The Drama Continues in Morgantown

Bob Huggins is ready to fight for his job - one that he believes he should still have.

Last month, West Virginia University announced that Huggins submitted his resignation and provided a quote that was supposedly from Huggins stating, "Today, I have submitted a letter to President Gordon Gee and Vice President and Director of Athletics Wren Baker informing them of my resignation and intention to retire as head men’s basketball coach at West Virginia University effective immediately."

According to the Hall of Fame head coach, he never did such a thing.

"Due to my focus on rehabilitation, I have not been in the media responding to WVU's statements regarding the incident," Huggins said in a statement he released Monday. "I now understand that WVU published a statement purportedly written by me at 10:20 p.m. on June 17, 2023.

"I did not draft or review WVU's statement. This false statement was sent under my name but no signature included. In addition, the false, unsigned statement, was accompanied by a joint statement from the President and Athletics Director that clearly implied that they had received this purported resignation letter from me."

WVU barked back with several data points showing their proof that Huggins did indeed submit his resignation and were confused by the allegations and the timing of them, given that it had been 20 days since the event occurred.

This back-and-forth between Huggins and WVU is just getting started and there seems to be a lot more to the story than we're being told. At some point, we'll come across the truth and this will be put in the past. The problem is, this could have long-lasting effects on the program and potentially the perception of Huggins and/or the administration.

The reality of the situation is Huggins isn't going to be reinstated as the head coach. That's just not going to happen. So when the university begins its search for Huggins' permanent replacement next spring, this whole situation will impact the level of interest from candidates in some capacity, some maybe more than others.

The job is a very attractive one. There's no arguing that. World class facilities, rich history/tradition, passionate fanbase, strong alumni presence, and NIL capabilities - all the things that a high-major head coach would want . But when you add this whole situation to the mix, it could turn off a few folks. There was always going to be the pressure of filling in the shoes of a Hall of Famer but this adds a whole new wrinkle to it.

If it turns out that Huggins is correct, any external candidate is going to have a hard time trusting the administration in place. But then again, it may result in some within the administration being let go.

If WVU is correct, then this will continue to tarnish the legacy that Huggins built at West Virginia. First, the radio incident, then the DUI charge, and then this. Going out with a fight against the school and program he's loved so dearly since his childhood. How does the university plan to honor his legacy and years of success as the head coach of the men's basketball program when it ended in such an ugly manner? Or does it even happen?

In one way or another, this battle will result in a smear on the program. The longer this goes on, the more it hurts the program and particularly, interim head coach Josh Eilert, who by the way, is still trying to piece together a roster for next season. Recruiting with all this going on doesn't make matters any easier.

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