There are players’ coaches, and there are buses’ coaches, apparently.
Arkansas State’s Bryan Hodgson is both.
When the team bus broke down en route to their matchup against the No. 2 ranked Alabama Crimson Tide on Thursday, the Red Wolves head coach grabbed a wrench and dug into the engine himself.
Arkansas State’s men’s basketball team was about two hours away from Tuscaloosa when the road trip stalled, according to journalist and basketball analyst Jeff Goodman.
The Red Wolves waited for two hours as Hodgson set about diagnosing the issue — a shredded belt — and then making the repairs.
If the side-of-the-highway adventures were the appetizer, Friday’s matchup is the main course.
There will be no time for rusty play, even as Hodgson’s squad was forced to cancel their pre-game practice on Thursday because of the technical hitch.
The Crimson Tide, for their part, will be well-rested.
Alabama’s first and only game came on Monday, a 110-54 thrashing of UNC Asheville.
Should the Red Wolves remain unbeaten on their young season, they’ll have to take down the team with the fourth best odds of winning the national championship on their home court.
And yet, there is reason to believe.
Hodgson began his coaching career as a student assistant at Fredonia State while pursuing a degree in Sports Management.
He worked summers at an array of basketball camps, paid his dues as an assistant coach at a community college and then as a volunteer coach at a junior college before finally earning his first Division I opportunity in Buffalo.
Following four years as an assistant coach with the Bulls, Hodgson joined Nate Oats at Alabama in 2019.
Serving as the lead recruiter for the Crimson Tide, he oversaw multiple classes, including the 2022 cohort, which was ranked fourth in the nation, per 247Sports.
It was here, in Tuscaloosa, that Hodgson earned the moniker.
In 2023, Hodgson landed his first ever head coaching gig with the Red Wolves.
And in just one season, he has transformed the program into a true Sun Belt contender.
In 2022-23, the Red Wolves collected just 13 wins and went 4-14 in conference play.
One year later, in Hodgson’s first season, the team earned 20 victories — including 11 against Sun Belt competition.
Arkansas State opened the 2024-25 campaign with an 80-75 overtime victory against Akron in the season opener.
Tip-off between the Red Wolves and Crimson Tide is scheduled for 8 p.m. ET.
