Former Lawyer, Agent for Bob Huggins Richard Katz Died

Richard Katz, the longtime attorney and agent for former WVU basketball head coach Bob Huggins, died recently. Katz died at the age of 75 on September 29.

Katz’s obituary via the Weil Kahn Funeral Home in Cincinnati, Ohio read as follows:

“Katz, Richard Lee, age 75, passed away September 29, 2024, beloved husband of Diane Katz, loving father of Scott (Carrie) Katz and Stephanie (Matt) Fries, caring grandfather of Benjamin and Carson Katz, and Shayne and Eli Fries, and dear brother of the late Joyce Spritzer.”

Former Cincinnati basketball player Alex Meacham, who played under Huggins in the late 1990s, offered these words on social media after learning of Katz’s passing:

“Sad to hear about the passing of Richard Katz. Always enjoyed our conversations at UC bball games or at events. He was Bob Huggins long time Agent and all around good guy! RIP.” 

Sad to hear about the passing of Richard Katz. Always enjoyed our conversations at UC bball games or at events. He was Bob Huggins long time Agent and all around good guy! RIP 🙏🏼 pic.twitter.com/J13dQeomGP

— Alex Meacham (@Alex_Meacham) October 3, 2024

Katz’ relationship with Huggins and repressing him during his exit from the University of Cincinnati and DUI in 2004 eventually led him down a path to become a successful sports agent, most notably within the Cincinnati sports community. In addition to Huggins, Katz represented numerous athletes and coaches in the NFL, NBA and MLB.

“The most misunderstood part about being a player agent, I think would be…a lot of people say this. It appears everything we do, every minute of the day is glamorous. That’s just not the case,” Katz said during an interview with the Cincinnati Buisness Courier in 2016.

As for Katz’s most famous client, at least from a West Virginia perspective, Huggins has mostly stayed out of the spotlight in recent months aside from a summer reunion with former WVU players in Akron, Ohio.

Huggins is now 71 years old and has 935 career wins, which is third on the all-time wins list amongst coaches. He led both Cincinnati (1992) and WVU (2010) to an appearance in the Final Four. Huggins was named Big 12 Coach of the Year in 2015 and was elected to the Basketball Hall of Fame in 2022.