HARRISON, OH – As March Madness approaches, former Cincinnati Bearcats and West Virginia Mountaineers head coach Bob Huggins made a public appearance Thursday night at Harrison High School, near the Ohio-Indiana border. The Naismith Hall of Fame coach, who has been out of coaching since June 2023, expressed his desire to return to the sidelines.
Huggins was the featured guest at the Harrison Sports Stag, an event emceed by longtime Cincinnati sports broadcaster Dennis Janson. Accompanied by his brother, Larry, Huggins was joined by several former players, including Corie Blount and A.D. Jackson from his 1992 Final Four team. The gathering came just one night after Cincinnati and West Virginia—two programs he led to the Final Four—faced off in Morgantown. Reflecting on the game, which WVU won 62-59, Huggins said, “I thought it was a very competitive game. I guess the team that was supposed to win won.”
Since parting ways with West Virginia in 2023 following a second DUI incident, Huggins has remained involved in the basketball world. He has attended West Virginia games and was present for Corie Blount’s induction into the James P. Kelly Athletic Hall of Fame. Recently, he was seen wearing a Cincinnati Bearcats pullover at UC’s game against UCF in Orlando, signaling his continued connection to the program where he won 398 games.
Now nearly two years sober, Huggins appears to be in better health, having lost weight since stepping away from coaching. In an exclusive interview with The Enquirer, he admitted that he hopes to return to the profession and build on his 863 career victories.
“I’d like to coach again,” Huggins said, expressing his eagerness to add to his legacy. His decorated career includes successful stints at Cincinnati, Kansas State, and West Virginia, where he guided the Mountaineers to the 2010 Final Four.
When asked about the competitive nature of the Big 12, Huggins acknowledged the league’s strength but noted how conference expansion has changed the landscape. “Yes and no,” he said when asked if there was a considerable home-court advantage. “I think the league was better before it got so strung out. Now that it’s so strung out, I think it’s different. There are great coaches in that league. That’s a coaches’ league. If you can’t coach, that’s a hard league to be in. A lot of those guys have been coaching as long as I was coaching. I know all those guys. I know how good they are.”
As Huggins remains connected to the game, it remains to be seen whether a coaching opportunity will arise. With a Hall of Fame career and a passion for the sport still evident, his return to the sidelines may not be out of the question.