Former West Virginia coach Bob Huggins is asserting that he never officially resigned from his position at the university and is now seeking to settle the matter. In a public letter released on Monday, Huggins expressed his disappointment with West Virginia University’s handling of his situation and stated his desire to conclude his career at WVU.
This dispute began when a lawyer from Ohio, who recently became Huggins’ client, sent a letter to WVU President E. Gordon Gee addressing Huggins’ employment status and requesting his reinstatement after undergoing rehabilitation counseling for alcohol abuse. The lawyer threatened legal action if Huggins was not re-hired, to which the school’s attorney responded by stating that Huggins would not be re-hired.
The situation has become a spectacle following a series of events that led to Huggins’ resignation. Huggins, who had been the active Division I leader in wins at the time of his resignation, was arrested for drunk driving in Pittsburgh on June 16 with a .210 blood alcohol level and a destroyed tire. Huggins and WVU parted ways the following day.
Huggins’ new lawyer, David Campbell, released a letter on Monday in which Huggins claims that WVU falsely published a resignation statement under his name on June 17. Huggins denies drafting or reviewing the statement and alleges that it was sent without his signature. He asserts that he never submitted the required notice to voluntarily resign and that WVU did not handle the situation appropriately.
Campbell wrote a second letter to WVU, emphasizing the dispute over the nature of Huggins’ resignation and whether he truly agreed to resign. However, sources have indicated that Huggins has no chance of coaching at West Virginia University again. According to WVU, since Huggins resigned, they are not obligated to pay him the remainder of his salary on his one-year contract, which was set to expire in April 2024.
WVU’s general counsel representative, Stephanie Taylor, responded to Campbell’s letter with a forceful message stating that there is no legal basis to suggest that Huggins can ignore his resignation and return to work.
This public battle and potential legal action only further tarnish the end of Huggins’ career at West Virginia. Even if he were to win a legal battle over the resignation, WVU still holds the power to fire him with cause. The situation remains unresolved as Huggins seeks a resolution with the university.