Huggins to WVU

[GoZips88]

Huggins leaving Kansas State for WVU

[Captain Kangaroo]

Kansas State took a flyer on Huggins, giving him a chance after his DUI debacle. That's pretty weak for Huggins to stiff Kansas State only one year after they picked him up from the proverbial gutter? Yeah, WVU is his alma mater, blah blah blah....it is still weak on his part. Sucks to be Bill Walker.

[timmyboy]

hey captian i wonder if any of the kids who committed to Kansas State will be able to get out of it since the coaching change. ,, i know in the past the NCAA have allowed a few of them to. it should be interesting to see.

[Quickzips]

You have to wonder if Huggins was sitting around his office at Kansas State thinking, "Gee, I wonder how I could make my national reputation any worse than it already is. OHH I KNOW!!!!" Just checked the Kansas State message boards and they are absolutely furious. Can't really blame them. They took a flyer on him when noone else would touch him with a 50 foot pole and now he's taking the first thing smoking out of town. On top of that they have all kinds of quotes from him about how contracts should be honored and stuff like that.I know Huggins is somewhat of a cult icon around here based on the success he had when he was here, but man he is just totally dicking Kansas State over right now.

[zip37]

His family is from Mogytown, plus every contract has an out for both sides in the wording; he's going home, don't blame him too much on my end. But I bet he won't play the Zips.

[GoZips88]

Here's a link to the K-State men's hoops forum mentioned above ...Pissed K-State Fans

[InTheZone]

That's low. If I were a potential recruit, no way in hell would I wanna go play for a man who pulls some underhanded crap like that. Wonder how his meeting with his K State players went to break the news.... if he even had a meeting before bolting. I used to be a Huggins fan but not after something like this.

[UA Fan]

Maybe he didn't want to play 2nd fiddle to football at KS-St. & figures he can overshadow it at a basketball conference school.

[zip81]

I'm shocked.Wow!Through all his troubles, I've still liked him and given him the benefit of the doubt.It's going to be difficult reconciling this one.Did he have an out in his K State contract that would allow him to leave this early...or did they just let him out of it?

[skip-zip]

He's always had an escape clause in his contract that allows him to go to WVU. Even when he was coaching here. Someone mentioned that his family is from Morgantown. Fill me in. I recall that he is from down around the Newcomerstown, OH area, where his dad was a long-time high school coach. I'm only going to assume that he was not getting a good vibe about the Kansas State situation, and decided to bail out. I feel really bad for the players he recruited, and the fans.

[zip81]

He's always had an escape clause in his contract that allows him to go to WVU. Even when he was coaching here. Someone mentioned that his family is from Morgantown. Fill me in. I recall that he is from down around the Newcomerstown, OH area, where his dad was a long-time high school coach. I'm only going to assume that he was not getting a good vibe about the Kansas State situation, and decided to bail out. I feel really bad for the players he recruited, and the fans.

According to Wiki...born in Morgantown...raised in Gnadenhutten.http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bob_Huggins

[skip-zip]

Thanks Zip81....that's something that I didn't know.

[skip-zip]

Let me add something else, while I am at it.....I was a student in the early 80's when Huggins was hired. I believe he was about 30 years old. I was also fortunate enough to still be a student when he took us to the NCAA tournament in 1986. It was an exciting time.I also recall hearing all the stories about how he used to be. He was a two-time academic all-american. I even know someone who played for him on his team that went to the NAIA championship game at Walsh College, and he remembers a different Huggins. He even used to make his Akron players, in the early days, come to the JAR at 7am to have a "study hall". He was just such a remarkable example of what college athletics was all about.I, however, have lost quite a bit of respect for him over the years. I think he now serves as a prime example of how money can change someone. He went from earning 50k a year in his early years at Akron, to being a millionaire. And I believe, all of his former principles went out the window when that happened.What a shame.

[zip81]

I have found that, in sports, $$$ ruins everything...which is why I'm not the fan I used to be.

[FMR]

Did he have an out in his K State contract that would allow him to leave this early...or did they just let him out of it?

He owes the University $100,000 for leaving early. I am sure that is part of what WVU will pick up for this sleaze. In typical Huggins fashion he cried all the way from Manhattan (the little apple) to his hick roots home.I heard that they are changing the drinking laws in West Virginia now...

[w00t]

I'm no Huggins apologist, but if you were a coach, how many of you wouldn't bolt from wherever the heck you were to coach at Akron?

[GP1]

I heard that they are changing the drinking laws in West Virginia now...

I heard the same thing. They are raising the drinking age from 14 to 16. They figure if you are old enough to drink, you should be old enough to drive a car.

[zipper]

Can we please take Huggins' picture out of the JAR now? Please?

[FMR]

They are raising the drinking age from 14 to 16. They figure if you are old enough to drink, you should be old enough to drive a car.

If you ever get pulled over, you are suppose to tell the trooper that you are related to Bob Huggins. It's the new "Huggins is my cussins" law.It would be tough to prove that your not related in WV!

[J-BIDDY]

Can we please take Huggins' picture out of the JAR now? Please?

Huggins did alot for this prgram when he was here. He was honored for that! He deserves to be right where he is in the JAR no matter what he has done since then!

[zip37]

Charlie Huggins was a graduate of Mogeytown HS, played 1 year for the "Eers" got married quit playing ans went to small school A-B i think, then to Strasburg as coach.All of Charlie's kin still Ridge Runners, so Huggs is, indeed going home.I lived few years as a kid in Morgantown, and you couldn"t pay ME, enough to go back, but Bob will be happy there, and successful. I wish him nothing but luck, and it proves that, for some, you can take the man out of the hills but not the hills out of the man(although I workrd for me, I don't like to go anywhere near the place,

[exexec]

If he had the out in his contract-then his employers knew right up front. Then he exercises his right and gets bashed like this???? Not me-hope you do a great job Bob!

[zip81]

Newspaper had an article today that Huggy is getting a five year-$5 million contract.See my earlier post about $$$.

[timmyboy]

huggins did do alot to turn this akron program around. and each school that he has gone to he has taken to a new level. it is a shame that he left kansas state the way he did, when they were the only ones willing to take a chance on him after his arrests, but thats life. kansas will get another great coach who will pick up where huggins left off, and huggins will go to WVU and help to get that program to another level of competition and into the NCAA's. Maybe since pitt is not willing to play us at home, huggins would like to make a return to his old stomping grounds?

[Zip_ME87]

I feel terrible for the Kansas State alumini, students, players, etc., but a coach is a person too. I believe Bob Huggins father, Charlie, still lives in Tuscarawas County, Ohio and is a member of the New Phildelphia Baptist Church. I also believe Bob Huggins mother passed away not too long ago. You can't fault a person for wanting to be closer to his family. You can joke about West Virginia and say blah, blah, blah all you want about returning to your roots. But, I know it was hard for me when I lived 600+ miles away and my father passed away. As soon as I got the opportunity to return home to Ohio, I took it to be closer to my family. Sometimes a person just has to take an opportunity when it presents itself.