Tag: bob huggins

After Huggins’ Exit, Interim Coach Josh Eilert Up For Challenge With Rebuilt Lineup At WVU

West Virginia had an offseason that no one hoped for. Hall of Fame coach Bob Huggins is gone following a June drunken-driving arrest. Assistant Josh Eilert was named interim coach and worked to keep his roster from imploding.

West Virginia had an offseason that no one hoped for.

Hall of Fame coach Bob Huggins is gone following a June drunken-driving arrest. Assistant Josh Eilert was named interim coach and worked feverishly to keep his roster from imploding because players had an emergency 30-day window to enter the transfer portal.

Several veteran players found new schools, others who had entered the portal stayed put and many newcomers arrived weeks after Huggins left. An August exhibition trip to Italy was postponed until next summer.

“It was a balancing act,” Eilert said. “It was a very delicate situation. First and foremost, I wanted to figure out who was all-in and I wanted to back them and let them know that they’re part of the foundation moving forward. And then slowly but surely as the 30 days came to a close, we’d start moving forward and putting those other pieces together and bringing those pieces in.”

On the wall of his office — Huggins’ old office — Eilert has a large photo of his introductory news conference. In the background is a reminder of his current situation: a TV graphic with the word “interim.”

In his view, Eilert, who was given a 10-month contract, is the head coach throughout the upcoming season, interim or not, and he wants to prove that he’s capable of building a program and having that tag removed.

“Now, is there a lot of pressure? Absolutely,” Eilert said. “But I’m excited to take on that challenge.”

OUT BEFORE THEY PLAYED

Once practices began, Eilert kicked graduate transfer guard Jose Perez off the team. Perez said on X, formerly Twitter, that his exit was over an academic disagreement involving study hall. Eilert said he set some non-negotiable rules during their first team meeting.

“I wasn’t going to compromise the integrity of the program and the culture of the program,” Eilert said.

After transferring from Manhattan, Perez sat out last season when the NCAA denied his waiver to play immediately. He transferred to Arizona State.

The NCAA also denied waiver requests by guards Omar Silverio and RaeQuan Battle. Silverio was Perez’s teammate at Manhattan but never played there and previously played at Hofstra. The Mountaineers planned to appeal the decision on Battle, who averaged 17.7 points last season at Montana State and previously played at Washington.

PROJECTING THE LINEUP

Only four players are back from last season’s roster.

The focus of the offense will be on Syracuse transfer center Jesse Edwards, who averaged 14.5 points and 10.3 rebounds last season. He’ll get plenty of looks from guard Kerr Kriisa, who averaged 10 points and five assists per game at Arizona.

After that, it gets tricky. In Battle’s place, the Mountaineers could turn to returning guards Seth Wilson and Kobe Johnson.

In the mix at forward are Georgetown transfer Akok Akok; Iona transfer Quinn Slazinski; freshman Ofri Naveh and veteran bench players Josiah Harris and Patrick Suemnick.

INTERNATIONAL LOOK

The roster has a considerable international flavor. For many of those foreign-born players, soccer was their first sport.

Edwards is from Amsterdam, The Netherlands. Kriisa’s hometown is Tartu, Estonia. Akok, who grew up in Manchester, New Hampshire, and backup center Ali Ragab are natives of Cairo, Egypt. Naveh is from Neot Golan, Israel.

“Yeah, it’s fun. Everybody’s got different cultures, different backgrounds,” Edwards said. “For the American guys, it might be something new, seeing all these dudes with different ideas and accents.”

THINKING OF HUGGS

Huggins signed Kriisa in April. Like others, Kriisa initially re-entered the portal after Huggins’ arrest, then decided he would remain with the Mountaineers.

“After everything went down, Bob told me that he’s going to be here for me. Whatever I need,” Kriisa said. “I felt that made me feel very comfortable, even though if he’s not around the team, he’s still going to be here in Morgantown and be here for me.”

THE SCHEDULE

West Virginia opens the season at home Nov. 6 against Missouri State. The Mountaineers start Big 12 play at No. 7 Houston on Jan. 6, host No. 18 Texas on Jan. 13, top-ranked Kansas on Jan. 20 and No. 20 Baylor on Feb. 17.

WVU Basketball Coach Bob Huggins Resigns Hours After DUI Arrest

West Virginia basketball coach Bob Huggins has been arrested on suspicion of drunken driving.

Updated Saturday, June 17, 2023 at 10:39 p.m.

West Virginia basketball coach Bob Huggins has resigned following a drunken driving arrest.

The university announced his resignation Saturday night.

Huggins was charged with driving under the influence on Friday night after his SUV had stopped in the middle of traffic in Pittsburgh with a shredded tire. According to a criminal complaint, a breath test determined Huggins’ blood alcohol content was 0.21%, more than twice the legal limit.

The move comes a month after the university suspended him for three games for using an anti-gay slur while also denigrating Catholics during a radio interview.

Huggins, 69, of Morgantown, West Virginia, was pulled over by police in Pittsburgh on Friday night. He was charged with driving under the influence, was released from custody and will appear at a later date for a preliminary hearing, according to a police report.

In a statement to the West Virginia community, Huggins said: “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 head men’s basketball coach at West Virginia University effective immediately.

My recent actions do not represent the values of the University or the leadership expected in this role. “

On Friday night, an officer observed garbage bags with empty beer containers both inside the vehicle and in the trunk, according to a criminal complaint. Huggins said he had been to a basketball camp with his brother in Sherrodsville, Ohio. An officer said Huggins was asked multiple times what city he was in but never got a response. A breath test determined Huggins’ blood alcohol content was 0.21%, more than twice the legal limit of 0.08% in Pennsylvania. A blood sample also was taken from Huggins at a hospital before his release.

It was Huggins’ second such arrest. The other occurred in 2004 when he was the head coach at Cincinnati.

West Virginia’s athletic department said in a statement it was aware of Friday’s incident. “We are gathering more information and will take appropriate action once the review is complete,” the statement said.

Last month Huggins agreed to a three-game suspension, a $1 million salary reduction and sensitivity training for using the slur during an interview with Cincinnati radio station WLW. Huggins was asked about the transfer portal and whether he had a chance of landing a player at West Virginia from Xavier, a Jesuit school.

Original story

West Virginia basketball coach Bob Huggins has been arrested on suspicion of drunken driving. The arrest Friday night in Pittsburgh comes a month after the university suspended him for three games for using an anti-gay slur during a radio interview. According to a police report, officers saw an SUV with a shredded tire blocking traffic. Huggins was charged with driving under the influence. He’ll have a preliminary hearing at a later date. It was Huggins’ second such arrest. The other occurred in 2004 when he was the coach at Cincinnati. West Virginia’s athletic department says it’s aware of the incident and will take action once it completes a review.

West Virginia basketball coach Bob Huggins has been arrested on suspicion of drunken driving, a month after the university suspended him for three games for using an anti-gay slur while also denigrating Catholics during a radio interview.

Huggins, 69, of Morgantown, West Virginia, was pulled over by police in Pittsburgh on Friday night. He was charged with driving under the influence, was released from custody and will appear at a later date for a preliminary hearing, according to a police report.

An officer observed garbage bags with empty beer containers both inside the vehicle and in the trunk, according to a criminal complaint. Huggins said he had been to a basketball camp with his brother in Sherrodsville, Ohio. An officer said Huggins was asked multiple times what city he was in but never got a response. A breath test determined Huggins’ blood alcohol content was 0.21%, more than twice the legal limit of 0.08% in Pennsylvania. A blood sample also was taken from Huggins at a hospital before his release.

It was Huggins’ second such arrest. The other occurred in 2004 when he was the head coach at Cincinnati.

West Virginia’s athletic department said in a statement it was aware of Friday’s incident. “We are gathering more information and will take appropriate action once the review is complete,” the statement said.

Officers observed a black SUV in the middle of a road blocking traffic just before 8:30 p.m. The vehicle had a flat and shredded tire, and the driver’s side door was open, according to the police report.

Huggins Fined, Must Complete Training After Using Homophobic Slurs

West Virginia University President E. Gordon Gee and Director of Athletics Wren Baker released a statement Wednesday about steps the university is taking with Head Men’s Basketball Coach Bob Huggins following his homophobic comments on a Cincinnati radio show Monday where he used “derogatory and offensive language.” 

Updated on Wednesday, May 10, 2023 at 2:45 p.m. to include a statement from Bob Huggins

West Virginia University President E. Gordon Gee and Director of Athletics Wren Baker released a statement Wednesday about steps the university is taking with Head Men’s Basketball Coach Bob Huggins following his homophobic comments on a Cincinnati radio show Monday where he used “derogatory and offensive language.” 

The statement begins by stating that, “It was inexcusable. It was a moment that unfairly and inappropriately hurt many people and has tarnished West Virginia University.”

  • Huggins has agreed to meet with WVU’s LGBTQ+ Center to develop annual training sessions that will address all aspects of inequality including homophobia, transphobia, sexism, ableism and more. 
  • Huggins will be required to meet with LGBTQ+ leaders from across West Virginia to engage in additional opportunities to show support for the LGBTQ+ community.
  • Huggins also will be required to meet with leadership from WVU’s Carruth Center to better understand the mental health crisis facing our college students, particularly those in marginalized communities. 
  • Huggins annual compensation will be reduced by $1 million.
    • Those dollars will be used to directly support WVU’s LGBTQ+ Center, the Carruth Center and other state and national organizations that support marginalized communities. 
  • Huggins personally volunteered, and WVU agrees, that he will make a substantial donation to Xavier University to support its Center for Faith and Justice and its Center for Diversity and Inclusion. 
  • Huggins will be suspended for the first three regular season games of the 2023-2024 season.
  • Huggins’ current employment contract will be amended from a multi-year agreement to a year-by-year agreement that will begin on May 10, 2023, and end on April 30, 2024.

The full statement reads as follows: 

Statement from West Virginia University President E. Gordon Gee and Director of Athletics Wren Baker: 

“On Monday, May 8, Head Men’s Basketball Coach Bob Huggins was interviewed on a Cincinnati radio show where he used derogatory and offensive language. It was inexcusable. It was a moment that unfairly and inappropriately hurt many people and has tarnished West Virginia University.

It is also a moment that provides the opportunity for learning. A moment that can shine a light on the injustice and hate that often befall the members of our marginalized communities. While the University has never and will never condone the language used on Monday, we will use this moment to educate how the casual use of inflammatory language and implicit bias affect our culture, our community and our health and well-being.

To begin, the Athletics Department will partner with WVU’s LGBTQ+ Center to develop annual training sessions that will address all aspects of inequality including homophobia, transphobia, sexism, ableism and more. This training and programming will be required of Coach Huggins and all current and future athletics coaching staff.

Next, according to the Williams Institute, West Virginia has the highest percentage of transgender youth in the nation. To address the concerns of our West Virginia youth, Coach Huggins will be required to meet with LGBTQ+ leaders from across West Virginia with guidance from the leadership of WVU’s LGBTQ+ Center. We want to partner with ACLU-WV, Fairness WV, Morgantown Pride and other organizations to elevate the conversation regarding the issues that affect our state. Through those conversations, we expect Coach Huggins, in accordance with these partners, to engage in additional opportunities to show support for the LGBTQ+ community.

Coach Huggins also will be required to meet with leadership from WVU’s Carruth Center to better understand the mental health crisis facing our college students, particularly those in marginalized communities. It is expected he will work with the Center and the University to raise awareness on how we can best support our students’ health and well-being.

The annual compensation of Coach Huggins will be reduced by $1 million. Those dollars will be used to directly support WVU’s LGBTQ+ Center, the Carruth Center and other state and national organizations that support marginalized communities. University leadership will seek input from these organizations to determine how to best utilize those funds.

We also take seriously the disparaging way in which the Catholic faith was characterized in the comments. Coach Huggins personally volunteered and WVU agrees that he will make a substantial donation to Xavier University to support its Center for Faith and Justice and its Center for Diversity and Inclusion. 

In addition, the following actions have been taken because of this incident:

• Coach Huggins will be suspended for the first three regular season games of the 2023-2024 season; and

• His current employment contract will be amended from a multi-year agreement to a year-by-year agreement that will begin on May 10, 2023, and end on April 30, 2024.

• We have made it explicitly clear to Coach Huggins that any incidents of similar derogatory and offensive language will result in immediate termination.

We will never truly know the damage that has been done by the words said in those 90 seconds. Words matter and they can leave scars that can never be seen. But words can also heal. And by taking this moment to learn more about another’s perspective, speak respectfully and lead with understanding, perhaps the words “do better” will lead to meaningful change for all.”

E. Gordon Gee
President, West Virginia University

Wren Baker
Vice President and Director of WVU Athletics

Statement from Bob Huggins:

“Over the past 48 hours, I have reflected on the awful words that I shared on a radio program earlier this week. I deeply regret my actions, the hurt they unfairly caused others and the negative attention my words have brought to West Virginia University.
 
I also regret the embarrassment and disappointment it has caused our Athletics family, members of our campus community and the state of West Virginia. I am sorry for the hurt and distress I have caused our students and our student-athletes. I represent more than just our University and our basketball program, and it pains me to know that I have let so many people down.
 
I have no excuse for the language I used, and I take full responsibility. I will abide with the actions outlined by the University and Athletics leadership to learn from this incident. I have had several conversations with colleagues and friends that I deeply respect and admire over the last 24 hours, and I am keenly aware of the pain that I have caused. I meant what I wrote on Monday – I will do better.
 
I am looking forward to working with WVU’s LGBTQ+ Center and other state organizations to learn more about the issues facing the community. As a leader, I am eager to use my platform to take what I learn and share it with a broader audience.
 
I also regret my comments regarding Xavier University. I am hopeful that my personal donation to the university to support its Center for Faith and Justice and its Center for Diversity and Inclusion will further the work it does and the impact it has on its students.
 
West Virginia and West Virginia University are my home. I love this University and know first-hand that the education and experiences students receive here make a difference. I am truly sorry for the damage I have done. And I am grateful for the chance to move forward in a way that positively represents this University and our state.”

WVU Coach Bob Huggins Criticized After Saying Homophobic Slur On Radio

West Virginia University basketball coach Bob Huggins is being widely criticized for his use of a homophobic slur twice while discussing Xavier University fans on Cincinnati radio station 700WLW’s “The Bill Cunningham Show” Monday afternoon.

West Virginia University basketball coach Bob Huggins is being widely criticized for his use of a homophobic slur twice while discussing Xavier University fans on Cincinnati radio station 700WLW’s “The Bill Cunningham Show” Monday afternoon.

After one of the show’s guests referred to an incident at a Cincinnati Crosstown Shootout – an annual basketball game between Xavier and the University of Cincinnati – where inflatable penises were thrown onto the court, the show’s host Cunningham said, “I’ll bet it was transgender night.”

“What it was was all those f–s, those Catholic f–s, they were envious they didn’t have one,” Huggins replied.

Audio of the show was not available on 700WLW’s website Tuesday morning, nor was Monday’s episode posted to the station’s podcast feed.

Huggins, who was previously head coach at University of Cincinnati, issued a statement that evening calling his own language “completely insensitive and abhorrent” and vowed to accept any consequences.

The statement was also shared on WVU Men’s Basketball social media accounts.

Several individuals and groups are calling for Huggins’ termination, including Morgantown Pride, who said that at a minimum the entire coaching staff should undergo Safe Zone training.

The ACLU of West Virginia did not call for termination, but stated Huggins’ comments have “opened the floodgates” to more hate. They went on to point out that Huggins is the state’s highest-paid public employee and called on him to make a donation to The Trevor Project or the Appalachian Queer Youth Summit.

WVU Athletics also issued a statement Monday evening that said “the situation is under review and will be addressed by the university and its athletic department.”

Update: WVU Coach Bob Huggins To Be Inducted Into Hall Of Fame

West Virginia University men’s basketball coach Bob Huggins will be inducted into the sport’s hall of fame this year.

Updated on Monday, April 4, 2022 at 11:30 a.m.

West Virginia University men’s basketball coach Bob Huggins will be inducted into the sport’s hall of fame this year.

Huggins was amongst the 13 honorees in the The Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame Class of 2022 announced Saturday, April 2 in New Orleans, Louisiana.

The Enshrinement event will take place September 9-10 in Springfield, Massachusetts.

National sports reporter for The Athletic Shams Charania broke the story Thursday night that Huggins would be inducted into the Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame in September.

Fellow 2022 inductees include National Basketball Association (NBA) players Tim Hardaway and Manu Ginobili, Women’s National Basketball Association (WNBA) star Swin Cash, and NBA coach George Karl.

WVPB reached out to the Hall of Fame and WVU Communications to confirm, but they did not immediately respond.

A Morgantown native, Huggins was named head men’s basketball coach at WVU in 2007. During his tenure, he led the team to 326 victories and 10 National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) Tournament appearances.

With 916 wins throughout his collegiate coaching career, Huggins has the eighth-most wins of any basketball coach in NCAA history.

Huggins was announced as a North American committee finalist for the Hall of Fame in February. He will join fellow West Virginians Jerry West and Hal Greer in receiving hall of fame honors.

*Editor’s note: This story was updated to reflect Huggins’ official naming to the Hall of Fame on Saturday, April 2.

WVU Has Short Tournament Turnaround to Get Ahead of Storm

For the second straight year, a major winter storm has scrambled West Virginia’s travel plans for the NCAA Tournament.

About 20 hours after arriving back on campus from the West Coast, the Mountaineers left Tuesday to begin preparations for Friday’s Sweet 16 appearance in Boston against old Big East foe Villanova.

The Mountaineers had returned to Morgantown, West Virginia, on Monday night from a 2,500-mile trip to San Diego, only to find out a few hours later they’d be leaving a day early for the regional semifinals. The storm was already churning through West Virginia and was heading toward New England, where up to a foot of snow was expected. It’s the fourth nor’easter in three weeks set to smack the East Coast.

For good measure, West Virginia coach Bob Huggins threw in an early morning practice Tuesday before leaving.

“It’s been tough,” Huggins said. “It would have been nice to be able to stay in town for another day.”

The storm isn’t causing other teams in the East Regional much consternation. Purdue moved up its scheduled departure time by six hours to Wednesday morning. Villanova and Texas Tech’s haven’t changed their travel plans to Boston.

The fifth-seeded Mountaineers (26-10) and top-seeded Villanova (32-4) meet Friday night at TD Garden, followed by second-seeded Purdue (30-6) against third-seeded Texas Tech (26-9). A win would give Huggins his fifth berth in the regional finals.

West Virginia also saw tournament weather challenges in the NCAA Tournament last March when the Mountaineers left a day early on a bus for a four-hour trip to Buffalo, New York, ahead of a snowstorm rather than risk flight delays. They won twice and advanced to the Sweet 16 before losing to Gonzaga.

West Virginia’s travel issues are well documented in the Big 12 with trips of 1,000 miles or more every year to play Texas, Texas Tech, TCU, Baylor, Oklahoma and Oklahoma State. The shortest trip is 870 miles to play Iowa State.

“You look at it one of two ways — either we’re prepared because we do travel more than virtually every team in the country, or we’re going to be worn out,” Huggins said. “So hopefully it’s not we’re worn out.”

One player Huggins won’t have to worry about is senior guard Jevon Carter, who is known for his focus and work ethic and wants to get the Mountaineers back to the Final Four for the first time since 2010.

Carter typically is the first player working on his jumper and free throws two hours before games. And when Huggins showed up 45 minutes before the start of Tuesday’s practice, Carter was already on the court.

“He had been in there already for who knows how long getting shots up,” Huggins said.

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