Bob Huggins Receives Standing Ovation at Akron Game — When Will it Happen at WVU?

Once again, it's time to bring up that WVU needs to honor the legendary head coach.

Dec 18, 2022; Morgantown, West Virginia, USA; West Virginia Mountaineers head coach Bob Huggins is honored before the game against the Buffalo Bulls on becoming a Class of 2022 inductee of the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame at WVU Coliseum. Mandatory Credit: Ben Queen-Imagn Images | Ben Queen-Imagn Images

Legendary Hall of Fame head coach Bob Huggins has been making his rounds, watching college basketball games in the area, recently taking in a Marshall game, and on Friday, stopped by his old stomping grounds at Akron.

The Zips made sure to make him feel at home as the PA announcer rattled off his career accomplishments, which led to a standing ovation from the crowd on hand.

🦘 legend Bob Huggins in the 🏠#GoZips🦘 pic.twitter.com/I1lbfRMGDa

— Akron Zips MBB (@ZipsMBB) February 14, 2026

Huggins' first Division I head coaching job was with Akron, spending five seasons with the program before making the jump up to Cincinnati. He led the team to one of its most successful stretches in program history, collecting four straight 20-win seasons after going 12-14 in his first year on the job. In 1985, Huggins guided the Zips to their first-ever conference championship and NCAA Tournament appearance as a Division I member.

Earlier this month, I wrote an in-depth piece as to why West Virginia needs to honor Huggins, and do so soon. The topic flared up a few days ago when the trailer of his documentary was released on social media, and it did once again with Akron showing him some major love on Friday night.

You may be of the belief that Huggins ruined the program for how things ended, or believe that he's not worthy of such recognition. Everyone is entitled to their own opinion, but at the end of the day, it's about recognizing everything the man has done for the University, the basketball program, and the state of West Virginia. He's a Mountaineer through and through, and I'm sure it bothers him that his relationship with his alma mater isn't exactly great.

I do understand that this is a two-way ordeal, so in order for Huggins to get that type of moment with the Mountaineer fanbase, things need to be patched up between the two parties. The sooner that happens, the better. It will eliminate the awkwardness of media, broadcasters, and PR who try to stay away from bringing up the success under Huggins, and it would also be great for a young coach like Ross Hodge to have a Hall of Famer in his back pocket, if that's the relationship they eventually choose to have.

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