Getty Image / David K Purdy
Bob Huggins was arrested on a DUI charge back in mid-June. After the incident, it was reported he had resigned as head basketball coach of West Virginia University.
Flash forward to early July and Huggins hits the headlines again. Only this time, reports claim he’s threatening a lawsuit over his resignation.
According to Myron Medcalf at ESPN, “an attorney for the former West Virginia men’s basketball coach claims he never formally resigned last month and said Huggins will sue the university if he’s not reinstated.”
West Virginia was reportedly quick to respond, per Medcalf.
“In response, the university, which announced the hiring of longtime assistant Josh Eilert as interim coach last month, said it will not reinstate Huggins and will defend itself against any ‘spurious allegations.'”
Bob Huggins’ DUI arrest happened in Pittsburgh and his resignation from WVU came soon after. However, it Huggins is adamant that he did not actually resign from the university.
Huggins’ attorney sent a letter to WVU in the hopes to clear things up. ESPN reports that it wasn’t Bob Huggins claims he didn’t send a resignation letter to WVU, but instead, it was his wife, June.
“In his letter, which was obtained by ESPN, David A. Campbell, an attorney representing Huggins, said Huggins’ resignation correspondence with the school did not come from him but from his wife, June Huggins. Campbell claims Huggins never gave WVU a ‘formal’ resignation.”
Overall, this is becoming a rather messy situation. Right now, it’s a back and forth argument between Bob Huggins and WVU.
Huggins seems to believe he was wrongly let go by the university, while those at WVU believe Huggins was aware of the resignation all along, per Myron Medcalf.
This situation is likely to last throughout the offseason, as lawyers and attorneys are being put to work to set the story straight.
Perhaps we’ll have more answers later in the year when college basketball season heats up.