Huggins resigned amidst a DUI arrest over the weekend in Cincinnati, then subsequently retired when announcing his departure from West Virginia.
The 69-year-old Huggins ranks third on the Division I coaching wins list, only behind Boeheim and Krzyzewski. He was inducted into the Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame back in September.
Huggins became only the second coach to lead two different programs to 300 wins, joining Roy Williams during the 2020-21 season. Huggins finished with 345 wins in Morgantown, where he was born, and 399 with the University of Cincinnati. Huggins led the Bearcats to the 1992 Final Four, in only his third season, while getting the Mountaineers to the Final Four in 2010, also his third season.
Huggins was arrested in Pittsburgh on Friday, after cutting a tire on his SUV, and having the vehicle stopped in the middle of the road. Huggins reportedly had the door open, where officers found several empty beer containers on the floor.
The Pennsylvania state limit is .08. Bob Huggins reportedly came in at .21, while failing a field sobriety test. This was the second time Huggins was arrested for DUI, as his first instance was while in Cincinnati in 2004. Huggins reportedly had friction with then-university president Nancy Zimpher, which led to his departure the following season.
After heading to Kansas State for a year in 2005, where the Wildcats did not make any postseason tournament, Huggins signed a five year contract with the Mountaineers, his alma mater. Five straight trips to the NCAA Tournament resulted in a Sweet 16 his first year, but failure to get out of the first weekend three times. The Mountaineers have failed to advance past the Sweet 16 since that magical 2010 run.
Just last month, Huggins appeared as a guest on the Bill Cunningham Show in Cincinnati. Cunningham, a conservative commentator and attorney, has been called a purveyor of hate speech in the past. Huggins was quoted on the show making a homophobic slur, along with anti-Catholic remarks.
For Huggins to spiral this quickly downward, the “Huggy Bear” nickname loses a lot of its luster.
West Virginia has already announced a nationwide search for a new coach, which falls in line perfectly with the transfer portal and summer recruiting. All current players on the Mountaineer roster would be eligible to transfer, now that Huggins will no longer be affiliated with the program. The Mountaineers are good for a low-end at-large bid in the NCAA Tournament every year, but you have to think a couple of seasons in the NIT might be a high point during this transition phase.
UCLA head coach Mick Cronin was an assistant under Huggins, as was current Boston Celtics head coach Joe Mazzulla. Remember that the Celtics just came off a trip to the Eastern Conference Finals under Mazzulla a few weeks ago. Do not count Mazzulla out as a dark horse candidate for the West Virginia job, with how the national media got their pound of flesh during Boston’s demise to the 8th-seeded Miami Heat.
Huggins’ 935 wins ranks eight on the NCAA all-time list. He has nine trips to the Sweet 16, and four trips to the Elite Eight.
Huggins was fined $1 million worth of his salary, and his contract restructured to only be guaranteed through the end of this season, in the wake of the fallout of the Cunningham remarks. His 16-year run in Morgantown will end with 345 regular season wins, but barely over .500 within the Big 12 (150-135 - .526).
Huggins could have entered rehab, and still may as a personal choice. However, the West Virginia brass could not have two high-profile black marks on their legendary coach going into a new season, where the Big 12 will bid farewell to Texas and Oklahoma.
Bill Self is knocking on 800 career wins, with 600 at Kansas this upcoming season. The Big 12 was already planning to bid farewell to Texas and Oklahoma. This is not the start to that tour they anticipated.
-JC24