Bob Huggins has coached the West Virginia Mountaineers Men's Basketball team since 2007. However, Huggins is a veteran coach whose career began in 1977. Affectionately known as "Huggy Bear", Huggins is a widely respected figure in collegiate basketball.
However, he is currently in the midst of a controversy. Huggins appeared on a radio show on Monday in Cincinnati. Previously, Huggins served as the men's basketball head coach for the Cincinnati Bearcats between 1989 and 2005. When discussing a match against crosstown rivals Xavier, Huggins recalled "rubber penises" being thrown onto the court.
Huggins: Any school that can throw rubber penises on the floor and then say they didn't do it, my God, they can get away with anything
Cunningham: I think it was 'transgender night,' wasn't it?
Huggins: What it was, was all those f-gs, those Catholic f-gs, I think.
News Radio 700 WLW, Monday May 8
Huggins subsequently apologized for his use of the anti-gay slur, calling them "abhorrent". However, West Virginia University opened an investigation into the incident.
Huggins' Contract Restructured
Sources have told ESPN that Huggins is not expected to miss the entire 2023/24 season for his comments. However, he and the university are in final talks to restructure his contract. The result of his restructuring will see a reduction in his salary from $4.2 million to $3.2 million. The $1 million reduction is believed to be one of the largest in college basketball history. Additionally, Huggins will likely start the season suspended and will be required to undergo sensitivity training.
The decision appears to have come from the highest echelons of the university hierarchy. Huggins met with President Gordon Gee and other members of West Virginia's board of trustees to discuss the incident. While Huggins reportedly expressed remorse and contrition for his remarks, the board felt that a statement punishment needed to be made. Huggins is 934-415 in his coaching career. Last season, the Mountaineers went 19-15 and made a first-round exit in March Madness. However, the season also saw the sudden firing of longtime associate head coach Larry Harrison, whose departure still remains a mystery for many WVU fans.
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