesting clause in the contract in the buyout drops to 37.5 percent automatically if Baker is no longer the AD over the first two years of the contract. This further solidifies the bond between the two and, hopefully, for Mountaineer Nation, they become the next Dynamic Duo.
That will do it for now. Until next time… take care and God Bless!!!
