Bob Huggins

Former West Virginia men's basketball head coach Bob Huggins entered a diversion program in the wake of his June arrest for driving under the influence, according to the Associated Press' John Raby.

John Lynch of WTRF in Wheeling, West Virginia, reported Tuesday that Huggins resolved his case by agreeing to the Accelerated Rehabilitative Disposition for first-time DUI offenders. In addition to the diversion program, his driver's license was suspended for 60 days. He also had to pay all court costs and will need to complete a 12.5-hour "alcohol highway safety school" class.

Huggins was arrested on June 16 in Pittsburgh. His sport utility vehicle was stopped in the middle of traffic, and one of the tires was almost completely shredded. Officers at the scene said he failed a field sobriety test and registered a .210 on a breathalyzer test.

Parts of the criminal complaint against Bob Huggins, obtained by CBS Sports, which includes an alarming .210 breathalyzer reading “after multiple failed attempts.”

Huggins failed multiple field sobriety tests on scene. pic.twitter.com/0WjTKbOmYh

— Matt Norlander (@MattNorlander) June 17, 2023

The arrest happened more than a month after Huggins received a three-game suspension and saw his salary slashed by $1 million for using an anti-gay slur on a Cincinnati-based radio show.

On June 17, Huggins announced he was resigning as the Mountaineers' coach.

His daughter, Jacque, said on Facebook that the Hall of Famer told WVU president Gordon Gee and the university's board he was prepared to enter a rehab program for 60 days before resuming his coaching duties. School administrators allegedly "refused" the offer.

From Bob Huggins daughter. pic.twitter.com/bfNLtt34fr

— Mountaineers B12C (@EERS_B12C) June 20, 2023

Huggins subsequently contested his resignation in July and claimed he didn't write the statement that was released by West Virginia. His lawyers said the message originated from his wife's email account. The university maintained it followed all of the proper channels regarding his departure and that his resignation was legitimate.

The Mountaineers promoted Josh Eilert to the role of interim head coach ahead of the 2023-24 season.

After threatening to sue West Virginia and demanding he be reinstated as head coach of the men's basketball team, Bob Huggins released a statement on Monday to address the situation.

Huggins stated that he never resigned from his position as head coach following his arrest for DUI in June, and he reiterated his desire to remain in the role.

Bob Huggins has released a statement: pic.twitter.com/Qycv8RRydO

— Ethan Bock (@ethanbock_) July 10, 2023

WV MetroNews' Hoppy Kercheval reported that the University called Huggins' claim "completely factually inaccurate," as his resignation letter was sent in by his wife and he also met with players to inform them of his departure last month.

More of WVU's response to Huggins' attorney's letter for reinstatement: "What is clear, however, is that on the evening of June 17, 2023, Mr. Huggins met with members of the men’s basketball staff and student-athletes to announce that he would no longer be coaching the team."

— Hoppy Kercheval (@HoppyKercheval) July 9, 2023

Huggins said in his statement that he "did not draft or review" West Virginia's announcement of his resignation, and "The false statement was sent under my name, but no signature is included." He further questioned the validity of the University's claim that he resigned.

"I never submitted the notice required under the Employee Agreement to voluntarily resign," he stated. "I let WVU know that I was seeking rehabilitation."

While Huggins remains intent on regaining his job and proving that the University "did not handle the situation appropriately," West Virginia doesn't plan on backing down from its position.

"The University will not accept Mr. Huggins' revocation of his resignation, nor will it reinstate him as head coach of the men's basketball program," the school's statement read. "Moreover, if Mr. Huggins or his counsel attempts to publicly suggest that he somehow did not resign and retire from his position, please be advised that the University will swiftly and aggressively defend itself from these spurious allegations."

Huggins was arrested in Pittsburgh on the night of June 16 for driving under the influence. He had failed multiple sobriety tests and had a blood-alcohol level of .210, which is over 2.5 times the legal limit. Earlier in the offseason, he was suspended by West Virginia for three games and received other penalties after he twice used an anti-gay slur during a radio interview.

It's clear that neither side is ready to back down, so it could be a long fight between Huggins and West Virginia.

The end of Bob Huggins tenure with West Virginia University just became even more complicated.

It was reported that the coach resigned following his DUI arrest in June, but WV MetroNews' Hoppy Kercheval reported that Huggins is claiming that he never resigned from his post, and plans to sue the university if he isn't reinstated.

Breaking: Former WVU head basketball coach Bob Huggins sends letter to WVU demanding reinstatement or he will sue. Claims he never resigned.

— Hoppy Kercheval (@HoppyKercheval) July 9, 2023

Kercheval then reported that the University called Huggins' claim 'completely factually inaccurate' and that they received his resignation letter from his wife and that the coach spoke to the team about his departure.

More of WVU's response to Huggins' attorney's letter for reinstatement: "What is clear, however, is that on the evening of June 17, 2023, Mr. Huggins met with members of the men’s basketball staff and student-athletes to announce that he would no longer be coaching the team."

— Hoppy Kercheval (@HoppyKercheval) July 9, 2023

Jeff Jenkins of WVMetroNews reported that the University is getting mixed messages from Huggins' attorneys, and Kercheval reported that the University will not reinstate Huggins under any circumstances.

Huggins had been the head coach of the Mountaineers since 2007 and had a 345-203 overall record. West Virginia qualified for the NCAA Tournament six times in those years, advancing to the Sweet 16 three times.

The controversy surrounding the coach in recent months began when he used an anti-LGBT slur on a radio appearance in Cincinnati and was suspended and fined by the University. This all preceded the DUI incident, and his resignation was announced shortly thereafter.

The University named Josh Eilert as the new interim head basketball coach in June. He had been with the team since 2007 alongside Huggins and was named a full-time assistant in 2022.

The fallout of Bob Huggins' resignation from West Virginia continued Monday.

Former Mountaineers power forward Tre Mitchell announced on Twitter that he has committed to Kentucky. Mitchell entered the transfer portal on Friday and visited Lexington over the weekend, according to 247Sports' Travis Branham.

West Virginia transfer Tre Mitchell is headed to Kentucky. Wildcats needed experience and frontcourt help; Mitchell ticks both boxes. https://t.co/z4HPIxjaYB

— Jeff Borzello (@jeffborzello) June 26, 2023

This will be Mitchell's fourth stop in his college career, as he began his career at UMass and also spent a year at Texas. He has one season of eligibility left.

Mitchell averaged 11.7 points, 5.5 rebounds and 1.8 assists in 34 games for the Mountaineers. He was led the team in minutes per game and was tied for second in scoring. West Virginia went 19-15 and lost to Maryland in the first round of the NCAA Tournament.

The Mountaineers have had several players enter the transfer portal following Huggins' resignation, and Mitchell is the first to officially leave. The futures of Joe Touissant and Mohamed Wague are still up in the air, while Kerr Kriisa opted to withdraw his request and remain in Morgantown.

The university recently named assistant coach Josh Eilert as the interim head coach, a move attributed to players entering the portal. Huggins had been at the team's helm since 2007, and Eilert has been involved with the program since then and was promoted to full-time assistant in 2022.

Kentucky went 22-12 in 22-23 and lost to Kansas State in the second round of the NCAA Tournament.

One week after Bob Huggins resigned as head basketball coach at West Virginia, one of his longtime assistants, Josh Eilert, is going to replace him on an interim basis for the 2023-24 season.

The school announced its decision Saturday following a report by CBS Sports' Matt Norlander that Eilert was expected to move into the role.

Stadium's Jeff Goodman added West Virginia athletic director Wren Baker used a search firm to look into "big names" who might have been able to take over, but the talent pool was limited at this point in the offseason.

Athletic director Wren Baker, through a search firm, explored big names - but the pool was limited due it being late-June.

Eilert will try and retain team, and Baker can also try and get an early start on a permanent coach. https://t.co/eBgvHo6yRC

— Jeff Goodman (@GoodmanHoops) June 24, 2023

Huggins, who was arrested in Pittsburgh on suspicion of DUI, released a statement on June 17 announcing his resignation from West Virginia:

Bob Huggins has released a statement. pic.twitter.com/9gwKyKPNRL

— Jon Rothstein (@JonRothstein) June 18, 2023

The 69-year-old was originally hired by the Mountaineers in April 2007. He spent 16 seasons with the program, racking up a 345-203 record with 11 NCAA tournament appearances.

West Virginia advanced to the Final Four during the 2009-10 season for the first time in 51 years.

In the wake of Huggins' resignation, Tre Mitchell, Kerr Kriisa and Joe Toussaint have all entered the transfer portal.

Source: West Virginia's Joe Toussaint also plans to enter the transfer portal. Averaged 9.4 PPG last season. https://t.co/hPTobGRRJH

— Jon Rothstein (@JonRothstein) June 23, 2023

Mitchell led the team in rebounding (5.5 per game) and tied for second in scoring (11.7 points per game) last season. Toussaint averaged 9.4 points per game in his first season with the program after transferring from Iowa.

Kriisa is back in the transfer portal after committing to West Virginia in April. He spent the previous three seasons at the University of Arizona.

Eilert worked with Huggins for 17 seasons dating back to his time as a graduate assistant at Kansas State in 2006-07. He made the move to West Virginia in 2007.

The Kansas State alum previously worked as an interim assistant coach and was hired as an assistant coach in July 2022. This will be his first stint as a head coach in college basketball.

Eilert is taking over a West Virginia program that finished 19-15 last season. The Mountaineers made the NCAA tournament as a No. 9 seed, losing in the first round 67-65 to Maryland.

More dominoes are beginning to fall following the resignation of West Virginia men's basketball coach Bob Huggins.

ESPN's Jonathan Givony reported Kerr Kriisa is re-entering the transfer portal. The former Arizona guard committed to the Mountaineers in April.

CBS Sports' Jon Rothstein reported WVU guard Joe Toussaint is on his way out as well, along with forward Tre Mitchell, per Travis Branham of 247Sports. Mitchell has already lined up a visit with Kentucky.

Huggins' departure came shortly after he was arrested on suspicion of driving under the influence in Pittsburgh. He had already found himself in hot water for using an anti-gay slur toward Xavier fans and mocking Catholics during a radio interview.

The Mountaineers have yet to hire a full-time replacement for the Hall of Famer.

At a time when college athletes have more freedom than ever, the program was inevitably going to experience some turnover.

Kriisa told Givony he's open to rejoining West Virginia pending the outcome of the current coaching search.

"For now, I'm entering the portal, and want to get this figured out as soon as possible," he said.

Kriisa figured to play a big role in the Mountaineers backcourt. He averaged 9.9 points and 5.1 assists as a junior in 2022-23.

Mitchell, meanwhile, was to be the team's leading returning scorer (11.7 points) and rebounder (5.5 boards) from last season. That he's already on Kentucky's radar is a sign of the fifth-year senior's talent.

Toussaint, meanwhile, averaged 9.4 points and 2.6 assists in 2022-23 after transferring from Iowa.

Whoever succeeds Huggins could be inheriting a difficult situation.

West Virginia men's basketball coach Bob Huggins announced Saturday he has submitted a letter of resignation following his recent DUI arrest:

Bob Huggins has released a statement. pic.twitter.com/9gwKyKPNRL

— Jon Rothstein (@JonRothstein) June 18, 2023

The school responded in a statement that it has accepted the 69-year-old's resignation:

WVU President Gordon Gee and Director of Athletics Wren Baker on Bob Huggins’ resignation: pic.twitter.com/QYZX5tOpBV

— Ethan Bock (@ethanbock_) June 18, 2023

Stadium's Jeff Goodman first reported that Huggins informed the team of his decision to resign Saturday.

Pete Thamel of ESPN and Ethan Bock of WV Sports Now provided more context into the decision:

Sources: West Virginia officials expect basketball coach Bob Huggins to resign. There have been conversations throughout the day, and Huggins has indicated that’s his intention. Formal resolution on his departure is expected soon.

— Pete Thamel (@PeteThamel) June 18, 2023

The team was notified about an emergency meeting at around 8:30 p.m. to where Huggins addressed the group, per source https://t.co/JoWDTdH4GD

— Ethan Bock (@ethanbock_) June 18, 2023

Huggins was in tears when he spoke to the team Saturday, per Goodman.

I just talked to someone in the room when Bob Huggins informed the team he was done.

They said Huggins was in tears as he delivered the news.

“He felt like he let us down. He knows he made a huge mistake. It was brutal to watch. So sad.”

— Jeff Goodman (@GoodmanHoops) June 18, 2023

Huggins was arrested in Pittsburgh for driving under the influence. The criminal complaint against him stated he failed multiple sobriety tests and had a blood-alcohol level of .210, which is over 2.5 times the legal limit.

It was Huggins' second infraction of the 2023 offseason. In May, West Virginia suspended him for three games, reduced his salary by $1 million and required him to attend sensitivity training after he twice used an anti-gay slur during a radio interview. His multi-year contract was amended to one that would be reevaluated on a year-to-year basis.

Huggins' career record of 935-414 places him eighth on the all-time wins list among men's college coaches. Prior to joining West Virginia in 2007, he also served as head coach at Akron, Cincinnati and Kansas State. He has made 26 NCAA tournament appearances with two trips to the Final Four in 1992 with Cincinnati and in 2010 with West Virginia.

During his time with the Mountaineers, Huggins has led the team to a 345-203 record and 11 trips to the Big Dance. He is a three-time Conference USA Coach of the Year and one-time Big 12 Coach of the Year.

Huggins was inducted into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame as part of the class of 2022.

West Virginia University men's basketball head coach Bob Huggins was arrested Friday night in Pittsburgh for driving under the influence.

According to Chris Anderson of 247Sports, the arrest report states that Huggins was in an SUV that was in the middle of the road and blocking traffic due to a flat tire. When police asked him to pull to the side of the road, they saw him having difficulty moving the vehicle, at which point they administered a field sobriety test, which Huggins failed.

Per the criminal complaint against Huggins, he failed multiple sobriety tests and had a blood-alcohol level of .210, which is over 2.5 times the legal limit:

Parts of the criminal complaint against Bob Huggins, obtained by CBS Sports, which includes an alarming .210 breathalyzer reading “after multiple failed attempts.”

Huggins failed multiple field sobriety tests on scene. pic.twitter.com/0WjTKbOmYh

— Matt Norlander (@MattNorlander) June 17, 2023

West Virginia University released the following statement, acknowledging it is aware of Huggins' arrest:

Statement from WVU: pic.twitter.com/SsARaQQx3a

— Pat Forde (@ByPatForde) June 17, 2023

The 69-year-old Huggins is set to enter his 17th season at WVU after previously serving as the head coach at Akron, Cincinnati and Kansas State.

Per Anderson, Huggins was previously arrested for DUI in 2004 while at Cincinnati. Huggins pleaded no contest, and was removed from his position with the Bearcats in 2005.

Last month, Huggins twice used an anti-gay slur during a radio interview, resulting in West Virginia suspending him for three games, reducing his salary by $1 million and requiring him to attend sensitivity training.

The school also amended his contract from a multi-year deal to one that will be re-evaluated on a year-to-year basis.

According to Anderson, WVU president Gordon Gee said at the time: "We have made it explicitly clear to Coach Huggins that any incidents of similar derogatory and offensive language will result in immediate termination."

Huggins owns a career record of 935-414 as a collegiate head coach, placing him eighth on the all-time wins list among men's college coaches.

He has taken teams to the NCAA tournament 26 times, including Final Four appearances with Cincinnati in 1992 and West Virginia in 2010.

The three-time Conference USA Coach of the Year and one-time Big 12 Coach of the Year has led the Mountaineers to the tourney 11 times out of 15 opportunities, including last season when they went 19-15 and were knocked out in the first round by Maryland.

Huggins was inducted into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame last year in recognition of his consistent success as a college head coach.

Bob Huggins is going to return for a 17th season as the head coach of the West Virginia men's basketball team.

According to a release from the school, Huggins will undergo sensitivity training, be suspended for the first three regular-season games of the 2023-24 season and have his salary docked by $1 million after using an anti-gay slur during a radio appearance.

Huggins' contract has also been "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 school added it has "made it explicitly clear to Coach Huggins that any incidents of similar derogatory and offensive language will result in immediate termination."

Terms of Huggins' return come after he used an anti-gay slur during an appearance on 700 WLW's Bill Cunningham Show on Monday. He was discussing his time as head coach of the Cincinnati Bearcats from 1989 through 2005 when he used the slur.

Joe Lucia of Awful Announcing transcribed some of the conversation:

Huggins: "Any school that can throw rubber penises on the floor and then say they didn't do it, by god they can get away with anything.

Cunningham: "I think it was transgender night wasn't it?

Huggins: "It was a Crosstown Shootout, yea, no, what it was, was all those f--s, those Catholic f--s I think.

Cunningham: "All right.

Huggins: "They were envious they didn't have one.

Huggins released a statement in the aftermath of his comments in which he apologized to Xavier, Cincinnati and West Virginia:

pic.twitter.com/TfXSEW7Jh5

— WVU Men's Basketball (@WVUhoops) May 8, 2023

"As I have shared with my players over my 40 years of coaching, there are consequences for our words and actions, and I will fully accept any coming my way," it said. "I am ashamed and embarrassed and heartbroken for those I have hurt. I must do better, and I will."

West Virginia also released a statement, which said the comments "do not represent our university values."

It also said the school was reviewing the situation and would address it in the future:

Statement by WVU Athletics. pic.twitter.com/BGGAErDU22

— WVU Sports (@WVUSports) May 8, 2023

Xavier-Cincinnati remains one of college basketball's most heated rivalries, and Huggins has expressed dislike toward the Musketeers program in the past even after he was done leading the Bearcats.

After leaving Cincinnati, he coached at Kansas State for one season in 2006-07 before accepting the West Virginia job.

He has led the Mountaineers program since 2007 and was inducted into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame in 2022.

Huggins signed a two-year extension in August 2021 that runs through the 2023-24 season but also gives him the option to extend his tenure through the 2026-27 academic year. The original terms of the deal paid him an average salary of $4.15 million, with all but $250,000 of that figure coming in supplemental pay.

West Virginia men's basketball head coach Bob Huggins used an anti-gay slur when discussing Xavier fans during a radio appearance on Monday.

Joe Lucia of Awful Announcing transcribed part of Huggins' appearance on 700 WLW's Bill Cunningham Show in which Huggins, who used to coach Xavier's rival, the Cincinnati Bearcats, called Musketeers fans "f--s" when talking about an apparent incident during a game between the two schools:

Huggins: "Any school that can throw rubber penises on the floor and then say they didn't do it, by god they can get away with anything.

Cunningham: "I think it was transgender night wasn't it?

Huggins: "It was a Crosstown Shootout, yeah, no, what it was, was all those f--s, those Catholic f--s I think.

Cunningham: "All right.

Huggins: "They were envious they didn't have one.

Huggins said in a statement Monday that he will "fully accept" any consequences coming his way:

pic.twitter.com/TfXSEW7Jh5

— WVU Men's Basketball (@WVUhoops) May 8, 2023

West Virginia also released a statement and said it is reviewing the situation:

Statement by WVU Athletics. pic.twitter.com/BGGAErDU22

— WVU Sports (@WVUSports) May 8, 2023

Huggins coached Cincinnati from 1989-90 through 2004-05 before moving on to Kansas State for one season in 2006-07.

The Musketeers were coached by Pete Gillen, Skip Prosser, Thad Matta and Sean Miller when Huggins was on the other sideline of the rivalry.

Xavier-Cincinnati is one of college basketball's most heated rivalries that infamously featured an on-court brawl in 2011 after Huggins was no longer the head coach of the Bearcats. Officials from both schools temporarily moved the annual game to a neutral site in the ensuing years in an effort to avoid such incidents.

Huggins has been the head coach at West Virginia since 2007.