NC State legend to take over champion HBCU squad

Julius Hodge, a legendary player at NC State in the ACC, is coming to an HBCU.

Hodge has been hired as the new head coach at Lincoln University (PA), the reigning CIAA champion.

“I am thrilled to lead this Lincoln University MBB program as the new head coach, with eagerness to establish a team culture based in Discipline, Hard Work, Accountability, Respect, and Perseverance.,” Hodge said in a statement. “These core values will be the cornerstones of our approach, guiding us through every practice, game, and off-court challenge we encounter. Our appetite for excellence will never subside. “I would like to thank President Brenda Allen and Athletic Director Harry Stinson for giving me this great opportunity as well as believing in my vision for the future of the Lincolns Men’s basketball program.”

Hodge spent the last three seasons as an assistant at Arkansas Little-Rock under Darrell Walker, who previously coached at HBCU Clark Atlanta. He takes over a team that won its first-ever CIAA Tournament title in March under Jason Armstrong. Armstrong and the HBCU parted ways following the season, with the school initially announcing he stepped down before correcting that statement.

A New York native, Hodge is a 2005 North Carolina State (NC State) University graduate where he was a two-time All-American, the 2004 Atlantic Coast Conference (ACC) Player of the Year and a two-time All-ACC player. He was a second-team consensus All-America as a junior and an Associated Press honorable mention All-America as a senior.

Hodge was a first-round draft choice of the Denver Nuggets and the 20th overall selection in the 2005 National Basketball Association (NBA) draft. He played for the Nuggets and the Milwaukee Bucks in the NBA and throughout Europe, Asia and Australia spanning over 10 years before embarking on a coaching career.

Prior to joining Arkansas Little Rock, Hodge spent three seasons at San Jose State, working with a number of All-Mountain West Conference selections during his time with the Spartans.

Hodge joined the staff at San Jose State after spending the 2016 and 2017 seasons at Santa Clara University as an assistant coach for Herb Sendek, his college coach at North Carolina State. In Hodge’s first season with the Broncos, Santa Clara produced its first winning season in four years.

His coaching career started at the University of Buffalo in 2015 as the director of player development. In his one season with the Bulls, Buffalo recorded a 20-win season for the sixth time in school history, successfully defended its Mid-American Conference championship and played in the NCAA Tournament in back-to-back seasons for the first time in school history.

Julius is married to Latoya Hodge, and has two children, a son Legacy Hodge and a daughter Michaela Supreme Hodge.

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