Following his arrest for drunken driving, Bob Huggins has confirmed that he voluntarily entered a rehabilitation facility. He strongly denies the university’s claim that he resigned from his position at West Virginia, accusing them of spreading false information.
This ongoing dispute between the Hall of Fame coach and the university has taken an unpleasant turn. In a statement obtained by the Associated Press, Huggins, through his attorney David A. Campbell, addresses the situation. Released on Monday, the statement consists of five paragraphs in which Huggins aims to clarify the events of the past two weeks since his arrest on June 16 in Pittsburgh. Huggins emphasizes that his primary focus has been on his rehabilitation, which he is undergoing at an undisclosed facility. He states that he has refrained from responding to the university’s version of events until now.
Bob Huggins expressed his acknowledgment of the mistake he made and affirmed that he is taking the necessary measures to ensure it does not happen again in the future.
He stated that he intends to remain in the rehabilitation center until he receives clearance to resume his active coaching duties.
On June 17, WVU made an announcement stating that Huggins had resigned. A week later, assistant coach Josh Eilert was promoted to interim head coach for the upcoming 2023-24 season. Some of Huggins’ players have already entered the transfer portal, with a few finding new teams.
However, Huggins refuted the claim that he formally submitted a resignation notice. According to the terms of his contract, Huggins would have been required to submit a letter of resignation by registered or certified mail. Furthermore, Huggins clarified that the university’s statement released on June 17, titled “A Message from Bob Huggins to the WVU Community,” which indicated his resignation, was not authored or reviewed by him.
Huggins highlighted that the statement, which was falsely attributed to him, did not bear his signature. He also pointed out that the university’s joint statement from the President and Athletics Director, released alongside the alleged resignation letter, strongly implied that they had received his purported resignation letter.
In a letter to Huggins’ attorney, the university made it clear on Saturday that they would not accept any attempt to rescind his resignation or reinstate him as head coach of the men’s basketball program. On Monday, the university issued another response, dismissing Huggins’ letter as baseless and labeling any claim that he hadn’t resigned as frivolous.
According to Huggins, he informed the university about his intention to seek rehabilitation. However, he alleges that WVU refused to discuss the Pittsburgh incident with him or provide him with time to seek legal counsel and review his Employment Agreement.
On the day his resignation was announced, Huggins stated that he met with his players and informed them of the truth—that he was unsure about his future, but if he were no longer their coach, he hoped to be replaced by someone he recommended to WVU.
Contrary to Huggins’ account, the university maintains that Huggins met with his players and staff to announce that he would no longer be coaching the team.
Now that Huggins has secured legal representation to review his contract and has observed the university’s comments about his current status, he believes that WVU mishandled the situation. Furthermore, he expresses a strong desire to conclude his coaching career as the Head Basketball Coach of the program he holds dear. Huggins hopes to meet with WVU in the near future to find a resolution to the situation.
Huggins’ attorney, Campbell, sent a letter on Sunday to Stephanie Taylor, WVU’s vice president and general counsel, requesting a meeting to discuss a mutually agreeable resolution to the dispute. In response, Taylor stated on Monday that the university stands by its position and will not reinstate Huggins. However, she requested a detailed written proposal from Campbell before scheduling any further discussions.
Campbell claimed on Friday that the university’s announcement of Huggins’ resignation was based on a text message from Huggins’ wife to Steve Uryasz, West Virginia’s deputy athletic director. The university had provided a copy of a notice sent by June Huggins, Bob Huggins’ wife, on the same day. The notice was sent from June Huggins’ email address, associated with her name, and had an iPhone signature. It was sent to Uryasz’s email address and did not appear to be a text message, as Campbell asserted.
One hour after Bob Huggins’ attorney sent the letter, West Virginia’s athletic director, Wren Baker, responded by accepting Huggins’ resignation and wishing him well in his retirement. The announcement of Huggins’ resignation came one month after the university had imposed a three-game suspension on him for using an anti-gay slur and making derogatory remarks about Catholics during a radio interview.
At 69 years old, Huggins had amassed an impressive coaching career, ranking as the third-winningest coach in Division I with 935 victories. His record placed him behind only Mike Krzyzewski of Duke (1,202) and Jim Boeheim of Syracuse (1,015), both of whom have since retired. While Huggins did not secure a national championship, he led Cincinnati to the Final Four in 1992 and achieved the same feat with West Virginia in 2010.