Bob Huggins releases statement, announces West Virginia resignation
On Saturday evening, reports began to surface on West Virginia head coach Bob Huggins resigning. The head coach made the move official shortly after, announcing he will not be with the program moving forward. After a legendary career in coaching, Huggins will be stepping away from college basketball in unfortunate circumstances.
“Today, I have submitted a letter to President Gordon Gee and Vice President and Director of Athletics Wren Baker informing them of my resignation and intention to retire as the head men’s basketball coach at West Virginia effective immediately.
My recent actions do not represent the value of the University or the leadership expected in this role. While I have always tried to represent our University with honor, I have let all of you — and myself — down. I am solely responsible for my conduct and sincerely apologize to the University community — particularly to the student-athletes, coaches, and staff in our program. I must do better and I plan to spend the next few months focused on my health and my family so that I can be the person they deserve.”
Huggins then ended the statement thanking the West Virginia fans, saying “Thank you to everyone who has supported our program over the years. It has meant more to me and my family than you could ever know.”
You can read the full statement here.
Two different events in the past few weeks have led to the resignation of Huggins.
A DUI arrest over the weekend was the latest, occurring in the city of Pittsburgh. Huggins blew a 0.21 breathalyzer test and told police he thought he was in Columbus, OH.
The controversy surrounding Huggins began when appearing on a radio show in Cincinnati, OH. He was reminiscing on his old days with the Cincinnati Bearcats, discussing the rivalry against Xavier. Huggins then called Muskateer fans “Catholic ****” and immediately received pushback.
West Virginia decided to suspend Huggins for his actions and reduce his salary by $1 million. While he was going to survive the radio incident, the DUI arrest was not enough to save his job. Huggins might have officially resigned but the final straw was drawn.
Huggins spent 16 seasons in Morgantown, the final destination of his Hall of Fame career. He won 935 games during his time between Akron, Cincinnati, Kansas State, and West Virginia. Two Final Fours, two additional Elite Eights, and another five Sweet 16s showcase the on-court success of Huggins.