The reigning CIAA champion Lincoln (PA) Lions have announced that they will be hiring former North Carolina State standout and NBA player Julius Hodge is expected to be hired as Lincoln’s next head coach.
Hodge played four seasons with NC State from 2002 to 2005, helping lead the team to an NCAA tournament appearance each year.
His best season came in 2004 when he was named ACC Player of the Year and was selected to the Consensus All-American team.
The former ACC forward transitioned to the NBA, getting drafted 20th overall by the Denver Nuggets in 2005. After two seasons in the NBA, he went overseas, notably playing for another seven years.
Hodge’s coaching career began at the University of Buffalo in 2015 as the team’s Director of Player Personnel. He has since served as an assistant on the coaching staffs of Santa Clara, San Jose State, and, most recently, Little Rock.
In what will be Hodge’s first career head coaching job, he is taking over a Lincoln (PA) team that won its first CIAA tournament title last season.
The Lions announced that they would be moving from coach Armstrong shortly after their loss in the Division II Playoffs. Armstrong was dismissed from Lincoln after two seasons at the helm.