As March Madness approaches, former Cincinnati Bearcats and West Virginia Mountaineers head coach Bob Huggins made an appearance near the Ohio-Indiana border, signaling his continued connection to the basketball world. Huggins, a Naismith Hall of Fame inductee, was the featured guest at the Harrison Sports Stag on Thursday night, just one day after two of his former teams, Cincinnati and West Virginia, faced off in Morgantown.
Huggins, accompanied by his brother Larry, attended the event hosted at Harrison High School, located approximately 20 miles from Fifth Third Arena—formerly the Shoemaker Center—where he secured 398 career victories with the Bearcats. The evening was emceed by longtime Cincinnati sports broadcaster Dennis Janson and featured several of Huggins’ former players, including Corie Blount and A.D. Jackson from the 1992 Final Four squad. Reflecting on the previous night’s UC-West Virginia matchup, Huggins described the contest as highly competitive, ultimately won by the Mountaineers, 62-59.
The veteran coach has been out of the profession since June 2023, when he and West Virginia parted ways following a second DUI incident. His first occurred in Cincinnati in 2004, after which he briefly returned to UC before resigning due to his contract not being renewed. Following a year away from the game, he took the helm at Kansas State for one season before returning to his alma mater, West Virginia, where he led the Mountaineers to a Final Four appearance in 2010.
Despite his absence from coaching, Huggins has remained active in the basketball community. He attended Corie Blount’s induction into the James P. Kelly Athletic Hall of Fame and has been spotted at West Virginia games. Most recently, he appeared at Cincinnati’s road game against UCF in Orlando, wearing a black and red UC pullover, further fueling speculation about his future involvement in the sport.
Now nearly two years sober, Huggins has noticeably slimmed down and appears healthier than he was in his later coaching years. In an exclusive interview with The Enquirer, he openly expressed his desire to return to coaching, hoping to build upon his impressive 863 career wins. His remarks indicate that, while he remains on the sidelines for now, his passion for the game has not diminished.
When asked about the current state of the Big 12 Conference, Huggins acknowledged both its strengths and challenges. He believes the league’s recent expansion has altered its competitive balance but emphasized the high level of coaching within the conference. “That’s a coaches’ league,” Huggins remarked. “If you can’t coach, it’s a hard league to be in. A lot of those guys have been coaching as long as I was. I know how good they are.”
During his visit to Cincinnati’s game against UCF, Huggins was invited by Bearcats head coach Wes Miller to address the team. While he did not deliver an extended speech, he offered a few words of encouragement, reminiscent of the motivational messages he once shared with his own players.
As speculation continues about his potential return to coaching, Huggins remains a prominent figure in college basketball circles. Whether he secures another opportunity on the sidelines remains to be seen, but his presence at high-profile events and continued engagement with the sport suggest that his coaching journey may not be over just yet.