Former West Virginia basketball coach Bob Huggins is demanding reinstatement

Morgantown, West Virginia - The current offseason may have provided the biggest coaching scandal in the history of college basketball!

Former West Virginia coach Bob Huggins (r.) is reportedly demanding to be reinstated to his former position as the basketball program's head coach.
Former West Virginia coach Bob Huggins (r.) is reportedly demanding to be reinstated to his former position as the basketball program's head coach.  © ALEX SLITZ / GETTY IMAGES NORTH AMERICA / GETTY IMAGES VIA AFP

In arguably the biggest plot twist in the history of head coaching in NCAA basketball, former West Virginia coach Bob Huggins is reportedly demanding to be reinstated to his former position as the head coach of the Mountaineers' basketball program after claiming he never resigned.

Per Hoppy Kercheval of West Virginia Metro News, Huggins is now alleging he never signed a resignation letter from the university and never communicated his intention to resign with anyone from the university.

"Coach Huggins never signed a resignation letter and never communicated a resignation to anyone at WVU," Huggins new attorney David A. Campbell wrote in a letter obtained by Kercheval.

"Accordingly, the WVU public comments are not only false, but appear to be an after-the-fact attempt to remedy WVU’s breach of the Employment," Campbell wrote.

Additionally, West Virginia's Employment Agreement seemingly requires Coach Huggins to send the Athletic Director and WVU’s General Counsel a resignation notice in writing via registered or certified mail.

Campbell claims there is no "signed writing or proper notice setting forth Coach Huggins’ resignation from employment with WVU."

After receiving the letter, West Virginia University offered up their differing version of events.

West Virginia University responds to Bob Huggins reinstatement request

West Virginia University responded to Bob Huggins' attorney David Campbell, stating they were confused by the allegations made.
West Virginia University responded to Bob Huggins' attorney David Campbell, stating they were confused by the allegations made.  © JAMIE SQUIRE / GETTY IMAGES NORTH AMERICA / GETTY IMAGES VIA AFP

According to Campbell, the university announced Huggins’ resignation based off a text message from the coach's wife, June, to West Virginia’s deputy athletic director Steve Uryasz.

However, on Saturday, West Virginia University's general counsel Stephanie Taylor responded to Campbell in a letter that read, in part: "We are frankly confused by the allegations within the letter," adding that the assertions made by Campbell on behalf of Huggins were "completely factually inaccurate."

Taylor added that the claims made contradicted what she was told by attorney Bob Fitzsimmons, who has represented Huggins on various other legal matters. Thus, she requested clarification on who is representing Huggins – Campbell or Fitzsimmons.

Despite Campbell's claim that Huggins never sent a resignation letter, the university noted that Huggins directly told the WVU basketball players that he was resigning, and noted what Campbell said was a text message was actually an email from Huggins' wife that stated: "Please accept this correspondence as my formal notice of resignation as WVU Head Basketball Coach and as notice of my retirement from West Virginia University, effective immediately."

In the letter, West Virginia University also stated that they will "not accept Mr. Huggins’ revocation of his resignation, nor will it reinstate him as head coach of the men’s basketball program."

Bob Huggins was charged with driving under the influence in Pittsburgh on June 16. The following night, the university shared a letter of resignation that seemed to be signed by Huggins.

Roughly one week later, assistant coach Josh Eilert was promoted to interim head coach.

Cover photo: ALEX SLITZ / GETTY IMAGES NORTH AMERICA / GETTY IMAGES VIA AFP

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