Providence Coach Bryan Hodgson Jokes At Press Conference: ‘If You Ever Wanna Question My Recruiting Abilities, Just Look At My Wife!’

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by Matthew MendivesMarch 30, 2026, 12:37 am >

Providence recently hired Bryan Hodgson as its new basketball coach, and he started his tenure with a viral quote during his introductory press conference.

“If you ever wanna question my recruiting abilities, just look at my wife Jordan,” Hodgson said.

Hodgson’s wife and son were in attendance for his press conference. He actually made the same joke last season when he was named the head coach of South Florida. He led South Florida to a No. 11 seed in March Madness before being eliminated in the first round.

Although Hodgson’s joke may be for good fun, it also tackles a very important issue in modern college basketball.

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“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,” Providence athletic director Steve Napolillo said in a statement prior to Tuesday’s presser.

Providence has not made the March Madness tournament since 2022-23. Head coach Kim English has had a losing season in the last two seasons.

This will be Hodgson’s fourth season as a head coach. He led Arkansas State to a winning record for two seasons.

Hodgson’s offensive scheme is very modern, emphasizing fast-pace and spacing. On defense, he is big on versatility. He expects guards to protect the paint and big men to keep up with players on the perimeter.

Providence will lose two key players, Jaylin Sellers and Jason Edwards to graduation. Freshman Stefan Vaaks and Jamier Jones are expected to return next season.

The coaching change caused some problems for them with recruitment. Four-star prospect Aiden Dercack from Colonia, New Jersey, originally committed to Providence in October 2025. However, after hearing about the firing of coach English, he rescinded his commitment. He now plans to play for Dayton.