Roger Hodge Resigns As AASU Women's Basketball Head Coach

SAVANNAH, Ga. (July 9) – Armstrong Atlantic State head women's basketball coach Roger Hodge has announced his resignation after serving as the Lady Pirates' coach for the last eight seasons. The all-time winningest coach in AASU women's basketball history, Hodge leaves the school to become an assistant coach with the East Carolina University women's basketball program in 2008-09.

Hodge took over the helm of the AASU women's basketball program after the 1999-2000 season and, within four short seasons, led the Lady Pirates to their first-ever Peach Belt Conference tournament championship, first-ever WBCA Division II national ranking, back-to-back NCAA Championships berths and back-to-back 20-win seasons.

"Leaving Armstrong Atlantic is a bitter-sweet moment for me and my family," Hodge said. "While coaching in Conference USA is a great opportunity, my family and I are leaving a program that we dearly love. It is not easy moving from a place where there are so many positive memories. My children took my first steps here, this was my first head coaching opportunity, and we have built many life-long friendships so obviously the decision was a very emotional one."

Hodge leaves AASU with a 138-97 career record, with his 138 wins representing the most in program history and his .588 winning percentage also rating as the top career mark for the Lady Pirates.

"Armstrong Atlantic State women's basketball has been put on the map, so to speak, with its outstanding success over the last eight seasons, and Roger Hodge has been the main architect of that success," AASU Athletic Director Dr. Eddie Aenchbacher said. "He will be sorely missed, but we wish him well in his coaching endeavors and expect him to be as successful where the future takes him and his family."

Last season, Hodge led the Lady Pirates to a third 20-win season and a second appearance in the Peach Belt Conference tournament championship game as the No. 7 seed, finishing the season at 20-11. AASU has also defeated at least one nationally-ranked opponent in each season he as been at the helm of the Lady Pirates, a streak of eight straight years.

"I am grateful to Dr. Tom Jones, Dr. Eddie Aenchbacher, and the entire Armstrong community for their support of our program and for entrusting me to oversee it," Hodge said. "I feel extremely blessed to have been involved with all of the players that elevated Lady Pirate Basketball to one of the best in the Peach Belt and I am thankful for having been part of what they have accomplished.

"Although I am leaving Savannah, I will closely follow Pirate Athletics in the future. Specifically, I hope that we have left Lady Pirate Basketball better than we found it and that my successor will be in a position to continue to move the program forward. I have coached Lady Pirate teams that have had very special young ladies and this team is no different. However, they are a very talented group and I will publicly challenge them to stay together and work harder than they ever have before. I am looking forward to seeing them do great things in the upcoming season and beyond."

A search to find a successor to coach Hodge will begin immediately. The Lady Pirates return eight players from last season's 20-11 squad and have seven signees who will join AASU in August.