NCAA Tournament Appearance In Buffalo ‘Special’ For USF’s Bryan Hodgson

BUFFALO, NEW YORK - Head coach Bryan Hodgson of the South Florida Bulls looks on during practice day ahead of the first round of the 2026 NCAA Men's Basketball Tournament at KeyBank Center on March 18, 2026 in Buffalo, New York. (Photo by Ishika Samant/Getty Images) Getty Images It is ironic that Bryan Hodgson’s first NCAA tournament game as a head coach will take place roughly 75 miles from where he was born and in the same city where he had his first job as an assistant with Division I program. It is also a gift that when his USF Bulls take the floor for Thursday afternoon’s matchup against Louisville it will the first time his dementia-stricken father, Larry, will see his son in person leading a team as a head coach.

“It is very special for me,” said Hodgson, who turns 39 on April 11, during Monday afternoon’s press conference at USF. “I had a feeling that (opening in Buffalo) would happen. I think God works in mysterious ways.

My father is going to see me coach in person on Thursday and that means the world to me. I am very blessed. ” Larry and his wife, Rebecca, fostered more than 100 children.

Some were taken in for days, some for weeks, some for longer stretches. A few, like Bryan, were adopted. It was a process that began after Hodgson was born to a 15-year-old mother and several problems arose.