Bob Huggins
Encyclopedia
Bob Huggins, nicknamed "Huggy Bear", (born September 21, 1953 in Morgantown, West Virginia
) is the head coach
of the West Virginia Mountaineers men's basketball
team. Huggins previously held the head coaching positions at the University of Cincinnati
(1989–2005) and Kansas State University
(2006–2007). His 690–251 record (.733) during his 28 seasons as a head coach ranks him eighth in winning percentage and fourth in victories among active Division I coaches. He is one of only 6 active Division I coaches with 600 career victories. Huggins has been to 15 total NCAA tournaments
, including 14 of the last 15 seasons. Huggins' teams have participated in the postseason 25 of 28 times, including two Final Fours: 1992 with Cincinnati, 2010 with West Virginia. Huggins has averaged 23.6 wins per season, including 25.6 his last 15 years.
On April 5, 2007, he accepted an offer to return to coach his alma mater
of West Virginia University
. After leading the Mountaineers to a Sweet 16 appearance, Huggins signed an 11-year contract with the university after the season ended.
with his family, played basketball for his father, Charles, at Indian Valley South High School
. As a senior, he helped lead his team to a 26–0 season. Huggins began college at Ohio University
.
But Huggins returned to his native West Virginia
, after transferring out from Ohio
after his freshman season, playing point guard
for the West Virginia University
Mountaineers
from 1975 until 1977. Huggins' career-high was 28 points against Virginia Tech
, he averaged 13.2 points as a senior, and he totaled 800 career points in his three collegiate seasons. Teammate Maurice Robinson said of Huggins as a player, "You always knew that he was going to be successful in whatever he did because he worked real hard.”
Cut after a 1977 tryout with the NBA's Philadelphia 76ers
, Huggins subsequently pursued a Master's degree
.
in 1977. He then spent two years as an assistant to Eldon Miller
at Ohio State University
. Huggins was only 27 when he became a collegiate head coach, accepting the position at Walsh University
in 1980. In three seasons at Walsh, he compiled a 71–26 record, twice earning NAIA
District 22 Coach of the Year honors. Huggins directed the Walsh 1982–83 team to a perfect 30–0 regular season mark and an eventual 34–1 mark. After serving as an assistant at University of Central Florida
for the 1983–84 season, Huggins was named head coach at the University of Akron
where he compiled a 97–46 record and reached post-season play in three of his five seasons there including an NCAA bid during the 1985–86 season.
and 1962
—had not been to the NCAA tournament since 1977 when Huggins arrived in 1989. After being relegated to the NIT his first two years, Huggins would take the Bearcats to the Final Four in his third season—the first of 14 straight NCAA tournament appearances.
Huggins compiled a 399–127 record (.759) in his 16 years at Cincinnati, making him the winningest coach in terms of victories and percentage in the school's basketball history. Huggins directed Cincinnati to ten conference regular-season titles and eight league tournament titles. The Bearcats appeared in post-season play in each of Huggins' 16 seasons at U.C., advancing to the Elite Eight of the NCAA tournament two times in 1993
and 1996
and, in 1991
–92
, appearing once in the Final Four.
Huggins earned the Ray Meyer
Award as the Conference USA
Coach of the Year a record three times (1997–98, 1998–99, and 1999–2000), and was a unanimous choice for C-USA Coach of the Decade. He was selected national coach of the year by ESPN.com
in 2001–02. His teams won five consecutive conference tournament titles—all four Great Midwest Conference
titles from 1992 to 1995 and the first Conference USA tournament
in 1996. He was named co-national coach of the year by The Sporting News
last season and was Basketball Times' national coach of the year in 1997–98. He earned national coach of the year recognition from Hoop Scoop in 1991–92 and Playboy
in 1992–93.
During this time the program also gained a reputation for a rough style of play and academic under-performance. Huggins routinely graduated only 30 percent of his players, compared with half of nonathletes at UC. Several of his players were also arrested and convicted on criminal charges. The program was placed on probation in 1998 for a lack of institutional control.
During his tenure, Huggins coached three consensus All-Americans--Danny Fortson
, Kenyon Martin
(the consensus player of the year in 1999–2000) and Steve Logan
.
He often developed young and inexperienced teams with as many as three freshmen starters into championship squads. For example, Huggins surprised some astute college basketball followers in 1997–98 by directing a team which had only one returning starter to a 27–6 record, conference regular season, and tournament titles, a No. 2 seed in the NCAA tournament and a Top-10 finish in the polls. The team was then upset by West Virginia
in the tournament. Huggins' 2001–02 team, unranked when the season began, posted a 31–4 record, setting a school record for wins, made a clean sweep of the Conference USA regular season and tournament titles, and was a No. 1 seed in the NCAA tournament, where they lost in double overtime to No 8 seed UCLA
. In 2002–03, Huggins suffered a major heart attack on the last Saturday of September, but was present for the team's first practice two weeks later and coached the Bearcats with the same intensity that has become his trademark. Not surprisingly given the season's rocky start, the team qualified for the NCAA tournament only as an 8 seed, and were ousted in the first round by Gonzaga
.
The 2003–04 season was business as usual for Huggins, who piloted the Bearcats to regular-season and tournament titles, and an NCAA tournament berth while amassing a 25–7 record. Despite a favorable draw — the team was sent to nearby Columbus
for the first two rounds of the tournament — the Bearcats were mauled by the Illinois Fighting Illini
, losing by 24 points in the second round. The 2004–05 Bearcats posted a 25–8 ledger, the ninth season in the past ten years that U.C. has won 25 or more games. They received only a 7 seed in the tournament, however, and gave eventual Elite Eight participant Kentucky a spirited game before falling in the second round at the RCA Dome in nearby Indianapolis.
On August 23, 2005; UC President Nancy L. Zimpher gave Huggins 24 hours to either resign and take a $3 million buyout or be reassigned outside the athletic department for the balance of his contract. Had Huggins not responded, he would have been fired. Huggins had told the press he didn't even know about the ultimatum until numerous reporters called him in Las Vegas, however, multiple correspondence between UC and Huggins' attorney show that not only had the parties been negotiating his termination, Huggins knew weeks in advance his termination was potentially imminent. He ultimately agreed to accept the $3 million buyout
Zimpher said that the Bearcat program under Huggins didn't fit with her plan to upgrade UC's academic reputation. However, she'd been seriously considering ousting Huggins since he was arrested for driving under the influence
in 2004. He ultimately pleaded no contest
to DUI. The traffic stop was recorded by police and aired on national television.
According to The Wall Street Journal
, Zimpher was particularly upset that news of the arrest broke on the morning of her first graduation as UC's president, at which Coretta Scott King
was due to be the speaker. Huggins didn't help his image with Zimpher when an assistant coach, two players and a recruit were arrested in the spring of 2005.
At the time, Huggins' contract had a rollover clause which added a year every summer. Zimpher revoked that clause on June 11, 2004 after his no-contest plea, but allowed Huggins to return for the 2004–05 basketball season. On May 11, 2005, he was given the option of leaving or finishing the last two years remaining on his contract. In a May 16, 2005 press conference, Huggins announced that he was staying until his contract expired on June 30, 2007, thus agreeing to the terms originally offered to him by UC.
The slogan "Nuck Fancy" became popular around campus after this happened.
Huggins was replaced by assistant head coach Andy Kennedy
, but his dismissal was the hot topic for the entire season.
, replacing the fired Jim Wooldridge
. The Wildcats
had not been to the NCAA tournament since the 1996–1997 campaign and had not had a conference record better than 7–9 since the Big 12 was formed in 1996. The previous three Kansas State basketball coaches (Dana Altman
, Tom Asbury
, Jim Wooldridge
) had combined for a 236–232 record, while in that same period Huggins had gone a remarkable 379–113 at Cincinnati.
From his introductory press conference, Huggins got the momentum in Manhattan rolling with a quote of "Why settle for 2nd when 1st is available?" For the first time in the 13,340 seat Bramlage Coliseum history, all season ticket packages were sold out as season ticket sales went from 6,500 in 2005–06 to 13,000 for Huggins' inaugural year at Kansas State, and Manhattan's Aggieville
district even temporarily changed its name, with banners and the iconic Varney's sign reading "WELCOME TO HUGGIEVILLE."
During his first year at Kansas State, Huggins showed little signs of recruiting difficulty. Huggins molded his staff at Kansas State to help with his first two recruiting classes, and used his year to recruit some of the best prep players in America. Before arriving at Kansas State, many knew Huggins could attract top college basketball prep stars. Some included consensus top 10 players in O. J. Mayo
, Bill Walker
and other consensus top 100 recruits such as Herb Pope, Ramar Smith, and Jason Bennett. While Mayo, Pope, and Smith all ended up at other schools, Huggins was able to bring in Bennett for the 2006–07 season and Walker—initially slated to join the team for the 2007–08 season, managed to graduate from North College Hill High School
early to participate in time for the spring semester. Huggins built his assistant coaching staff with recruiting in mind. He hired Brad Underwood, a 1986 Kansas State graduate, as Director of Basketball Operations. Underwood's hiring was essential in Landing 4-star shooting guard Blake Young, as he was Young's coach at Daytona Beach Community College. Assistant coach Frank Martin
was the first assistant coach Huggins hired when he arrived at Kansas State. Martin, a Florida International graduate and assistant under Huggins when he was at Cincinnati, has played a key part in landing top recruits from Florida. Luis Colon, a 6'10" forward out of Miami, Florida, was lured to Kansas State largely as a result of the recruiting efforts of Frank Martin. Huggins' first recruiting class at Kansas State included Bennett, Colon, Young, and 5th year senior from St. Johns University—Jermaine Maybank who took advantage of a now-defunct NCAA rule that allowed graduating seniors with eligibility still remaining to transfer to another school without penalty.
Huggins' second recruiting class was even better. The hiring of former Charlotte graduate Dalonte Hill
was a key component to landing consensus top 5 playerMichael Beasley
out of the Washington, D.C. area. Beasley, a famed Charlotte commit where Hill coached before Huggins hired him, switched his college choice to Kansas State soon after Hill was hired by Huggins. Other recruits in the 2007 recruiting class included Walker, Dominique Sutton—a 6'4" swingman out of Durham North Carolina--Jacob Pullen
--a 6'1" point guard from Proviso East High School
—and Fred Brown, a 6'2" shooting guard from West Palm Beach Florida. The 2007 class was so strong that both recruiting services from rivals.com and scout.com rated it the best in the country.
Huggins's first season at Kansas State was viewed with cautious optimism from the media and fans. Kansas State had returned 4 of their top 5 scorers including 2nd team All-Big 12 member Cartier Martin
and Honorable All-Big 12
member David Hoskins
. The 2005-06 team had been involved in many close games, going 7–9 in games decided by 5 points or less during the season. The Wildcats were picked to finish as high as 5th in the Big 12, which showed the confidence Huggins's coaching peers had in his abilities. Prior to that season, Kansas State had never finished higher than 7th place in the Big 12. The early part of the season got off to a rocky start as the Wildcats started the year 4–3 which included embarrassing losses to the New Mexico Lobos and California Golden Bears by a combined 54 points. The Wildcats would benefit from the eligibility of Bill Walker and run of six straight wins including a tournament victory in the Las Vegas Holiday Classic. The Wildcats would soon hit another rough patch as they lost three straight games to Xavier
, Texas A&M
and Texas Tech
. Even more damaging was the loss of star freshman Bill Walker
when he tore his ACL five minutes into a 69–65 loss to Texas A&M. After the Walker injury the Wildcats seniors Martin, Lance Harris and Akeem Wright stepped up their game and led Kansas State to a 7 game winning streak which included a win over the ranked Texas Longhorns
in Austin that broke a 22-game Texas home winning streak. The 2nd half of Big 12 play saw the Wildcats go 4–4 including a pair of losses to its in-state rival the Kansas Jayhawks. Kansas State ended the Big 12 season in the semifinals of the Big 12 tournament
losing to Kansas for a third time, but did pick up a crucial 66–45 win over Texas Tech. Despite this win, the Wildcats were left out of the NCAA tournament
for the 11th consecutive year. Kansas State felt particularly snubbed due to the fact it was the first major-conference team not to make the NCAA tournament after winning 20 games overall and 10 games in conference. The Wildcats settled on a NIT
bid and went 1–1 beating Vermont and losing to DePaul. Kansas State ended the season 23–12 (10–6)--the most victories from a Wildcat team since 1987–1988.
On April 5, 2007, Huggins announced that he had accepted the position of head coach at his alma mater, West Virginia University
. Huggins' former employer Kansas State University
offered to match the offer from West Virginia University plus some additional money. The WVU contract has been valued at five million over five years, with an $800,000 base salary in the first year. He has been quoted as saying "There are incredible teams in the Big East and I’m so proud to represent this state and this wonderful University." Coach Huggins succeeded John Beilein
who is currently the head coach of the University of Michigan
.
Only 9 games into the 2007–2008 season, the Mountaineers entered the AP Top 25 poll carrying a #24 ranking with an 8–1 record. On December 22, 2007 Huggins achieved his 600th victory as a head coach in a road game at Canisius
. On January 15, 2008, it was announced that Huggins let West Virginia backup quarterback on the football team, Jarrett Brown
, to join the basketball team. Head coach of the football program, Bill Stewart
, talked to Huggins and had no problem with Brown joining the basketball team. Terrelle Pryor
, the #1 football recruit and a basketball recruit who was interested in West Virginia under former head football coach Rich Rodriguez
, announced he was interested in the school again due to Brown being allowed to play both sports, which he stated he wanted to do at the collegiate level.
The Mountaineers finished the year with an 83–74 overtime victory over St. John's, then opened the Big East Tournament with a 58–53 victory over Providence. In the second round of the tourney, the Mountaineers upset the #15-ranked Connecticut Huskies
, 78–72. Joe Alexander
contributed with a career-high 34 points and 7 rebounds. The Mountaineers then, however, lost to the #9 Georgetown Hoyas, 55–72, in the tourney semifinals.
The showing by WVU in the Big East tourney propelled them into the West region of the NCAA Tournament
as a #7-seed. The Mountaineers defeated Arizona in the first round 75–65 and defeated #2-Seed Duke
73–67 to move into the Sweet Sixteen giving Huggins his first Sweet Sixteen appearance since 2001 when he coached at Cincinnati. In the Sweet 16 matchup against #3-seed Xavier, the Mountaineers rallied from an 18-point deficit early in the game to tie the game 64–64 and send it into overtime. However, the Xavier Musketeers pulled out the victory, 79–75, with two 3-pointers in the last 1:18 of the ballgame. West Virginia finished the season ranked in the top 25 at #17.
At the end of the season, Huggins signed an 11-year contract extension that would keep him coaching at West Virginia until the age of 65. The contract will pay Huggins $1.5 million a year, as opposed to the $800,000 paid to him in his first season at WVU.
On May 18, before the season even began, Bob Huggins' finished out his recruiting class with the signing of prep star small forward, Devin Ebanks
. The #13-ranked prospect was a signer with Indiana
before decomitting and looking at Memphis, Texas
, Rutgers
and WVU. Ebanks was the last addition to the freshman class that included #11-power forward Kevin Jones, #34-power forward Roscoe Davis and #26-point guard Darryl Bryant.
West Virginia began the 2008–09 season projected to finish 9th in the Big East under Huggins. However, they began the season 4–0, led by senior Alex Ruoff
, junior Da'Sean Butler
and a freshman class highlighted by Devin Ebanks and Darryl Bryant. They lost the Las Vegas Invitational Tournament Championship Game to Kentucky
54–43, but then bounced back with two wins to move to 6–1. However, they lost a last-second game to #22 Davidson
and Stephen Curry
in Madison Square Garden
, 68–65.
Following the loss, WVU posted five straight victories; ending at the beginning of 2009. This streak included a 76–48 win over #13 Ohio State
in Columbus
, snapping the Buckeyes' nation-long 14-game win streak and handing OSU their biggest home loss since 1998. However, the streak ended in a 61-55 loss to #5 Connecticut
which was followed by a 75-53 loss to #15 Marquette
. The Mountaineers bounced back with a three game win streak that included a 75–58 victory over #14 Georgetown in D.C. However, the streak ended in the 79–67 loss to #4 Pittsburgh
in the Backyard Brawl
. WVU defeated St. John's, but then lost to #7 Louisville
and #20 Syracuse
back-to-back. The Mountaineers ended the losing streak with a 86-59 win over Providence
, but then lost to #4 Pitt for the second time.
West Virginia followed the loss to Pitt with a 93–72 victory over #13 Villanova
, featuring Da'Sean Butler's
career-high 43 point performance. The Mountaineers then defeated Notre Dame men's basketball
and Rutgers before losing to Cincinnati
70–59 in Huggins' return to Cincinnati. The Mountaineers bounced back with consecutive wins against USF
and DePaul
, but lost to #6 Louisville
62–59 in Morgantown while hosting College GameDay
.
West Virginia earned a first round bye in the Big East Tournament
, and opened the second round of play with a 74–62 victory over Notre Dame. In the quarterfinals round, West Virginia defeated #2 Pittsburgh 74–60, but lost to Syracuse in overtime 74–69. Syracuse was fresh off the heels of a six overtime victory against Connecticut, the longest game in Big East history. WVU earned a #6 seed in the NCAA tournament and played their first round game against the #11 seed Dayton Flyers. The season ended with a 68–60 loss to the Flyers.
. Huggins' 2007–2008 recruiting class at West Virginia featured Devin Ebanks
, Kevin Jones, and Darryl "Truck" Bryant, who all contributed for the 2008-2009 season as true freshman. Scout.com is reporting that Huggins succeeded in recruiting 4 of the nation's Top 100 players for the 2008-2009 season.
Morgantown, West Virginia
Morgantown is a city in Monongalia County, West Virginia. It is the county seat of Monongalia County. Placed along the banks of the Monongahela River, Morgantown is the largest city in North-Central West Virginia, and the base of the Morgantown metropolitan area...
) is the head coach
Head coach
A head coach, senior coach or manager is a professional at training and developing athletes. They typically hold a more public profile and are paid more than other coaches...
of the West Virginia Mountaineers men's basketball
West Virginia Mountaineers men's basketball
The West Virginia Mountaineers men's basketball team represents West Virginia University in NCAA Division I college basketball competition. It is a member of the Big East Conference. West Virginia most recently reached the Final Four of the 2010 NCAA Men's Division I Basketball Tournament, led by...
team. Huggins previously held the head coaching positions at the University of Cincinnati
University of Cincinnati
The University of Cincinnati is a comprehensive public research university in Cincinnati, Ohio, and a part of the University System of Ohio....
(1989–2005) and Kansas State University
Kansas State University
Kansas State University, commonly shortened to K-State, is an institution of higher learning located in Manhattan, Kansas, in the United States...
(2006–2007). His 690–251 record (.733) during his 28 seasons as a head coach ranks him eighth in winning percentage and fourth in victories among active Division I coaches. He is one of only 6 active Division I coaches with 600 career victories. Huggins has been to 15 total NCAA tournaments
NCAA Men's Division I Basketball Championship
The NCAA Men's Division I Basketball Championship is a single-elimination tournament held each spring in the United States, featuring 68 college basketball teams, to determine the national championship in the top tier of college basketball...
, including 14 of the last 15 seasons. Huggins' teams have participated in the postseason 25 of 28 times, including two Final Fours: 1992 with Cincinnati, 2010 with West Virginia. Huggins has averaged 23.6 wins per season, including 25.6 his last 15 years.
On April 5, 2007, he accepted an offer to return to coach his alma mater
Alma mater
Alma mater , pronounced ), was used in ancient Rome as a title for various mother goddesses, especially Ceres or Cybele, and in Christianity for the Virgin Mary.-General term:...
of West Virginia University
West Virginia University
West Virginia University is a public research university in Morgantown, West Virginia, USA. Other campuses include: West Virginia University at Parkersburg in Parkersburg; West Virginia University Institute of Technology in Montgomery; Potomac State College of West Virginia University in Keyser;...
. After leading the Mountaineers to a Sweet 16 appearance, Huggins signed an 11-year contract with the university after the season ended.
Playing career
Huggins, who had moved to Port Washington, OhioPort Washington, Ohio
Port Washington is a village in Tuscarawas County, Ohio, United States. The population was 552 at the 2000 census.-Geography:Port Washington is located at , along the Tuscarawas River....
with his family, played basketball for his father, Charles, at Indian Valley South High School
Indian Valley High School (Ohio)
Indian Valley High School is a public high school in Gnadenhutten, Ohio. It is the only high school in the Indian Valley Local School District. Around 500 students attend the high school.-Ohio High School Athletic Association State Championships:...
. As a senior, he helped lead his team to a 26–0 season. Huggins began college at Ohio University
Ohio University
Ohio University is a public university located in the Midwestern United States in Athens, Ohio, situated on an campus...
.
But Huggins returned to his native West Virginia
West Virginia
West Virginia is a state in the Appalachian and Southeastern regions of the United States, bordered by Virginia to the southeast, Kentucky to the southwest, Ohio to the northwest, Pennsylvania to the northeast and Maryland to the east...
, after transferring out from Ohio
Ohio University
Ohio University is a public university located in the Midwestern United States in Athens, Ohio, situated on an campus...
after his freshman season, playing point guard
Point guard
Point guard , also called the play maker or "the ball-handler", is one of the standard positions in a regulation basketball game. A point guard has perhaps the most specialized role of any position – essentially, he is expected to run the team's offense by controlling the ball and making sure that...
for the West Virginia University
West Virginia University
West Virginia University is a public research university in Morgantown, West Virginia, USA. Other campuses include: West Virginia University at Parkersburg in Parkersburg; West Virginia University Institute of Technology in Montgomery; Potomac State College of West Virginia University in Keyser;...
Mountaineers
West Virginia Mountaineers men's basketball
The West Virginia Mountaineers men's basketball team represents West Virginia University in NCAA Division I college basketball competition. It is a member of the Big East Conference. West Virginia most recently reached the Final Four of the 2010 NCAA Men's Division I Basketball Tournament, led by...
from 1975 until 1977. Huggins' career-high was 28 points against Virginia Tech
Virginia Tech Hokies men's basketball
The Virginia Tech Hokies men's basketball team is an NCAA Division I college basketball team competing in the Atlantic Coast Conference. Home games are played at Cassell Coliseum, located on Virginia Tech's campus in Blacksburg.-History:...
, he averaged 13.2 points as a senior, and he totaled 800 career points in his three collegiate seasons. Teammate Maurice Robinson said of Huggins as a player, "You always knew that he was going to be successful in whatever he did because he worked real hard.”
Cut after a 1977 tryout with the NBA's Philadelphia 76ers
Philadelphia 76ers
The Philadelphia 76ers are a professional basketball team based in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. They play in the Atlantic Division of the Eastern Conference of the National Basketball Association . Originally known as the Syracuse Nationals, they are one of the oldest franchises in the NBA...
, Huggins subsequently pursued a Master's degree
Master's degree
A master's is an academic degree granted to individuals who have undergone study demonstrating a mastery or high-order overview of a specific field of study or area of professional practice...
.
Early coaching career
Huggins launched his coaching career as a graduate assistant on Joedy Gardner's staff at West Virginia UniversityWest Virginia Mountaineers men's basketball
The West Virginia Mountaineers men's basketball team represents West Virginia University in NCAA Division I college basketball competition. It is a member of the Big East Conference. West Virginia most recently reached the Final Four of the 2010 NCAA Men's Division I Basketball Tournament, led by...
in 1977. He then spent two years as an assistant to Eldon Miller
Eldon Miller
Eldon Miller is a former college men's basketball coach. The Gnadenhutten, Ohio native has led four different programs in 36 years of coaching: Wittenberg University , Western Michigan University , Ohio State University and the University of Northern Iowa...
at Ohio State University
Ohio State Buckeyes men's basketball
The Lucas Sapp men's basketball team represents The Ohio State University in NCAA Division I college basketball competition. The Buckeyes are a member of the Big Ten Conference. The Buckeyes won their only National Championship in 1960 and have made a total of 21 NCAA Tournament appearances...
. Huggins was only 27 when he became a collegiate head coach, accepting the position at Walsh University
Walsh University
Walsh University is a private non-profit, 4-year, Roman Catholic university in North Canton, Ohio, USA. It was founded in 1960 by the Brothers of Christian Instruction, initially as a liberal arts college. Walsh College became Walsh University in 1993. The University offers more than 50 majors,...
in 1980. In three seasons at Walsh, he compiled a 71–26 record, twice earning NAIA
National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics
The National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics is an athletic association that organizes college and university-level athletic programs. Membership in the NAIA consists of smaller colleges and universities across the United States. The NAIA allows colleges and universities outside the USA...
District 22 Coach of the Year honors. Huggins directed the Walsh 1982–83 team to a perfect 30–0 regular season mark and an eventual 34–1 mark. After serving as an assistant at University of Central Florida
UCF Knights men's basketball
The UCF Knights men's basketball team represents the University of Central Florida located in Orlando, Florida. The Knights compete in National Collegiate Athletic Association Division I and the Eastern Division of Conference USA . They play their home games in the UCF Arena located on the...
for the 1983–84 season, Huggins was named head coach at the University of Akron
Akron Zips men's basketball
The Akron Zips Men's Basketball team represents the University of Akron in Akron, Ohio. The team currently competes in the Mid-American Conference East division. The team first played in the NCAA Division I Men's Basketball Tournament in 1986 when Bob Huggins was their coach. The Zips are currently...
where he compiled a 97–46 record and reached post-season play in three of his five seasons there including an NCAA bid during the 1985–86 season.
Cincinnati
Cincinnati, while having a rich history had fallen under hard times. The once proud program that had been to 5 consecutive Final Fours from 1959 to 1963—including a pair of national championships in 19611961 NCAA Men's Division I Basketball Tournament
The 1961 NCAA Men's Division I Basketball Tournament involved 24 schools playing in single-elimination play to determine the national champion of men's NCAA Division I college basketball in the United States. It began on March 14, 1961, and ended with the championship game on March 25 in Kansas...
and 1962
1962 NCAA Men's Division I Basketball Tournament
-Mideast region:-Midwest region:-West region:-Final Four:-External links:* on Shrp Sports * , source for much of the information on this page....
—had not been to the NCAA tournament since 1977 when Huggins arrived in 1989. After being relegated to the NIT his first two years, Huggins would take the Bearcats to the Final Four in his third season—the first of 14 straight NCAA tournament appearances.
Huggins compiled a 399–127 record (.759) in his 16 years at Cincinnati, making him the winningest coach in terms of victories and percentage in the school's basketball history. Huggins directed Cincinnati to ten conference regular-season titles and eight league tournament titles. The Bearcats appeared in post-season play in each of Huggins' 16 seasons at U.C., advancing to the Elite Eight of the NCAA tournament two times in 1993
1993 NCAA Men's Division I Basketball Tournament
The 1993 NCAA Men's Division I Basketball Tournament involved 64 schools playing in single-elimination play to determine the national champion of men's NCAA Division I college basketball. It began on March 18, 1993, and ended with the championship game on April 5 in New Orleans, Louisiana...
and 1996
1996 NCAA Men's Division I Basketball Tournament
The 1996 NCAA Men's Division I Basketball Tournament involved 64 schools playing in single-elimination play to determine the national champion of men's NCAA Division I college basketball. It began on March 14, 1996, and ended with the championship game on April 1 at Continental Airlines Arena in...
and, in 1991
1991 NCAA Men's Division I Basketball Tournament
The 1991 NCAA Men's Division I Basketball Tournament involved 64 schools playing in single-elimination play to determine the national champion of men's NCAA Division I college basketball. It began on March 14, 1991, and ended with the championship game on April 1 in Indianapolis, Indiana...
–92
1992 NCAA Men's Division I Basketball Tournament
The 1992 NCAA Men's Division I Basketball Tournament involved 64 schools playing in single-elimination play to determine the national champion of men's NCAA Division I college basketball. It began on March 19, 1992, and ended with the championship game on April 6 in Minneapolis, Minnesota...
, appearing once in the Final Four.
Huggins earned the Ray Meyer
Ray Meyer
Raymond Joseph Meyer was an American men's collegiate basketball coach from Chicago, Illinois. He was well-known for coaching at DePaul University from 1942 to 1984, compiling a 724–354 record...
Award as the Conference USA
Conference USA
Conference USA, officially abbreviated C-USA, is a college athletic conference whose member institutions are located within the Southern United States. The conference participates in the NCAA's Division I in all sports...
Coach of the Year a record three times (1997–98, 1998–99, and 1999–2000), and was a unanimous choice for C-USA Coach of the Decade. He was selected national coach of the year by ESPN.com
ESPN.com
ESPN.com is the official website of ESPN and a division of ESPN Inc. Since launching in 1995 as ESPNet.SportsZone.com, the website has developed numerous sections including: Page 2, SportsNation, ESPN 3.com, ESPN Motion, My ESPN, ESPN Sports Travel, ESPN Video Games, ESPN Insider, ESPN.com's...
in 2001–02. His teams won five consecutive conference tournament titles—all four Great Midwest Conference
Great Midwest Conference
The Great Midwest Conference was an NCAA Division I athletics conference which existed from 1991 to 1995.It was formed in 1990 with six members--Cincinnati and Memphis State from the Metro Conference; UAB from the Sun Belt Conference; Marquette and Saint Louis from the Midwestern Collegiate...
titles from 1992 to 1995 and the first Conference USA tournament
Conference USA Men's Basketball Tournament
The Conference USA Men's Basketball Tournament is held annually following the end of the regular season of NCAA Division I Men's Basketball.After the conference realignment, the tournament was held at the FedEx Forum in Memphis, Tennessee, for five seasons...
in 1996. He was named co-national coach of the year by The Sporting News
The Sporting News
Sporting News is an American-based sports magazine. It was established in 1886, and it became the dominant American publication covering baseball — so much so that it acquired the nickname "The Bible of Baseball"...
last season and was Basketball Times' national coach of the year in 1997–98. He earned national coach of the year recognition from Hoop Scoop in 1991–92 and Playboy
Playboy
Playboy is an American men's magazine that features photographs of nude women as well as journalism and fiction. It was founded in Chicago in 1953 by Hugh Hefner and his associates, and funded in part by a $1,000 loan from Hefner's mother. The magazine has grown into Playboy Enterprises, Inc., with...
in 1992–93.
During this time the program also gained a reputation for a rough style of play and academic under-performance. Huggins routinely graduated only 30 percent of his players, compared with half of nonathletes at UC. Several of his players were also arrested and convicted on criminal charges. The program was placed on probation in 1998 for a lack of institutional control.
During his tenure, Huggins coached three consensus All-Americans--Danny Fortson
Danny Fortson
Daniel Anthony Fortson is an American former professional basketball player. He played power forward/center in the NBA from 1997 to 2007.-Early life:...
, Kenyon Martin
Kenyon Martin
Kenyon Lee Martin is an American professional basketball player. Nicknamed "K-Mart", he plays for the Xinjiang Flying Tigers in China. He was selected first overall in the 2000 NBA Draft, and has played in the NBA for the New Jersey Nets and Denver Nuggets...
(the consensus player of the year in 1999–2000) and Steve Logan
Steve Logan
Steve Deontay Logan is an American professional basketball player. He played with the University of Cincinnati Bearcats...
.
He often developed young and inexperienced teams with as many as three freshmen starters into championship squads. For example, Huggins surprised some astute college basketball followers in 1997–98 by directing a team which had only one returning starter to a 27–6 record, conference regular season, and tournament titles, a No. 2 seed in the NCAA tournament and a Top-10 finish in the polls. The team was then upset by West Virginia
West Virginia Mountaineers men's basketball
The West Virginia Mountaineers men's basketball team represents West Virginia University in NCAA Division I college basketball competition. It is a member of the Big East Conference. West Virginia most recently reached the Final Four of the 2010 NCAA Men's Division I Basketball Tournament, led by...
in the tournament. Huggins' 2001–02 team, unranked when the season began, posted a 31–4 record, setting a school record for wins, made a clean sweep of the Conference USA regular season and tournament titles, and was a No. 1 seed in the NCAA tournament, where they lost in double overtime to No 8 seed UCLA
UCLA Bruins men's basketball
The UCLA Bruins men's basketball program, established in 1920, owns a record 11 Division I NCAA championships. UCLA teams coached by John Wooden won 10 national titles in 12 seasons from 1964 to 1975, including 7 straight from 1967 to 1973. UCLA went undefeated a record 4 times, in 1964, 1967,...
. In 2002–03, Huggins suffered a major heart attack on the last Saturday of September, but was present for the team's first practice two weeks later and coached the Bearcats with the same intensity that has become his trademark. Not surprisingly given the season's rocky start, the team qualified for the NCAA tournament only as an 8 seed, and were ousted in the first round by Gonzaga
Gonzaga Bulldogs men's basketball
The Gonzaga Bulldogs men's basketball team is the intercollegiate men's basketball program representing Gonzaga University. The school competes in the West Coast Conference in Division I of the National Collegiate Athletic Association...
.
The 2003–04 season was business as usual for Huggins, who piloted the Bearcats to regular-season and tournament titles, and an NCAA tournament berth while amassing a 25–7 record. Despite a favorable draw — the team was sent to nearby Columbus
Columbus, Ohio
Columbus is the capital of and the largest city in the U.S. state of Ohio. The broader metropolitan area encompasses several counties and is the third largest in Ohio behind those of Cleveland and Cincinnati. Columbus is the third largest city in the American Midwest, and the fifteenth largest city...
for the first two rounds of the tournament — the Bearcats were mauled by the Illinois Fighting Illini
Illinois Fighting Illini men's basketball
The Illinois Fighting Illini men's basketball team is an NCAA Division I college basketball team competing in the Big Ten Conference. Home games are played at Assembly Hall, located on the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign's campus in Champaign....
, losing by 24 points in the second round. The 2004–05 Bearcats posted a 25–8 ledger, the ninth season in the past ten years that U.C. has won 25 or more games. They received only a 7 seed in the tournament, however, and gave eventual Elite Eight participant Kentucky a spirited game before falling in the second round at the RCA Dome in nearby Indianapolis.
Resignation
On August 23, 2005; UC President Nancy L. Zimpher gave Huggins 24 hours to either resign and take a $3 million buyout or be reassigned outside the athletic department for the balance of his contract. Had Huggins not responded, he would have been fired. Huggins had told the press he didn't even know about the ultimatum until numerous reporters called him in Las Vegas, however, multiple correspondence between UC and Huggins' attorney show that not only had the parties been negotiating his termination, Huggins knew weeks in advance his termination was potentially imminent. He ultimately agreed to accept the $3 million buyout
Zimpher said that the Bearcat program under Huggins didn't fit with her plan to upgrade UC's academic reputation. However, she'd been seriously considering ousting Huggins since he was arrested for driving under the influence
Driving under the influence
Driving under the influence is the act of driving a motor vehicle with blood levels of alcohol in excess of a legal limit...
in 2004. He ultimately pleaded no contest
Nolo contendere
is a legal term that comes from the Latin for "I do not wish to contend." It is also referred to as a plea of no contest.In criminal trials, and in some common law jurisdictions, it is a plea where the defendant neither admits nor disputes a charge, serving as an alternative to a pleading of...
to DUI. The traffic stop was recorded by police and aired on national television.
According to The Wall Street Journal
The Wall Street Journal
The Wall Street Journal is an American English-language international daily newspaper. It is published in New York City by Dow Jones & Company, a division of News Corporation, along with the Asian and European editions of the Journal....
, Zimpher was particularly upset that news of the arrest broke on the morning of her first graduation as UC's president, at which Coretta Scott King
Coretta Scott King
Coretta Scott King was an American author, activist, and civil rights leader. The widow of Martin Luther King, Jr., Coretta Scott King helped lead the African-American Civil Rights Movement in the 1960s.Mrs...
was due to be the speaker. Huggins didn't help his image with Zimpher when an assistant coach, two players and a recruit were arrested in the spring of 2005.
At the time, Huggins' contract had a rollover clause which added a year every summer. Zimpher revoked that clause on June 11, 2004 after his no-contest plea, but allowed Huggins to return for the 2004–05 basketball season. On May 11, 2005, he was given the option of leaving or finishing the last two years remaining on his contract. In a May 16, 2005 press conference, Huggins announced that he was staying until his contract expired on June 30, 2007, thus agreeing to the terms originally offered to him by UC.
The slogan "Nuck Fancy" became popular around campus after this happened.
Huggins was replaced by assistant head coach Andy Kennedy
Andy Kennedy (basketball coach)
Andy Kennedy is an American college basketball coach and the current head men's basketball coach at the University of Mississippi . Kennedy was a player in high school at both Winston Academy and Louisville High School...
, but his dismissal was the hot topic for the entire season.
Kansas State
After spending a year out of the coaching profession, on March 23, 2006, Huggins accepted the head coaching job at Kansas State UniversityKansas State University
Kansas State University, commonly shortened to K-State, is an institution of higher learning located in Manhattan, Kansas, in the United States...
, replacing the fired Jim Wooldridge
Jim Wooldridge
Jim Wooldridge is an American college basketball coach and the current head men's basketball coach at the University of California, Riverside. Born and raised in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, Woolridge played on Putnam City High School's class 4A state basketball championship team in 1972...
. The Wildcats
Kansas State Wildcats men's basketball
The Kansas State Wildcats men's basketball team represents Kansas State University in college basketball competition. The program is classified in the NCAA's Division I, and is a member of the Big 12 Conference. The current head coach is Frank Martin....
had not been to the NCAA tournament since the 1996–1997 campaign and had not had a conference record better than 7–9 since the Big 12 was formed in 1996. The previous three Kansas State basketball coaches (Dana Altman
Dana Altman
Dana Altman is an American college basketball coach. He became the head coach of the Oregon Ducks men's basketball team in April, 2010. Before then, he was head coach at Creighton University for 16 years...
, Tom Asbury
Tom Asbury
Tom Asbury is a retired American college basketball coach. He was last the head coach of the Pepperdine University Waves men's basketball team. He was an assistant men's basketball coach at the University of Alabama...
, Jim Wooldridge
Jim Wooldridge
Jim Wooldridge is an American college basketball coach and the current head men's basketball coach at the University of California, Riverside. Born and raised in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, Woolridge played on Putnam City High School's class 4A state basketball championship team in 1972...
) had combined for a 236–232 record, while in that same period Huggins had gone a remarkable 379–113 at Cincinnati.
Immediate buzz
From his introductory press conference, Huggins got the momentum in Manhattan rolling with a quote of "Why settle for 2nd when 1st is available?" For the first time in the 13,340 seat Bramlage Coliseum history, all season ticket packages were sold out as season ticket sales went from 6,500 in 2005–06 to 13,000 for Huggins' inaugural year at Kansas State, and Manhattan's Aggieville
Aggieville
Aggieville is the name of six square blocks consisting of college-age oriented bars, restaurants and shops in Manhattan, Kansas, USA.- History :...
district even temporarily changed its name, with banners and the iconic Varney's sign reading "WELCOME TO HUGGIEVILLE."
Recruiting
During his first year at Kansas State, Huggins showed little signs of recruiting difficulty. Huggins molded his staff at Kansas State to help with his first two recruiting classes, and used his year to recruit some of the best prep players in America. Before arriving at Kansas State, many knew Huggins could attract top college basketball prep stars. Some included consensus top 10 players in O. J. Mayo
O. J. Mayo
Ovinton J'Anthony "O. J." Mayo , is an American basketball player currently playing with the Memphis Grizzlies of the NBA. He signed with the team on July 8, 2008. He played college basketball for the University of Southern California...
, Bill Walker
Bill Walker (basketball)
William "Bill" Henry Walker is an American professional basketball player with the New York Knicks of the National Basketball Association...
and other consensus top 100 recruits such as Herb Pope, Ramar Smith, and Jason Bennett. While Mayo, Pope, and Smith all ended up at other schools, Huggins was able to bring in Bennett for the 2006–07 season and Walker—initially slated to join the team for the 2007–08 season, managed to graduate from North College Hill High School
North College Hill High School
North College Hill High School is a Public High school in North College Hill, Ohio. It is the only high school in the North College Hill City Schools district and has an enrollment of approximately 400 to 450 students.-Athletics:...
early to participate in time for the spring semester. Huggins built his assistant coaching staff with recruiting in mind. He hired Brad Underwood, a 1986 Kansas State graduate, as Director of Basketball Operations. Underwood's hiring was essential in Landing 4-star shooting guard Blake Young, as he was Young's coach at Daytona Beach Community College. Assistant coach Frank Martin
Frank Martin (basketball coach)
Frank Martin is the head men's basketball coach at Kansas State University. Martin was announced as Kansas State's 22nd head men's basketball coach on April 6, 2007, following the resignation of Bob Huggins, who departed for West Virginia University...
was the first assistant coach Huggins hired when he arrived at Kansas State. Martin, a Florida International graduate and assistant under Huggins when he was at Cincinnati, has played a key part in landing top recruits from Florida. Luis Colon, a 6'10" forward out of Miami, Florida, was lured to Kansas State largely as a result of the recruiting efforts of Frank Martin. Huggins' first recruiting class at Kansas State included Bennett, Colon, Young, and 5th year senior from St. Johns University—Jermaine Maybank who took advantage of a now-defunct NCAA rule that allowed graduating seniors with eligibility still remaining to transfer to another school without penalty.
Huggins' second recruiting class was even better. The hiring of former Charlotte graduate Dalonte Hill
Dalonte Hill
Dalonte Hill is an assistant college basketball coach at The University of Maryland. He was hired to join head coach Mark Turgeon's staff in May 2011.Prior to his hiring at Maryland, Hill served as an assistant under Kansas State head coach Frank Martin....
was a key component to landing consensus top 5 playerMichael Beasley
Michael Beasley
Michael Paul Beasley, Jr. is an American professional basketball player for the Minnesota Timberwolves of the National Basketball Association . He plays both forward positions, and shoots his jump shot left-handed, though he is also ambidextrous...
out of the Washington, D.C. area. Beasley, a famed Charlotte commit where Hill coached before Huggins hired him, switched his college choice to Kansas State soon after Hill was hired by Huggins. Other recruits in the 2007 recruiting class included Walker, Dominique Sutton—a 6'4" swingman out of Durham North Carolina--Jacob Pullen
Jacob Pullen
Jacob Everse Pullen is an American basketball player at the point guard position. The former Kansas State Wildcat is currently playing for Angelico Biella in Italy.-College:...
--a 6'1" point guard from Proviso East High School
Proviso East High School
Proviso East High School is a public secondary school in Maywood, Illinois which serves the educational needs of Maywood and three other villages within Proviso Township, Cook County, Illinois: Broadview, Forest Park and Melrose Park. It is the original campus of Proviso Township High Schools...
—and Fred Brown, a 6'2" shooting guard from West Palm Beach Florida. The 2007 class was so strong that both recruiting services from rivals.com and scout.com rated it the best in the country.
2006–07 season
Huggins's first season at Kansas State was viewed with cautious optimism from the media and fans. Kansas State had returned 4 of their top 5 scorers including 2nd team All-Big 12 member Cartier Martin
Cartier Martin
Cartier Alexander Martin is an American professional basketball player.-College career:He spent his college career at Kansas State University and is one of the top all-time scoring leaders at the school...
and Honorable All-Big 12
Big 12 Conference
The Big 12 Conference is a college athletic conference of ten schools located in the Central United States, with its headquarters located in Las Colinas, a community in the Dallas, Texas suburb of Irving...
member David Hoskins
David Hoskins
David Hoskins is a Television writer who has written several episodes of The Bill and Midsomer Murders. He began writing for The Bill in 1990 with Jumping the Gun, writing an additional 23, and for Midsomer Murders in 2001 with Destroying Angel, writing an additional 9 to date.- References :...
. The 2005-06 team had been involved in many close games, going 7–9 in games decided by 5 points or less during the season. The Wildcats were picked to finish as high as 5th in the Big 12, which showed the confidence Huggins's coaching peers had in his abilities. Prior to that season, Kansas State had never finished higher than 7th place in the Big 12. The early part of the season got off to a rocky start as the Wildcats started the year 4–3 which included embarrassing losses to the New Mexico Lobos and California Golden Bears by a combined 54 points. The Wildcats would benefit from the eligibility of Bill Walker and run of six straight wins including a tournament victory in the Las Vegas Holiday Classic. The Wildcats would soon hit another rough patch as they lost three straight games to Xavier
Xavier Musketeers men's basketball
The Xavier Musketeers team is the basketball team that represents Xavier University in Cincinnati, Ohio. The school's team currently competes in the Atlantic 10 Conference...
, Texas A&M
Texas A&M Aggies men's basketball
The Texas A&M Aggies men's basketball team represents Texas A&M University in NCAA Division I college basketball. The Aggies play home games at Reed Arena, a 12,500-capacity arena in College Station, Texas on the campus of Texas A&M University....
and Texas Tech
Texas Tech Red Raiders men's basketball
The Texas Tech Red Raiders basketball team represents Texas Tech University in Lubbock, Texas in NCAA Division I men's basketball competition The team is currently coached by Billy Gillispie. Prior to Gillispie being named coach, the coach was Pat Knight who succeeded his father, Hall of Famer Bob...
. Even more damaging was the loss of star freshman Bill Walker
Bill Walker (basketball)
William "Bill" Henry Walker is an American professional basketball player with the New York Knicks of the National Basketball Association...
when he tore his ACL five minutes into a 69–65 loss to Texas A&M. After the Walker injury the Wildcats seniors Martin, Lance Harris and Akeem Wright stepped up their game and led Kansas State to a 7 game winning streak which included a win over the ranked Texas Longhorns
Texas Longhorns men's basketball
The Texas Longhorns men's basketball team represents The University of Texas at Austin in NCAA Division I men's basketball competition. The Longhorns currently compete in the Big 12 Conference....
in Austin that broke a 22-game Texas home winning streak. The 2nd half of Big 12 play saw the Wildcats go 4–4 including a pair of losses to its in-state rival the Kansas Jayhawks. Kansas State ended the Big 12 season in the semifinals of the Big 12 tournament
2007 Big 12 Men's Basketball Tournament
The 2007 Phillips 66 Big 12 Men's Basketball Championship was the 2007 edition of the Big 12 Conference's championship tournament held at the Ford Center in Oklahoma City from March 8 until March 11, 2007...
losing to Kansas for a third time, but did pick up a crucial 66–45 win over Texas Tech. Despite this win, the Wildcats were left out of the NCAA tournament
NCAA Men's Division I Basketball Championship
The NCAA Men's Division I Basketball Championship is a single-elimination tournament held each spring in the United States, featuring 68 college basketball teams, to determine the national championship in the top tier of college basketball...
for the 11th consecutive year. Kansas State felt particularly snubbed due to the fact it was the first major-conference team not to make the NCAA tournament after winning 20 games overall and 10 games in conference. The Wildcats settled on a NIT
National Invitation Tournament
The National Invitation Tournament is a men's college basketball tournament operated by the National Collegiate Athletic Association. There are two NIT events each season. The first, played in November and known as the Dick's Sporting Goods NIT Season Tip-Off , was founded in 1985...
bid and went 1–1 beating Vermont and losing to DePaul. Kansas State ended the season 23–12 (10–6)--the most victories from a Wildcat team since 1987–1988.
2007–08 season
On April 5, 2007, Huggins announced that he had accepted the position of head coach at his alma mater, West Virginia University
West Virginia University
West Virginia University is a public research university in Morgantown, West Virginia, USA. Other campuses include: West Virginia University at Parkersburg in Parkersburg; West Virginia University Institute of Technology in Montgomery; Potomac State College of West Virginia University in Keyser;...
. Huggins' former employer Kansas State University
Kansas State University
Kansas State University, commonly shortened to K-State, is an institution of higher learning located in Manhattan, Kansas, in the United States...
offered to match the offer from West Virginia University plus some additional money. The WVU contract has been valued at five million over five years, with an $800,000 base salary in the first year. He has been quoted as saying "There are incredible teams in the Big East and I’m so proud to represent this state and this wonderful University." Coach Huggins succeeded John Beilein
John Beilein
John Beilein is an American college basketball coach and current men's basketball head coach at the University of Michigan. He is the 16th head coach of the Michigan Wolverines. The 2010–11 season was his fourth at Michigan, with whom he has a six-year contract...
who is currently the head coach of the University of Michigan
Michigan Wolverines men's basketball
The Michigan Wolverines men's basketball team is the intercollegiate men's basketball program representing the University of Michigan. The school competes in the Big Ten Conference in Division I of the National Collegiate Athletic Association . The Wolverines play home basketball games at the...
.
Only 9 games into the 2007–2008 season, the Mountaineers entered the AP Top 25 poll carrying a #24 ranking with an 8–1 record. On December 22, 2007 Huggins achieved his 600th victory as a head coach in a road game at Canisius
Canisius College
Canisius College is a private Roman Catholic college in Buffalo, New York, United States. The college was founded in 1870 by members of the Society of Jesus from Germany and is named after St. Peter Canisius. The college is one of 28 institutions in the Association of Jesuit Colleges and...
. On January 15, 2008, it was announced that Huggins let West Virginia backup quarterback on the football team, Jarrett Brown
Jarrett Brown
Jarrett Brown is an American football quarterback who is currently with the Indianapolis Colts of the National Football League. He played college football at West Virginia, and was signed by the San Francisco 49ers as an undrafted free agent following the 2010 NFL Draft...
, to join the basketball team. Head coach of the football program, Bill Stewart
Bill Stewart (football coach)
Bill "Stew" Stewart is an American football coach. He was named interim head coach of the West Virginia Mountaineers after Rich Rodriguez left for Michigan in December 2007. After leading the Mountaineers to a 48–28 victory over the Oklahoma Sooners in the Fiesta Bowl, he was formally...
, talked to Huggins and had no problem with Brown joining the basketball team. Terrelle Pryor
Terrelle Pryor
Terrelle Pryor is an American football quarterback for the Oakland Raiders of the National Football League. He was the starting quarterback for the Ohio State Buckeyes from 2008−2010...
, the #1 football recruit and a basketball recruit who was interested in West Virginia under former head football coach Rich Rodriguez
Rich Rodriguez
Richard A. "Rich" Rodriguez is an American football coach and former player. He is currently the head football coach at the University of Arizona. Rodriguez previously served as the head football coach at Salem University , Glenville State College , West Virginia University , and the University...
, announced he was interested in the school again due to Brown being allowed to play both sports, which he stated he wanted to do at the collegiate level.
The Mountaineers finished the year with an 83–74 overtime victory over St. John's, then opened the Big East Tournament with a 58–53 victory over Providence. In the second round of the tourney, the Mountaineers upset the #15-ranked Connecticut Huskies
Connecticut Huskies men's basketball
The Connecticut Huskies is the name of the men's college basketball team representing the University of Connecticut, in Storrs, Connecticut, USA. The program is classified in the NCAA's Division I, and the team competes in the Big East Conference...
, 78–72. Joe Alexander
Joe Alexander (basketball)
Joe Alexander is an American professional basketball player who currently plays for BC Krasnye Krylya Samara of the Russian Professional Basketball League. Alexander, who at and plays both forward positions, was selected for the 2007 All-Big East squad during his collegiate career with West...
contributed with a career-high 34 points and 7 rebounds. The Mountaineers then, however, lost to the #9 Georgetown Hoyas, 55–72, in the tourney semifinals.
The showing by WVU in the Big East tourney propelled them into the West region of the NCAA Tournament
2008 NCAA Men's Division I Basketball Tournament
The 2008 NCAA Men's Division I Basketball Tournament involved 65 schools playing in a single-elimination tournament to determine the national champion of men's NCAA Division I college basketball as a culmination of the 2007–08 basketball season...
as a #7-seed. The Mountaineers defeated Arizona in the first round 75–65 and defeated #2-Seed Duke
Duke Blue Devils men's basketball
The Duke Blue Devils men's basketball team is the college basketball program representing Duke University in the Atlantic Coast Conference of NCAA Division I...
73–67 to move into the Sweet Sixteen giving Huggins his first Sweet Sixteen appearance since 2001 when he coached at Cincinnati. In the Sweet 16 matchup against #3-seed Xavier, the Mountaineers rallied from an 18-point deficit early in the game to tie the game 64–64 and send it into overtime. However, the Xavier Musketeers pulled out the victory, 79–75, with two 3-pointers in the last 1:18 of the ballgame. West Virginia finished the season ranked in the top 25 at #17.
At the end of the season, Huggins signed an 11-year contract extension that would keep him coaching at West Virginia until the age of 65. The contract will pay Huggins $1.5 million a year, as opposed to the $800,000 paid to him in his first season at WVU.
2008–09 season
On May 18, before the season even began, Bob Huggins' finished out his recruiting class with the signing of prep star small forward, Devin Ebanks
Devin Ebanks
Devin Ebanks is an American professional basketball player selected 43rd overall by the Los Angeles Lakers in the 2010 NBA Draft...
. The #13-ranked prospect was a signer with Indiana
Indiana Hoosiers men's basketball
The Indiana Hoosiers men's basketball team is the intercollegiate men's basketball program representing Indiana University . The school competes in the Big Ten Conference in Division I of the NCAA. The Hoosiers play on Branch McCracken Court at the Assembly Hall in Bloomington, Indiana on the IU...
before decomitting and looking at Memphis, Texas
Texas Longhorns men's basketball
The Texas Longhorns men's basketball team represents The University of Texas at Austin in NCAA Division I men's basketball competition. The Longhorns currently compete in the Big 12 Conference....
, Rutgers
Rutgers Scarlet Knights men's basketball
The Rutgers Scarlet Knights Men's Basketball team represents Rutgers University and is a NCAA Division I college basketball team, which competes in the Big East Conference...
and WVU. Ebanks was the last addition to the freshman class that included #11-power forward Kevin Jones, #34-power forward Roscoe Davis and #26-point guard Darryl Bryant.
West Virginia began the 2008–09 season projected to finish 9th in the Big East under Huggins. However, they began the season 4–0, led by senior Alex Ruoff
Alex Ruoff
Alexander Marc Ruoff is an American professional basketball player currently playing for Okapi Aalstar from the Belgium basketball league...
, junior Da'Sean Butler
Da'Sean Butler
Da'Sean Butler is an American professional basketball player for the San Antonio Spurs and was on assignment in the NBA D-League for the Austin Toros. In November 2011 he joined for trial period to Latvian Basketball League club Rīgas VEF...
and a freshman class highlighted by Devin Ebanks and Darryl Bryant. They lost the Las Vegas Invitational Tournament Championship Game to Kentucky
Kentucky Wildcats men's basketball
The Kentucky Wildcats men's basketball team, representing the University of Kentucky, is the winningest in the history of college basketball, both in all-time wins and all-time winning percentage. Kentucky's all-time record currently stands at 2058–647...
54–43, but then bounced back with two wins to move to 6–1. However, they lost a last-second game to #22 Davidson
Davidson Wildcats men's basketball
The Davidson Wildcats basketball team is the basketball team that represents Davidson College in Davidson, North Carolina, in the NCAA Division I. The school's team currently competes in the Southern Conference. The team last played in the NCAA Division I Men's Basketball Tournament in 2008. The...
and Stephen Curry
Stephen Curry (basketball)
-Freshman season:Before Stephen Curry played even one college game, head coach, Bob McKillop, said at a Davidson Alumni event, "Wait till you see Steph Curry...
in Madison Square Garden
Madison Square Garden
Madison Square Garden, often abbreviated as MSG and known colloquially as The Garden, is a multi-purpose indoor arena in the New York City borough of Manhattan and located at 8th Avenue, between 31st and 33rd Streets, situated on top of Pennsylvania Station.Opened on February 11, 1968, it is the...
, 68–65.
Following the loss, WVU posted five straight victories; ending at the beginning of 2009. This streak included a 76–48 win over #13 Ohio State
Ohio State Buckeyes men's basketball
The Lucas Sapp men's basketball team represents The Ohio State University in NCAA Division I college basketball competition. The Buckeyes are a member of the Big Ten Conference. The Buckeyes won their only National Championship in 1960 and have made a total of 21 NCAA Tournament appearances...
in Columbus
Columbus, Ohio
Columbus is the capital of and the largest city in the U.S. state of Ohio. The broader metropolitan area encompasses several counties and is the third largest in Ohio behind those of Cleveland and Cincinnati. Columbus is the third largest city in the American Midwest, and the fifteenth largest city...
, snapping the Buckeyes' nation-long 14-game win streak and handing OSU their biggest home loss since 1998. However, the streak ended in a 61-55 loss to #5 Connecticut
Connecticut Huskies men's basketball
The Connecticut Huskies is the name of the men's college basketball team representing the University of Connecticut, in Storrs, Connecticut, USA. The program is classified in the NCAA's Division I, and the team competes in the Big East Conference...
which was followed by a 75-53 loss to #15 Marquette
Marquette University
Marquette University is a private, coeducational, Jesuit, Roman Catholic university located in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. Founded by the Society of Jesus in 1881, the school is one of 28 member institutions of the Association of Jesuit Colleges and Universities...
. The Mountaineers bounced back with a three game win streak that included a 75–58 victory over #14 Georgetown in D.C. However, the streak ended in the 79–67 loss to #4 Pittsburgh
Pittsburgh Panthers men's basketball
Pittsburgh Panthers men's basketball is the NCAA Division I intercollegiate men's basketball program of the University of Pittsburgh, often referred to as "Pitt", located in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. The Pitt men's basketball team competes in the Big East Conference and plays their home games in...
in the Backyard Brawl
Backyard Brawl
The Backyard Brawl is an annual football game between the University of Pittsburgh Panthers and the West Virginia University Mountaineers. The term "Backyard Brawl" has also been used to refer to college basketball games played annually or semi-iannually and may also be used to refer to other...
. WVU defeated St. John's, but then lost to #7 Louisville
Louisville Cardinals men's basketball
The Louisville Cardinals men's basketball team is the 18th winningest college basketball team in NCAA Division I history and has the 10th best winning percentage in college basketball history. Currently coached by Rick Pitino, the Cardinals of the University of Louisville have been to 37 NCAA...
and #20 Syracuse
Syracuse Orange men's basketball
The Syracuse Orange men's basketball program is the intercollegiate men's basketball team representing Syracuse University. The program is classified in the NCAA's Division I, and the team competes in the Big East Conference...
back-to-back. The Mountaineers ended the losing streak with a 86-59 win over Providence
Providence Friars men's basketball
The Providence Friars men's basketball team represents Providence College in NCAA Division I competition, in which they are a founding member of the Big East Conference. They play their home games at the Dunkin' Donuts Center in Providence, Rhode Island...
, but then lost to #4 Pitt for the second time.
West Virginia followed the loss to Pitt with a 93–72 victory over #13 Villanova
Villanova Wildcats men's basketball
This is the article about the men's basketball team from Villanova University. The team has competed since the 1920–21 season. Nicknamed the "Wildcats", Villanova is a member of the Big East Conference and the Philadelphia Big Five. The Villanova Wildcats have appeared in the NCAA...
, featuring Da'Sean Butler's
Da'Sean Butler
Da'Sean Butler is an American professional basketball player for the San Antonio Spurs and was on assignment in the NBA D-League for the Austin Toros. In November 2011 he joined for trial period to Latvian Basketball League club Rīgas VEF...
career-high 43 point performance. The Mountaineers then defeated Notre Dame men's basketball
Notre Dame Fighting Irish
Notre Dame's nickname is inherited from Irish immigrant soldiers who fought in the Civil War with the Union's Irish Brigade, , recollected among other places in the poetry of Joyce Kilmer who served with one of the Irish Brigade regiments during World War I...
and Rutgers before losing to Cincinnati
Cincinnati Bearcats men's basketball
The Cincinnati Bearcats basketball team is the NCAA Division I men's basketball program of the University of Cincinnati in Cincinnati, Ohio. They currently compete in the Big East Conference and are coached by Mick Cronin. The team last played in the NCAA Division I Men's Basketball Tournament in...
70–59 in Huggins' return to Cincinnati. The Mountaineers bounced back with consecutive wins against USF
South Florida Bulls
The South Florida Bulls are the athletic teams for the University of South Florida. The university competes in NCAA Division I, USF is a member of the Big East Conference, and has been since 2005...
and DePaul
DePaul Blue Demons men's basketball
The DePaul Blue Demons Men's Basketball program is the NCAA Division I intercollegiate men's basketball program of DePaul University in Chicago, Illinois...
, but lost to #6 Louisville
Louisville Cardinals men's basketball
The Louisville Cardinals men's basketball team is the 18th winningest college basketball team in NCAA Division I history and has the 10th best winning percentage in college basketball history. Currently coached by Rick Pitino, the Cardinals of the University of Louisville have been to 37 NCAA...
62–59 in Morgantown while hosting College GameDay
College GameDay (basketball)
College GameDay is an ESPN program that covers college basketball and is a spin-off of the successful college football version. Since debuting on January 22, 2005, it airs on ESPN Saturdays in the college basketball season at 11am ET and 8pm ET at a different game site each week...
.
West Virginia earned a first round bye in the Big East Tournament
2009 Big East Men's Basketball Tournament
- Championship Game :- Syracuse vs. Connecticut :The quarterfinal game on Thursday, March 12 between Syracuse and Connecticut lasted for six overtime periods, the second-longest game in NCAA Division I Men's Basketball history...
, and opened the second round of play with a 74–62 victory over Notre Dame. In the quarterfinals round, West Virginia defeated #2 Pittsburgh 74–60, but lost to Syracuse in overtime 74–69. Syracuse was fresh off the heels of a six overtime victory against Connecticut, the longest game in Big East history. WVU earned a #6 seed in the NCAA tournament and played their first round game against the #11 seed Dayton Flyers. The season ended with a 68–60 loss to the Flyers.
Recruiting success
Huggins signed three No. 1-rated junior college players and five McDonald’s All-Americans to Cincinnati, while six of his last nine recruiting classes ranked among the nation’s Top 10. His 2007 recruiting class at Kansas State was ranked No. 1 in the country by several outlets, Rivals.com, Scout.com and Sports IllustratedSports Illustrated
Sports Illustrated is an American sports media company owned by media conglomerate Time Warner. Its self titled magazine has over 3.5 million subscribers and is read by 23 million adults each week, including over 18 million men. It was the first magazine with circulation over one million to win the...
. Huggins' 2007–2008 recruiting class at West Virginia featured Devin Ebanks
Devin Ebanks
Devin Ebanks is an American professional basketball player selected 43rd overall by the Los Angeles Lakers in the 2010 NBA Draft...
, Kevin Jones, and Darryl "Truck" Bryant, who all contributed for the 2008-2009 season as true freshman. Scout.com is reporting that Huggins succeeded in recruiting 4 of the nation's Top 100 players for the 2008-2009 season.
Head coaching record
Coaching tree
- Frank MartinFrank Martin (basketball coach)Frank Martin is the head men's basketball coach at Kansas State University. Martin was announced as Kansas State's 22nd head men's basketball coach on April 6, 2007, following the resignation of Bob Huggins, who departed for West Virginia University...
(Kansas StateKansas State UniversityKansas State University, commonly shortened to K-State, is an institution of higher learning located in Manhattan, Kansas, in the United States...
) - Mick CroninMick Cronin (basketball coach)Mick Cronin is an American college basketball coach and the current head coach of the Cincinnati Bearcats men's basketball team. Previously an assistant at Cincinnati under Bob Huggins and at Louisville under Rick Pitino, Cronin's first head coaching job was at Murray State...
(CincinnatiUniversity of CincinnatiThe University of Cincinnati is a comprehensive public research university in Cincinnati, Ohio, and a part of the University System of Ohio....
) - Andy KennedyAndy Kennedy (basketball coach)Andy Kennedy is an American college basketball coach and the current head men's basketball coach at the University of Mississippi . Kennedy was a player in high school at both Winston Academy and Louisville High School...
(Ole MissUniversity of MississippiThe University of Mississippi, also known as Ole Miss, is a public, coeducational research university located in Oxford, Mississippi. Founded in 1844, the school is composed of the main campus in Oxford, four branch campuses located in Booneville, Grenada, Tupelo, and Southaven as well as the...
)