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WVU head coach Bob Huggins walks off the court after defeating Missouri 74-51 at the WVU Coliseum on January 25, 2020.
WVU head coach Bob Huggins walks off the court after defeating Missouri 74-51 at the WVU Coliseum on January 25, 2020.
It was a phone call 45 years in the making, and now WVU basketball coach Bob Huggins will be enshrined in the Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame as a member of the 2022 class.
The highly anticipated honor is now a reality for the Mountaineer great, as nearly fifty years of immense success has led to an orange jacket.
Before becoming the legendary college coach that fans see gracing the sidelines today, Huggins got his start as a player on the hardwood.
The Morgantown, W.Va. native suited up for the Ohio Bobcats in his freshman year of college after being named Ohio’s player of the year for Indian Valley South High School in 1972.
After just a season with the Bobcats, Huggins took his talents a state over where he would play for the Mountaineers from 1975 to 1977.
Huggins experienced his highest level of playing success in the blue and gold, posting a 9.8 scoring average on 47% shooting in three seasons. 81 of his 99 career games were played with the Mountaineers.
At the conclusion of his playing career, Huggins quickly turned to coaching by taking stewardship of the Walsh College basketball team from 1980 to 1983. In his brief time with the squad he led them to a 71-26 (.732) record.
Following a number of other stints with the Akron, Cincinnati, and Kansas State programs, Huggins would finally take over as head coach of his hometown Mountaineers in 2007.
In the 15 seasons that Huggins has represented the mountain state, he has accumulated over 300 wins and 10 NCAA tournament appearances. He was also named the Big 12 coach of the year for WVU in 2014-15.
In 45 total seasons of coaching, Huggins has participated in March Madness on 25 occasions, including four Elite Eight finishes and two appearances in the Final Four (1992, 2010).
The man dubbed ‘Huggy Bear’ has racked up a combined 916 wins to just 399 losses (.697) over his storied coaching career, good for the sixth-most wins among Division 1 coaches of all-time, and fourth among active coaches.
These statistical accolades have brought with them a number of individual honors for Huggins.
In his tenure with the Cincinnati Bearcats, he was named the Conference USA Coach of the Year on three consecutive occasions (1998-2000), in addition to earning Sporting News Coach of the Year honors in 2000 and the ESPN.com National Coach of the Year in 2002.
Huggins is one of thirteen legendary basketball figures set to be enshrined at the Hall of Fame ceremony on Sept. 9 and 10. He will be joined by NBA greats Manu Ginobili and Tim Hardaway, in addition to NBA coaching legend George Karl and WNBA stars Swin Cash and Lindsay Whalen.
In a storied coaching career that spans 45 years, Huggins has cultivated a legacy built upon winning and consistency. With an extensive record of accolades and honors tied to his name, it is only fitting that ‘hall of famer’ be added to the list.
Next stop for Huggins; Springfield, Mass.
I am currently a senior here at West Virginia University, majoring in journalism with a minor in sports communication. I'm originally from Parkersburg, W.Va., and my desire is to one day work in the sports industry in some capacity.
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