The situation in Morgantown has gotten ugly and confusing
In June, there was a series of conflicting statements regarding the resignation of Bob Huggins as the men’s basketball coach at West Virginia University. Initially, a statement was published by West Virginia announcing Huggins’ resignation, following his arrest on suspicion of DUI.
Bob Huggins is claiming he never signed a resignation letter and never communicated a resignation to anyone at West Virginia.
He’s demanding WVU reinstate him, or else he will sue.
A letter from Huggins’ legal team to WVU’s president says Huggins’ resignation was “incredibly… pic.twitter.com/zKFyc4GegS
— The Sporting News (@sportingnews) July 9, 2023
However, Huggins is now claiming that he never resigned and is threatening legal action if he is not reinstated. Here is Huggins Statement:
“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. My recent actions do not represent the values of the University or the leadership expected in this role. While I have always tried to represent our University with honor, I have let all of you – and myself – down. I am solely responsible for my conduct and sincerely apologize to the University community – particularly to the student-athletes, coaches and staff in our program. I must do better, and I plan to spend the next few months focused on my health and my family so that I can be the person they deserve.”
Conflicting Reports From Both Sides
Huggins’ attorney, David A. Campbell, stated in a letter that Huggins did not communicate his resignation to the university president or athletic director. Campbell also contested the validity of the resignation letter, stating that it was based on a text message from Huggins’ wife and that a written resignation should have been sent via registered or certified mail.
Campbell argued that the public comments made by West Virginia regarding Huggins’ resignation were false and an attempt to remedy the university’s breach of the employment agreement. He also mentioned that the DUI incident in Pittsburgh was close to being resolved without charges and emphasized Huggins’ pursuit of rehabilitation.
West Virginia’s Vice President Responds
In response, West Virginia’s vice president and general counsel, Stephanie D. Taylor, disputed Campbell’s claims, stating that the letter contained completely factually inaccurate information. Taylor provided details of meetings and communications between the university and Huggins’ attorneys, asserting that Huggins had indeed resigned and retired. She expressed confusion about the representation of Huggins and mentioned discussions about his benefits as part of the resignation and retirement process.
“In light of all of this, we need confirmation, substantiated in a reliable writing, as to who is representing Mr. Huggins and what his current legal position is with respect to the University. If Mr. Huggins is somehow now maintaining that he did not resign after discussions with his attorney on June 16-17, then we would ask that whoever is taking that position on his behalf to do their due diligence before asserting a position that is clearly contrary to the documented evidence.”
The situation remains contentious, with Huggins threatening legal action while West Virginia stands by its assertion that Huggins will not be reinstated as the team’s coach.
