Global Courant
West Virginia basketball coach Bob Huggins has resigned a day after his arrest on suspicion of drunk driving in the latest incident in a Hall of Fame career that quickly imploded.
The university announced the resignation on Saturday evening. It came a month after the university suspended him for three games for using an anti-gay slur while belittling Catholics during a radio interview.
The 69-year-old Huggins leaves as the third-winning coach of all time in Division I with 935 career wins, behind only Duke’s Mike Krzyzewski (1,202) and Syracuse’s Jim Boeheim (998), both of whom are retired. Unlike the others, Huggins had no national titles, taking Cincinnati to the Final Four in 1992 and West Virginia in 2010.
Huggins had 16-year stints each with the Bearcats and Mountaineers. Both ended in the wake of drunk driving arrests.
Huggins was charged with drunk driving on Friday night after his SUV stopped in the middle of traffic in Pittsburgh with a torn tire and the driver’s side door left open at about 8:30 p.m. the blood alcohol level was more than twice the legal limit.
Huggins was charged with drunk driving, was released and will appear for a preliminary hearing at a later date, according to a police report.
In a statement to the West Virginia community on Saturday night, Huggins said, “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 intent to retire. to serve as head men’s basketball coach at West Virginia University effective immediately.”
In a separate statement Saturday night, the West Virginia Athletic Department said they accepted the resignation “in light of recent events.
“We support his decision so he can focus on his health and his family. On behalf of West Virginia University, we share our appreciation for his service to our university, our community and our state.”
West Virginia basketball coach Bob Huggins
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