Roger Hodge Named AASU Women's Basketball Head Coach

SAVANNAH, Ga. – Roger Hodge, who helped lead Liberty University to three consecutive Big South Conference women's basketball championships and three straight NCAA Women's Basketball Championship appearances, has been named the new head women's basketball coach at Armstrong Atlantic State University by athletic director Dr. Eddie Aenchbacher.

Hodge succeeds Lynn Jarrett, who led the Lady Pirate basketball program for four seasons. Hodge becomes the sixth AASU women's basketball coach in the program's history.

“I'm thrilled to have the opportunity to become the next head women's basketball coach at Armstrong Atlantic State University,” Hodge said. “I was impressed with the commitment and dedication that the administration and staff exhibited towards winning and building a quality women's basketball program in Savannah.”

Hodge entered the collegiate coaching ranks in 1997 with Liberty University and assisted Lady Flames head coach Rick Reeves on two Big South Conference championship squads in 1997-98 and 1998-99 and last year assisted head coach Carey Green. Liberty finished the 1999-2000 season with a 23-8 overall record and a 12-2 mark in the Big South, capturing the conference tournament for the fourth straight season and advancing to the NCAA Women's Basketball National Championships.

Prior to Liberty, Hodge was an assistant coach at Mercer Christian Academy in Princeton, W. Va., and helped lead the school to the 1996 Class A state championship. Hodge also assisted at Summers County High School from 1987-1994 and 1997, while the school captured three West Virginia Class AA State Championships in 1988, 1992 and 1994.

“We are very fortunate to have Roger Hodge join the AASU community as our new head women's basketball coach,” Dr. Aenchbacher said. “He comes from a highly respected and successful Division I program and we can certainly hope that some of that success will now transfer itself to Armstrong Atlantic State University.”

Hodge also directed the Southern West Virginia AAU team that finished runner-up in the AAU National Championships in 1990 and finished second in the state of West Virginia in 1990 and 1992.

A graduate of Concord College in Athens, W.Va., Hodge received a bachelor of arts degree in 1992. He also received a bachelor's of science degree in education with a concentration in business principles in 1997.

“I think we will have an exciting team to watch here at AASU,” Hodge said. “In teams I've coached in the past, we've liked to push the ball up the floor and play pressure defense. If we don't succeed, it won't be from a lack of effort. Our teams will play hard and keep the pressure on our opponents.”

Hodge takes over a Lady Pirate squad that went 7-19 last season, 4-12 in the PBAC and finished tied for fifth in the South Division. AASU handed Columbus State a 77-75 loss on Feb. 5, the last loss for the Lady Cougars until they advanced to the Elite Eight.

Since the sport was revived after a one-year hiatus in 1987-88, the AASU women's basketball program has put together a 147-192 overall record and a 72-87 mark in PBAC play.

The 2000-2001 AASU women's basketball campaign will begin with the Lady Pirates hosting three other schools in the Armstrong Atlantic State Lady Pirate Tip-Off Tournament on November 17 and 18, 2000.

	AASU Athletic Director Dr. Eddie Aenchbacher (left) introduces new AASU head women's basketball coach Roger Hodge (right).
	Interim AASU President Dr. Frank Butler (left) watches on as Dr. Aenchbacher (middle) addresses the media at Monday afternoon's press conference to introduce Roger Hodge (right).