Asti: Bob Huggins vs. WVU is Lose/Lose for Huggins, Everyone

WVU wanted to be able to honor Bob Huggins. Despite how it ended, the school, and the fans, wanted to be able to, at some point, welcome back a man who did so much good for the state of West Virginia, the University, the basketball program, the athletic department, the brand of the Mountaineers, you name it, and celebrate what was his Hall of Fame career.

Unfortunately for all of the above, Huggins won’t allow that to happen. The image of Huggins standing on a court being named after him at the WVU Coliseum is dead, and Huggins officially killed it. By deciding to literally sue the school he claims to love so much, Huggins is making the decision to be at war with West Virginia University and its administrators. It’s a choice he’s making instead of letting time heal any wounds.

And for what? Money? Legacy? Arguing semantics and airing out grievances? This is all just making things worse for Huggins. At this time, Huggins is saying he did not actually sign the resignation letter in which he literally stated he was resigning his position as head coach due to taking responsibility for his actions. WVU is, of course, saying he did sign it and the letter speaks for itself.

Fighting WVU is a lose/lose situation for Huggins. This is all his fault, and instead of taking the resignation narrative as better than being straight up fired, he’s deciding to make it so he won’t be welcomed back or honored at all.

Fighting WVU is a complete lose/lose for Bob Huggins. This is all his fault and instead of taking the resignation narrative as better than being straight up fired, he’s deciding to make it so he won’t be welcomed back or honored at all. https://t.co/f5Eg5mVGIf

— Mike J. Asti (@MikeAsti11) July 9, 2023

There is absolutely no denying that West Virginia coach Bob Huggins is one of the greatest college basketball coaches of all-time. But we are firmly at the point that there’s also no denying his legacy is forever tainted, and he only has himself to blame.

But I guess no one should really be surprised. It’s been one bad decision after another by the legendary coach.

With the dust barely settled from Huggins using a homophobic slur on the air during a radio appearance, and managing to avoid being fired at that time, he was back at it again. It’s almost as if Huggins was determined to self-destruct his career at this point. Many even speculated Huggins may have been drunk while speaking in such a reckless way on the freaking air.

WVU administration made it crystal clear, that while Huggins would stay on as head coach, he would do so under a zero tolerance policy moving forward. Being arrested for a DUI sure broke that stipulation.

Asti: Bob Huggins Only Has Himself to Blame for Tainted Legacy

All of this doesn’t change the fact that Huggins has won well over 900 games, led multiple programs to a Final Four, also advanced teams to at least the Sweet 16 eight times, the Elite Eight four times and won a Big East Tournament championship in an era the conference was viewed as historically elite. What it does do is make people think of the off the court crap as well, and for some, maybe first and foremost. It’s hard to feel too bad for Huggins though because he only has himself to blame.

Say Huggins never actually signed the resignation letter and WVU director of athletics Wren Baker held a press conference to announce promoting Josh Eilert as the interim head coach of the men’s basketball program lacking the legitimacy of the resignation of his predecessor. That’s not going to lead to Huggins coaching the Mountaineers again. There’s absolutely no way. If they have to, they would reinstate him and then fire him for cause, and they have plenty of cause to do so if necessary.

Maybe all Huggins wants is money. Okay, say this gets settled, as these things often are, and he claims a financial victory. Is that worth your entire legacy? Is extra money for a man who has already accumulated a wealth worth torching an insinuation and a relationship with the state and people of West Virginia?

If all Huggins wants is money, that then clearly means his love of money and sticking to people he feels wronged by outweighs any love he ever said he had for WVU and West Virginia.

And if that’s the case, that’s a damn shame for the fans. Huggins is now robbing the fans of being able to have a legendary coach to honor and celebrate for years to come. Huggins is robbing the people, those he claimed to care, about the ability to brag about their Hall of Fame coach.

All of this doesn’t change the fact that Huggins has won well over 900 games, led multiple programs to a Final Four, also advanced teams to at least the Sweet 16 eight times, the Elite Eight four times and won a Big East Tournament championship in an era the conference was viewed as historically elite. What it does do is make people think of the off the court crap as well, and for some, maybe first and foremost. It’s hard to feel too bad for Huggins though because, once again, he only has himself to blame.

As I said once before, and I now more people realize is true, wish Bob Huggins well. Appreciate the good times and the memories. But don’t defend him. Just let him go, at least for now.