Bob Huggins is back home with the Mountaneers
Posted on April 7, 2007
Filed Under Basketball, Sports News
  The 53-year-old Huggins played for the Mountaineers from 1975-77, then spent the first year of his coaching career here as a graduate assistant.
Bob Huggins is West Virginia’s new coach shewed his sensitive side when he walked into the arena he played 30 years age. His return home as a coach meant a lot for him, almost cried when he spoke with such happiness about coaching at the Mountaneers. Huggins in now 53 years old, but played for the Mountaineers from 1975 until 1977, and started his first year of his coaching career in Morgantown as a graduate assistant.
“I’ll have a hard time not crying,” Huggins said. “I mean that sincerely. … For me not to be emotional is probably not realistic. I’m probably going to have a towel — you know, so I can hide, so you don’t see how bad it is.
“I don’t want them to think I’m soft,” he said. “‘Cause I’m not soft.”
Just two days ago Huggins’s dream became a reality for him, being hired after John Beilein moved to Michigan’s basketball team. He was telling other people that this was his biggest desir.
I want to stay here as long as I can do what I’m supposed to do and as long as you people will have me,” he said Friday.
His five-year contract form WVU that begins with a salary of $800,000 in the first year, the same salary that he had at Kansas State. After five-years he will receive about $5 million, plus incentives, said Athletic Director Ed Pastilong.
“It’s a very good contract both ways,” Pastilong said. “Financially it was lateral (for Huggins), and secondly, it was very similar to what we were operating with in this position in the past.”
The negotiation was the shortest one Huggins ever had in his carrier. Though he had turned down in 2002 a contract to came back here.
“I wanted to be here since I was a little kid. Sometimes for whatever reasons it’s not the right time.”
“Thanks for letting me come home,” he said.
In 2002 and now, Huggins was the first option for West Virginia’s team and has 10 victories to gain 600 wins through out his career.
