WVU Announces Decision on Bob Huggins

West Virginia University has taken action.

Bob Huggins will not be fired after all. 

Moments ago, West Virginia University released a statement announcing the suspension of the head men's basketball coach which will be for the first three games of the 2023-24 season. 

Huggins will miss games against Missouri State, Monmouth, and Jacksonville State and will make his return for the team's first game in the Fort Myers Tip-Off against either Virginia, Wisconsin, or SMU. The matchups for the MTE have not been set as of today.

Here is the full statement from AD Wren Baker and President E. Gordon Gee:

"On Monday, May 8, Head Men's Basketball Coach 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."

Huggins' 935 career wins lead all active NCAA men's coaches. The Morgantown, WV native has led his teams to 26 NCAA Tournament berths, including nine appearances in the Sweet Sixteen and two appearances in the NCAA Final Four. 

In 16 years as the head coach at the University of Cincinnati (1989-2005), Huggins led the Bearcats to eight Conference USA regular season championships, four Conference USA Tournament championships, was a three-time Conference USA Coach of the Year, and was honored as the Conference USA Coach of the Decade in 2005. On the national level, he was tabbed as the Sporting News National Coach of the Year in 2000 and the ESPN.com National Coach of the Year in 2002.

The Morgantown native has accumulated a 345-203 record while at West Virginia with 11 NCAA tournament appearances, including five Sweet Sixteen's and a Final Four.

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