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USF men’s basketball team in NCAA tournament
FOX 13’s Mark Skol Jr. reports.
TAMPA, Fla. - March is USF head coach Bryan Hodgson's favorite month of the year.
"It is the 68 best teams in college basketball," Hodgson said. "Win, move on. Lose, go home."
Even though the Bulls have won 11 straight, Hodgson is still going home.
What they're saying:
"I had a feeling that would happen," Hodgson said. "God works in mysterious ways."
Hodgson is a Western New York native, and USF is playing its first NCAA Tournament game in 14 years in Buffalo.
"Very special for me," Hodgson said.
Special doesn't even begin to describe it. His father, Larry, has dementia and has been unable to travel to see Hodgson coach as a head coach over the last three years. That will change this week.
"He's going to be able to see me coach in person on Thursday," Hodgson said. "That means the world to me. I am very blessed."
However, finally having his dad watch him coach is not why Hodgson believes he is blessed.
READ: USF star Izaiyah Nelson more proud of team success than historic conference honors
The backstory:
"[He] took me in as a foster child," Hodgson said. "[He] gave me a second chance at life. [He] believed in me. [He] instilled important values like discipline and hard work and the things that have gotten me here. He allowed me to chase my dreams."
Even when those dreams seemed too big, Larry always believed in his son. That was never more evident than when Hodgson told his father his plans to switch majors in college from history to sports management in order to pursue his dream of becoming a college basketball coach.
"He was very confused, and I am sure very concerned, but he didn't show it in the moment," Hodgson said. "He just finished the conversation with, 'Listen, I think you are going to be great at whatever you do, so I support whatever you want to do, and we back you 100 percent.' Now, here we are."
Now, he's living his dreams right in front of his father's eyes.
"He is the most loving, selfless and caring man I have ever known," Hodgson said. "I can't wait to see him here in a couple of days."
While Larry has not seen Hodgson coach in person, his presence has already been felt in every Bulls' huddle. Hodgson says he models his coaching after his father's parenting.
READ: USF men's basketball team celebrates conference championship
Dig deeper:
"My dad used to tell me all the time, he would say, 'I don't care if you like me right now,'" Hodgson said. "'I want you to be successful in life.' I tell my guys all the time, 'I don't care if you like me right now, I want you to love me in five years. I want to be invited to your wedding. I want to meet your wife. I want to meet your children. That's what is important to me."
It's important for Hodgson to create that same father-son-like bond with his team.
"They aren't going to be happy every single day, but the goal is when they leave here, they feel impacted in a very positive way," Hodgson said.
He hopes his players feel positive, just like how his dad made him feel.
"He was always someone who enabled me to chase my dreams, believed in me and was kind of an anything is possible kind of guy," Hodgson said.
When it comes to Hodgson's father, anything is possible and, of course, Hodgson believes the same can be said for the Bulls in March Madness.
READ: USF basketball star earns historic conference honors
What's next:
Hodgson and the Bulls will play Louisville in the first round of the NCAA Tournament on Thursday at 1:30 p.m. The game will be televised on TruTV.
The Source: The information in this story was gathered by FOX 13's Mark Skol, Jr. during a press conference with Bryan Hodgson.