The Bob Huggins era at West Virginia is ending in ugly fashion.
The longtime Mountaineers head coach told his players he will resign after a DUI arrest in Pittsburgh on Friday, according to Stadium’s Jeff Goodman. CBS Sports’ Jon Rothstein also reported Huggins has resigned.
Huggins’ resignation came the same day his arrest on Friday night was reported. Per a police report, officers found the 69-year-old’s car blocking a road with the driver-side door open and one of the tires shredded. Officers suspected Huggins to be intoxicated while instructing him to move his car to the side of the road, then pulled him over and issued a field sobriety test, which he failed.
Huggins reportedly blew a .210 on a breathalyzer. Officers also allegedly found a trash bag with empty beer cans on the passenger-side floor. The incident is Huggins’ second-known DUI arrest, after a previous one in 2004 during his time in Cincinnati.
West Virginia initially reacted to the news with a statement saying they were gathering information:
West Virginia University is aware of an incident last night involving Head Men’s Basketball Coach Bob Huggins, for which he was charged with Driving Under the Influence (DUI) in the City of Pittsburgh. We are gathering more information and will take appropriate action once the review is complete.
Hours later, Huggins was telling his team he was won’t be coaching them anymore.
The DUI arrest was only the second ugly incident of Huggins’ offseason, as he received widespread condemnation after using an anti-gay slur during a radio appearance.
West Virginia suspended Huggins for three games, reduced his salary by $1 million and required him to go to sensitivity training. School president Gordon Gee and athletic director Wren Baker released a statement at the time, which said, “Any incidents of similar derogatory and offensive language will result in immediate termination.”
Is this it for Bob Huggins’ Hall of Fame career?
Less than a year ago, Huggins was being inducted into the Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame alongside names like Manu Ginobili and Lindsay Whalen. Much has changed since then.
Before Saturday, Huggins was the winningest active head coach in college basketball with 935 career wins during his time at West Virginia, Kansas State, Cincinnati, Akron and Walsh, with two Final Four appearances and 10 conference tournament titles.
Huggins had reached institution status in Morgantown, but he managed to incinerate his good will in the span of two months. Now, he is 69 years old and have to find a place to overlook some very concerning skeletons in the closet if he wants another job. But that could be a big “if.”
