Sports

Former West Virginia Basketball Coach Bob Huggins Claims He Didn’t Resign After All

#Bob Huggins
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Getty Image / David K. Purdy


It’s been a tumultuous few months for the West Virginia University basketball program, to say the least. After the team lost in the first round of the NCAA Tournament to Maryland, coach Bob Huggins and staff brought in a great group of guys from the transfer portal, and had the team poised to make a run at a Big 12 title and possibly a final four berth.

But, things have gone downhill in a big way. Just weeks after Bob Huggins was suspended and fined $1 million for disparaging comments he made towards the LGBTQ community and towards Catholics on a radio show, the Hall of Fame coach was arrested in Pittsburgh for DUI, where he reportedly blew a 0.21 on a breathalyzer exam. The legal limit in Pennsylvania is 0.08, to put that in perspective.

Here is where things have gotten complicated. At the time, it was reported that Bob Huggins had submitted his resignation to West Virginia president Gordon Gee and athletic director Wren Baker. They elevated Josh Eilert to head coach, and things had appeared to have been settled, as far as Huggins was concerned.

But, the born and raised West Virginian isn’t going quietly. On Saturday, legal representation published a letter essentially stating that he didn’t actually resign, and he would like his job back.

Yeah, this is going to get ugly. Bob Huggins is beloved in West Virginia, and frankly, a lot of Mountaineer fans didn’t really take objection to the comments he made on the radio. Go back and look at some Tweets at the time if you don’t believe me. Many see this whole thing as a snow job to get rid of Huggins.

Of course, there’s no way they’re going to bring him back. He met with the team about his resignation at the time, and his wife sent this email to WVU brass.

So, is it a ploy to get paid a buyout instead of getting fired for cause? Probably. But, if blowing a 0.21 after getting suspended weeks earlier for defamatory statements isn’t enough cause to fire Bob Huggins, what is?