Report: West Virginia may let Bob Huggins retire following DUI arrest

West Virginia has a decision to make on Bob Huggins. The head coach has not had a good offseason, with the news of a DUI arrest on Saturday being the latest. Surely Huggins is not likely to be back to coach the 2023-2024 season but the exact way he leaves Morgantown is unclear.

According to Adam Zagoria, West Virginia is considering “letting” Huggins retire instead of officially being fired from the program. Huggins is in the latter stages of his career anyway, not having too many more seasons before leaving coaching. Still, recent events may force an accelerated timeline from both Huggins and West Virginia.

“Sources: West Virginia is considering letting Bob Huggins retire in the wake of his latest DUI, as opposed to saying he’s been fired,” Zagoria said. “AD Wren Baker met with the players earlier today but nothing concrete was announced about Huggins’ future.”

Huggins’ DUI was not the first incident he has found himself in this offseason. When speaking on a radio show in Cincinnati, he used a homophobic slur to describe Xavier fans. His job stability was questioned there but ultimately, West Virginia decided to only suspend the head coach.

Even if Huggins does wind up keeping his job, he will not be on the sideline to begin the season. West Virginia is expected to be considered a threat in the Big 12 this season, hoping to make a run at the conference championship.

However, getting a DUI may be the final straw. In what has been a Hall of Fame career for Huggins, it’s most likely ending with multiple horrendous incidents. There’s a chance West Virginia decides against officially firing Huggins but at the end of the day, he seems to be heading out the door in the near future.

West Virginia releases statement on Bob Huggins DUI arrest

Shortly after the news of Huggins’ arrest was revealed, West Virginia released a statement on the situation. Huggins was arrested in Pittsburgh, although he thought he was in Colombus. The Mountaineers athletic department is working with the City of Pittsburgh on figuring out details.

“West Virginia University is aware of an incident last night involving Head Men’s Basketball Coach Bob Huggins, for which he was charged with Driving Under the Influence (DUI) in the City of Pittsburgh,” the statement read. “We are gathering more information and will take appropriate action once the review is complete.”