Ross Hodge Respects Joe Mazzulla, Hopes to Use Him as Resource for WVU

MORGANTOWN, W.Va. – Ross Hodge made sure to mention several of the great coaches who came before him at WVU during his introductory press conference on Thursday. But they weren’t the only coach he brought up either. And one of the other coaches he respects is Joe Mazzulla, a beloved Mountaineer in his own right.

In addition to mentioning Gale Catlett, John Beilein and Bob Huggins, Hodge also recognized Mazzulla. 

“Coach Mazzulla, what he’s doing with the Celtics, he’s someone that I admire with his ability to profess his faith on a big stage in a time where that gets lost,” said Hodge.

“His messaging is something that inspires me. Just his overall approach to life is awesome and I can’t wait to use him as a resource,” Hodge added about why he respects Mazzulla beyond just his work as a great coach.

Of course, Mazzulla, who played on WVU’s last Final Four team under Huggins, is the head coach of the reigning NBA champion Boston Celtics. While busy trying to repeat with the Celtics, Mazzulla made himself available to WVU director of athletics Wren Baker during the coaching search. In fact, Mazzulla has provided guidance for Baker and the program over the years, most notably while dealing with the controversial end to Huggins’ tenure.

Hodge knows the tremendous advantage having an NBA champion coach as resource can be for him. Based on the coaching styles and what they expect from their players, there are some similarities to Hodge and Mazzulla as coaches. Most importantly, Hodge and Mazzulla have similarities in who they are as men.

Find more coverage of WVU basketball head coach Ross Hodge at WV Sports Now.

Find more coverage of former Mountaineer and Boston Celtics head coach Joe Mazzulla at WV Sports Now.

For a related story, Ross Hodge believes defense is the key to WVU winning Big 12 titles.