Bob Huggins says he never resigned as West Virginia coach, demands job back after DUI arrest
Bob Huggins says he never resigned as West Virginia’s basketball coach following a drunken-driving arrest and wants his job back, according to a letter from hź§is attorney to the university.
Huggins’ Cleveland-based attorney, David A. Campbell, wrote to the university Friday that Huggins ānever signed a resignation letter and never communicated a resignation to anyone at WVU,ā according to the letter, which was obtained by The Associated Press on Saturday.
The letter threatens a lawsuit if Huggins šisnāāt reinstated.
Hugginsā demands were first reported by āWest Virginiša network MetroNews.
Huggins was charged with driving under the influešnce in Pittsburghš¹ on June 16.
A breath test ź¦¦determined Hugginsā blood-alcohol content was more than twice the legal limit.
His resignation was announced by the university the following night.
A week later, assistant coach Josh Eilert was promoted to interim head coach for the 2023-24 season.
Campbellās letter said the university announced Hugginsā resignation ābased on a text message from Coach Hugginsā wifeā to Steve Uryasz, West Virginiaās deputy athletic dširector.
The university responded to Campbell in a letter Saturšday that read, in part: āWe are frankly confused by the allegations within the letter.ā
WVU said Huggins mš²et with his players and members of the basketball staff on June 17 āto announce that he would no longer be coaching the team.ā
It said Huggins āclearlyā communicated his resignation and retirement in writing and that āboth parties have reasonably relied on that resignation and retirement notification in a number of ź§ways since then.ā
The university provided The AP with a copy of a notice sent by Huggins’ wife, June, that same day.
It read: āPlease accept this correspondence as my formal notice of resignation as WVU Head Basketball Coach and as notice of my retirement from West Virginia University, effectāive immediately.ā
The notice was sent from an email address associated with June Huggins, with a signature indicating it was sent via iPhone. It was sent to Uryasz’s email address and did not appear to be a text message, as Campbell claimed.
West Virginia šathletic director Wren Baker š¦©responded an hour later by writing,
āWe accept your resignation and wish you the best in retirement. We appreciate your many years of dedicatiāon to WVU.ā
Lesź¦s than ź¦¬an hour after that, the university released two statements.
One announced Huggins’ resignation.
The other was titled āA Message from Bob Huggins to the WVU Communityā and began, āToday, I have submitted a letter to President Gordon Gee and Vice President and Director of Athletics Wren Baker šØinforming them of my resignation and intention to retire as head menās basketball coach at West Virginia University effective immediately.ā
The resignation was announced a month after the university gave Huggins a three-game suspension for using an anti-gay slur while also deniš²grš¶ating Catholics during a radio interview.
Several of Huggins’ players have already entered the transfer portal, and some have found new teams.
Campbell said Hugginsā contract required the coach to seą¼ŗnd a notice iāØn writing by registered or certified mail to the athletic director and university general counsel.
Despite the threat of a lawsuit, Campbellās leāØtter said Huggins ādoes not desire šlitigation.
Rather, he is simply lookingź¦ for the correction of a clear breach of his employment agreement with WVU.ā
The 69-year-old Huggins was the third-winningest coach all-š³time in Division I with 935 victories, trailing only Mike Krząµ²yzewski of Duke (1,202) and Jim Boeheim of Syracuse (1,015), both of whom are retired.
Unlike the others, Huggins didš« not win a national title.
He took Cinšcinnati to the Final Four in 1992 and West Virginia in 2010. Huggins entered the Basketball Hall of Fame last September.
In 41 seasons, his teams went to 25 NCAA Tourā naments and finished ranked in the AP top 10 seven times.
The Mountaineers made 11 NCAA Tournament appearancesąµ² under Huggins.