MORGANTOWN, W. Va. — Bob Huggins and WVU have reached a contract extension that would guarantee the coach more years on the sidelines rather than as a fundraiser emeritus for the university.
The extension was first reported by 247 Sports, although the negotiations had been known since June, when WVU athletic director Shane Lyons confirmed to The Dominion Post the two were in talks about an extension.
Lyons said Friday that Huggins is now signed as coach through the 2023-24 season, but there are options to continually add an additional year to that for as long as Huggins and Lyons continue to agree to an extension.
The yearly extensions would happen each May in the year prior to the term ending, meaning in May of 2024, Huggins and Lyons could agree on extending the deal for the 2024-25 season and so on. Huggins will earn $4.15 million, plus incentives, annually for each season he remains the head coach.
That’s the same amount Huggins will earn for the 2021-22 season.
Huggins’ incentives package remained the same as the 2017 extension. He would still earn an additional $430,000 for leading the Mountaineers to the national championship, $40,000 for a Big 12 tournament title, $20,000 for season-ticket sales exceeding 6,000, as well as others.
Once reaching emeritus status, Huggins’ base salary will be $50,000 per year plus deferred compensation from the previous employment agreement.
“As I said with our last announcement in 2017, I want Bob Huggins leading our basketball program for many years to come,” Lyons said. “He just became the sixth Division I coach all-time to win 900 games, and he’s on the doorstep of being in the Naismith Hall of Fame. We are pleased to have this agreement in place and for coach Huggins continuing to lead his alma mater on the basketball court.”
When Huggins decides to hang up his clipboard, he would enter emeritus status for two years, meaning he would focus on fundraising for the school.
“I certainly appreciate the opportunity that I’ve been given to represent this great university and state that I love so much,” Huggins said. “As I’ve said before, I am blessed to coach at my alma mater – the place that all West Virginians love. I’m truly blessed.”
Per the contract extension Huggins signed in 2017, he would have been able to step down and enter emeritus status following the 2021-22 season, unless he and Lyons came to an agreement to coach beyond next season.
Lyons told The Dominion Post the two had already reached an agreement for Huggins to coach the 2022-23 season and were discussing an extension that would guarantee Huggins more years as a head coach.
The WVU coach told the Cincinnati Enquirer in June he had no intentions of stepping down as coach any time soon.
“As long as I feel like I can do it the right way and I can contribute, I’m going to keep going,” Huggins said.
Under the 2017 extension, Huggins could have continued to defer emeritus status and remain as the head coach through the 2026-27 season, as long as he and Lyons reached a yearly agreement.
Huggins, who will turn 68 next month, is the highest-paid coach at WVU.
He is third among active coaches in wins with 900, trailing only Syracuse’s Jim Boeheim and Duke’s Mike Krzyzewski.
Huggins in on pace to surpass Bob Knight and Roy Williams on the all-time wins list this season.
Since being hired at WVU in 2007, Huggins has led the Mountaineers to 10 NCAA tournaments, as well as the 2010 Final Four and Big East tournament championship.
He is 310-171 during his 14 seasons with the Mountaineers. Only former coach Gale Catlett (439) has more with the Mountaineers.
TWEET @bigjax3211
